By Peter Scherer
A hattrick from ex Rams and Forest striker Marcus Tudgay sealed another three points for Mickleover Reserves, when they visited Teversal on Tuesday night.
Starting line-up: 1-Josh Mher 2-Toby Smith 3- Zac Sandhu 4-Jared Cholerton 5-Lewis Cunningham 6-Chris Palmer 7-Mason Tudgay 8-Joe Bateman 9-Marcus Tudgay 10-Harry Atwal 11-Josh Powell, Subs: Mason Hoult, Silas Donker, Dean Ironmonger.
It was fairly muddy and bumpy pitch, but the matchstarted fairly evenly. Cunningham led the first Mickleover attack after three minutes, but his cross was headed away for a corner, followed a minute later by a second corner which came to nought.
It was Sports beginning to apply the early pressure and five minutes in Marcus Tudgay tried to lob the keeper. His effort bounced off the top of the bar, with the keeper attempting a recovery punch.
The pressure continued and after nine minutes Atwal picked up a rebound after Mason Tudgay’s shot, and slotted it past the keeper, who was still committed to his original save. 1-0.
But Sports seemed to back off a little after the goal, and after a 15th minute corner when a shot was blocked, the ball bounced around the box without being cleared, and Teversal struck to make it 1-1.
Bateman was placing some perfect long balls to set up the Mickleover strikers, and with both Smith and Cunningham pushing forward on the wings, it was looking good.
But Teversal were quick on the break and a cross from the right after 18 minutes, was nicely cut out by Sandhu, to set up another Sports attack.
A number of passes from both sides were going awry on the bumpy pitch, but Powell managed to cut in from the left to fire a shot over the bar.
Atwal and Palmer were working hard in midfield and sent Powell on a telling run, but was stopped in his tracks by the first of many dubious offside decisions.
But with the half hour approaching, Marcus Tudgay was pulled down in the box, the penalty was given and he stepped up to make it 2-1after 28 minutes.
Mason almost followed in his Dad’s footsteps a couple of minutes later, but was denied by an excellent save from the home keeper.
Cunningham then went close with a 37th minute free kick punched away by the keeper, but almost on the half time whistle Maher earned his place with a save from a Teversal break.
Barely had the second half kicked off and the hosts were back on level terms, when the defence seemed to be caught napping from close range, 2-2.
Marcus Tudgay had the ball in the net again after 50 minutes, but was ruled offside and then Maher had to be treated after contact during a challenge.
There were some strange decisions coming from the referee who didn’t seem to take much notice of his assistants, but vociferously made it clear that he was in charge on numerous more occasions.
Maher made another good diving save on the hour mark, but five minutes later Teversal again seemed to find Cholerton and Sandhu undecided. The ball wasn’t cleared and was 2-3.
Mickleover made their first change when Donker replaced Cunningham. But the referee seemed to be singling out Mason Tudgay and gave final two final warnings and having booked Smith for kicking the ball away, failed to follow his own precedent as two Teversal players followed suit, without repercussions.
Ironmonger was on for Mason T and after 80 minutes and there was another penalty when he was fouled. Marcus T stepped up again and made no mistake, making it 3-3.
Teversal went close with a minute of normal play left and Marcus T followed with a shot over the bar a minute later.
Smith then beat a defender on the right but his cross was blocked, as the game looked to heading for a draw.
But the referee then appeared to sin bin a Teversal defender, who didn’t seem to return, but by now his decisions were causing much hilarity among the crowd, and arguments among the players.
But in time added on a Mickleover free kick proved decisive, when Marcus T latched on to complete his hattrick and secure another three points.
