Another one of those Saturday`s where Dudsey is left wondering where to go..Rainworth are away, Ilkeston are at home to FC of Manchester (Bedlam.!!), so it`s back to one of my favourite away venues and a chance to see another one of this seasons newcomers to the Evo-Stik Division 1 South.You could probably fit on the back of a postage stamp what I know about Chasetown Fc....other than they had a cracking run in the FA Cup back in 2008 reaching the third round against Cardiff.
It`s a lovely afternoon in South Yorkshire, clear Blue Skies...although I must admit it is a tad nippy when you are out of the sun. There`s a healthy crowd at the BT Local Stadium with a good contingent making the journey from Staffordshire.
A perfectly observed minutes silence was held in respect of all our fallen Heroes and to remember the untimely passing of a Lady involved with Sheffield Fc.
They sure as hell bring their fair share of flags to display at away grounds, in-fact a group of them must have spent the best part of twenty minutes decorating the hoardings at the score-board end of the ground.
'The Scholars' looked to start the better of the two teams in the opening ten minutes but Sheffield soon settled down and became the most productive of the two sides with Shoquilee (Shak) McKenzie and Steve Woolley really pushing deep into the visitors half with some great over-lap play from Lee Featherstone and Jobe Shaw.
Chasetown look very well structured in defence and if not for the excellent organisation and dominance in the air of their skipper Richard Teesdale, perhaps Sheffield`s efforts might have been more fruitful sooner rather than later, the high ball over the top was never going to beat this lad so the home-sides focus turned to a more wide approach.
Chasetown aren`t sitting on their laurels though and look for every opportunity to hit Sheffield on the break. Theo Robinson seems to be the preferred route in down the right-flank, being supplied by Jack Farmer and Gavin Saunders although the ever dependable Jamie Hatfield looks to be keeping the nimble striker in check for the home-side
It`s really good end-to-end stuff and although Sheffield look to be shading it possession wise, two off the cuff breaks give the visitors a two goal cushion. Robinson snatched the opener on 27 minutes from Mark Branch`s excellently executed free kick.
Whether or not Sheffield were dazed at finding themselves a goal adrift against the run of play as they did against Sutton Coldfield, they are caught out yet again with another quick break, Robinson turns provider this time, laying off a perfectly weighted ball to the feet of Nicholas Wellecomme.
From the second he picked the ball up Dudsey sensed there was only one outcome, faced directly one-on-one with Liam Flynn he made no mistake in punishing 'Club' for their defensive lapse, chipping the ball over the keeper. 2-0 up with fifteen minutes of the first half remaining.
Two goals adrift in as many minutes, Sheffield now have to set about reducing the deficit, the mid-field is pretty evenly contested as Rickards and Saunders square up against the home pairing of Roney and Gascoigne. Woolley and McKenzie remain full of beans and spend alot of time in and around the visitors eighteen yard box.
Sheffield finally manage to breach Chasetown`s defence as a decent build up gave Featherstone the opportunity to loft the ball into the box, seeing it take a fortunate touch from the immaculate and slightly unlucky Teesdale as Steve Woolley added the final touch.
So Sheffield manage to pull one back just before the interval, 1-2 at Half-Time, with three goals in the first half and the game looking very open Dudsey has a good feeling that there is more to come from this game in the second half.
The lads in Red had obviously had their ears bent at half-time from manager Curtis Woodhouse, but if there`s something Sheffield are good at in the last two games I`ve watched here, it`s pulling themselves back from behind, (not what any manager wants, but at least they have the ability to do it).
Quick out of the blocks, the home-side took no time in levelling the game as a well crafted build up finds the ball at the feet of McKenzie whose well taken drive left Ryan Price with little chance of stopping it in the third minute of the second period.
Dudsey bumps into Rainworth`s manager..Kev Gee who was doing a bit of groundwork on today visitors and Tbh I got slightly lost in the conversation. The pace of the second half was scintillating, Woolley and McKenzie were immaculate for the home-side going forward, Chasetown`s Daniel Smith was on fire in the last twenty minutes, he ran riot down the right wing and on any other given day he would surely have been rewarded for his tireless efforts.
Although there was to be no more goals in the game after a few tactical changes, the openness and flow of the game was a credit to both sides as they pushed each other hard in a bid to take all three points. A special mention has to go to today`s Referee, Mr Karaivanov, keeping his cards in his pocket he allowed the game to be what it was today, exciting, fast paced with no unnessesary hold-ups.
A credit to the Evo-Stik today and 2-2 at the final whistle was probably a fair result for the efforts of both sides in front of a very appreciative 306 strong crowd.
The saying goes, "It`s boring drawing"....far from it today, for as far as entertainment goes you couldn`t have wished for anything more from today`s fixture, especially the second half. (As a neutral anyway!!)
Teams - Sheffield; Flynn, Turner, Featherstone, Foster (c), Hadfield, Shaw, Roney, Gascoigne, McKenzie, Wall, Woolley. Subs - Powell, White, Burrell, Knowles, Harrison.
Chasetown; Price, Downs, Branch, Farmer, Ashton, Teesdale (c), Rickards, Saunders, Wellecomme, Smith, Robinson. Subs - Robinson, Westwood, Brown, Jackson, Kisiel.
Admission £6
Attendance - 306
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