In a game that saw two red cards and two penalties given, it was the visitors that emerged victorious with two stoppage time goals. A frantic end to the match with four goals in thirteen minutes saw the home side surrender an 87th minute equaliser to two victory clenching strikes for the visitors.
Rainworth came into the game with strong home form having beaten both Gedling and Graham St Prims in recent games at the Tomlin Personnel Stadium. The home side started brightly, Declan Brewin and Lewis Weaver demonstrated good link up play down the left wing early on in an attempt to catch Teversal out, however defender Jake Allen was there to clear for the visitors. Despite early pressure from the home side, Teversal squandered a good opportunity after 12 minutes as Jonathan Watkins drove a low free kick into the wall.
The home side also failed to make set pieces count as Declan Brewin headed a Charlie Hardwick free kick narrowly wide after 14 minutes. Four minutes the visitors went up the other end after Jonathan Doyle was dispossessed in midfield by Teversal striker Daniel Fullwood, however defender Cameron Davidson recovered well to make the tackle to save the wrens.
After 22 minutes, Rainworth were unfortunate to not be ahead after Rio Alberry produced a fine double save to deny the home side. The free kick was whipped in and found the head of Dec Brewin, whose header was well matched by Alberry. A static Teversal defence then allowed the rebounded shot to drop into the path of Aidy Harris, whose powerful volley was again well saved by Alberry in the Teversal goal.
The chance of the first half fell to the home side. Brilliant play down the left hand side by Brewin and fullback Shomari Doyle ignited the Rainworth attack. Doyle broke into the box and was taken out by Teversals’ captain Daniel O’Donnell, unsurprisingly the referee awarded a penalty to the wrens. Brewin stepped up but could only skim the wrong side of the post with his spot kick, blasting the penalty wide to the right hand side for a goal kick.
The second half restarted at a slower pace with clear cut chances being less common. It was the away side who came closest to breaking the deadlock though, defender Jake Allen went for the spectacular as his long range volley cannoned off the crossbar in the 62nd minute. From this moment the game began to open up. Two minutes later the home side squandered a golden opportunity as Harris miscued a close range volley for a goal kick. Substitute Steve Radzinski came close to making instant impact in the 75th minute as he failed to get on the end of a fizzing Dec Brewin cross at the far post.
It took 84 minutes to break the deadlock in a tense affair. However it was worth the wait for Teversal as striker Daniel Fullwood blasted an unstoppable volley past a helpless Charlie Dando in the Rainworth goal. One minute later the visitors almost doubled their lead as Dando recovered well to tip a lobbed shot onto the crossbar.
In the 87th minute Lewis Weaver had seemed to rescue Rainworth as his close range free kick deflected off the wall and into the left side of the goal to get the equaliser. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be for Rainworth as just four minutes later Teversal had retaken the lead. In the first minute of stoppage time Jonathan Watkin curled a wonderful effort into the top right corner, again giving the keeper no chance. Things went from bad to worse for the home side as Shomari Doyle was shown a second yellow for a late foul on Joseph Fox. Then to make matters worse, Dec Brewin was dismissed just one minute later as the home side went down to just nine men. Inevitably, the visitors made use of their two man advantage winning a penalty in the 97th minute as Adon Spencer picked up a booking for his foul. The penalty was coolly put away by Daniel Fullwood with the last kick of the game, ending a disappointing afternoon for the wrens.
RAINWORTH MWFC: Dando; Drake (Radzynski); Doyle; Hardwick; Timmons (Spencer); Davidson; Lytham (Darby); Cox; Brewin; Harris; Weaver.
Subs (not used): Adaleye; Knowles.