Anticipation and curiosity awaited this local derby, after what can only be described as a crazy second game of the season at the Hosiery Mills Fielding ground, when Teversal came away with a 6-5 win. Since then both sides have had a difficult season and both see themselves fully entrenched in a relegation battle, with Mills just outside of the drop zone with the Tevie Boys facing the sterner task sitting bottom of the table at kick off. Add the factor for this game that both managers are twin brothers, so sibling bragging rights add that bit of extra spice to the game for these friendly neighbours.

The opening 5 minutes started off at a quick pace, with attacking being the best form of defence it appeared, with Mills breaking down the right with Brock driving a cross along the Tevie 6-yard box, but with the end product. Whilst the home side had two great headed opportunities that were wasted by Jackson from an excellent cross from Hunter, then Radford was on end of a Bamford corner, but failed to threaten the Mills goal.

The Tevie Boys started to dominate the possession, which was rewarded on 17 minutes taking the lead when Bamford played a perfectly weighted pass that allowed Parfitt the opportunity to turn the ball into the path Cory Burton who was met by the advancing Mills Keeper Joe Parker to save the initial effort, but the ball ricochet back of Burton with the ball ending up in the back of the net to give the host a deserved lead.

The goal settled Teversal who controlled the game, but without creating any significant further goal scoring opportunities, with the Mills defending resolutely to keep in the game going into the break at just 1-0 down.

Teversal picked up in the second half where they left off in the first, with Parfitt, Cory Burton and Jackson having opportunities to increase the lead, without any joy. The cost of those missed opportunities to looked have been costly in the 53rd minutes when Mills thought they had pulled level when Johnson played an excellent through ball to release Brock who rounded Jablonski who forced the Mills forward wide but managed to hit the target with Hunter getting back to clear off the line. This led to strong claims by the Mills camp that it had cleared the line, to level the scores, but the claims fell on deaf hears, with it appearing harsh on the visitors.

This ended the period were Teversal looked odds on to increase their lead, but moved into a more open and balanced game, with both sides looking a danger now whilst attacking. Again Brock was denied an equaliser this time it Brookes who was the architect who picked an excellent far post that Brock hit first time but again in less controversial style Hunter cleared from in front, but again this started another period of pressure for Mills, with it now Tevie’s defence turn to be the resolute backline.

With Mills now pushing to gain the lever, they also became open to being hit one the break, which Tevie did well with chances falling to Burton, Parfitt and substitute Gregory who was denied by an impressive double save by Parker.

Teversal were hit by the sucker punch and punished for the missed opportunities to put the game to bed, but instead in the 89th minute George Simpson hammered home from 12 yards after a number of blocks and half clearance in a goalmouth melee to level the scores and deflate the Tevie Boys, whilst Mills celebrated getting something out of the game, that some would say was deserved.

Even though an entertaining game and a share of the spoils possible a fair result, but in the bigger scheme of things Teversal will view this as two points dropped, rather than a point gained, whilst Mills will fell the way the game went, any outcome could have been possible.

Teversal: Adam Jablonski, Will Hunter, Jack McWilliams, Scott Taylor, Josh Radford (Oli Baines 71), Nathan Hadley, Shane Burton (Oli Rouse 57), Sam Jackson (Dillon Gregory 74), Josh Parfitt, Kurt Bamford (Harley Moore 72), Cory Burton. Subs Not Used: Rocco Hardy.

Tevie Bar Player Of The Match – Will Hunter

Next outing is on Saturday 8th March 2025 with a local Derby with a trip Melbourne Dynamos at the Melbourne Sports Park for a 3:00pm kick off.