TANSLEY DENIED BY LATE CHAPEL EQUALISER

TANSLEY 2 CHAPEL TOWN 2

HOPE VALLEY LEAGUE PREMIER AT FETE FIELD

12 SEPTEMBER 2020 --- 2.30PM

KIERAN LUGSDEN CELEBRATES HIS EQUALISER FOR CHAPEL TOWN

A debut premier league appearance for Tansley looked to be resulting in three points against their Chapel en le Frith based opponents that was until the visitors captain Kieran Lugsden swept home a sweet finish with seven minutes remaining.  But the securing of a point against an always strong outfit in Chapel Town would have to be seen as a plus even though it must have felt like a heart breaker for the home side.

With the current restrictions limiting my options the pre-season has seen an appearance for some superb little clubs who have been a pleasure to cover.  During the week a Hope Valley game closer to base was selected but by Thursday I was flirting with Tansley Fc a side I had tried to pop along to last season but the weather and early curtailment did not allow this to happen.  By the start of this season though they had found themselves rewarded with a promotion to the Hope Valley Premier League and their opening day fixture would be against one of the strongest teams in the league in Chapel Town.

THE FETE FIELD HOME OF TANSLEY FC

Public transport is still off the agenda and with some nice walking around Ashover over the last few weeks taking in seven miles the option on a nice day with no rain forecast and the light to walk back in a one way journey would take just over that.  To badly parody The Proclaimer's 'I would walk fifteen miles just to be the man who watches a Tansley game and I would walk fifteen more............., well maybe that second parts going a bit far.

With a later kick off by half an hour to the rest of the league due to junior games on the sports ground a departure from base at noon would see some wonderful views of Ogston reservoir forty minutes in and by the time I had bypassed Ashover and left Milltown one hour and a quarter had been clocked up.  The hardest part climbing the steep, narrow and winding road towards the superbly named Lickpenny Lane.  It was all down hill now to Tansley with an ETA of 2pm at the ground their was time to call Chesterfield Sunday League social media guru Dan who had already arrived and kindly offered to sign me into 'the book'.

STEVE WOOD DENIED BY A LAST GASP CHAPEL TACKLE

Tansley is often seen as a selection of properties either side of the Matlock to Alfreton road or more appropriately Nottingham Road by its given name but the village itself accessed by the turn in the dip of the road offers up a lovely little community away from the hustle and bustle of the busy main road.  The former shop has gone but the Post Office now serves from the Methodist Church a lovely building in itself with the stone building extending into I guess the ministers house which is attached to the main building.  Moving through the village Holy Trinity Church sees progression made to the village green with a neat row of stone cottages to the rear here is the main entry point to the ground on Spout Lane.  But wandering around towards one of the clubs sponsors is the re modeled Gate Inn and directly opposite Green lane an attractive way to approach via a short footpath which brings you into the ground.

NO QUARTER GIVEN

The grounds are supported by a modern changing room block with full length windows and glass door to the front more of which I cannot tell you due to the restrictions, to the front a collection of cleaning fluids for use and a one way system around the building.  The club had clearly done their best to support the requirements and even delayed kick off so as not to clash with earlier junior games.

The ground is of course a village recreation area but these type of sports facilities in the Derbyshire Dales and Hope Valley are never just recreation grounds they offer up many lovely views.  A small selection of seats around the ground and a superbly positioned one behind the far corner flag add to the ambiance, the club had roped off three sides of the ground with the far split into two player bubbles.  From that side though the best views can be seen with the nearby folly of Riber Castle much photographed from Causeway Lane home of Matlock Town.   Here though with the sun out it was not as easy spot and offered a side on view of the unique landmark.

DALE HILL RECEIVES THE PLAUDITS FOR THE OPENING TANLSEY GOAL

It was on one of these seats that Pete from Chesterfield sat on and when I finally recognised his wave from afar we had a socially distanced chat, like myself he had undertaken to watch more games at this level and we both commented on the enjoyment of doing it so far, although when its thrashing it down in winter with little or no cover we may not be so keen.

Anyway to the game Tansley looked resplendent in their salmon shirts with black shorts and Chapel in their regular yellow and blue stripes created probably two of the best kits to match up in a game for a little while.  Chapel are always a strong outfit and Tansley although feeling excited for their debut in the top echelon must have felt some anxiety in their management team of what to expect.

TANSLEY WING WORK

Any confusion with the blue pitch markings seemed not to affect the players but only me as the 'where is the penalty box' question was raised a few times.  But we were off at a fair old pace and by 35 minutes Tanlsey were two goals up and loving this Premier League lark.  It was Dale Hill who would take the accolade for first goal at the top level but the assist was a credit to Steve Wood and when former Teversal striker Matt Wilkinson rose to head in a right wing corner to double the advantage the lads in salmon were enjoying this.  However lets not make it look that easy this was an end to end encounter with Chapel feeling aggrieved when a floated free kick was diverted into the net by one of their players knee only for the flag to go up for offside.  They did though find a goal at a vital time just a minute before half time when Ryan Jones drove home a lovely low drive from the edge of the box that crept inside home keeper Jak Thornley left hand post.

THE SCENIC SIDE WITH RIBER CASTLE TO THE LEFT OF THE TREE

As the second half developed it became clear that Tansley were getting the whole team behind the ball and would rely on a breakaway goal this would be a risky game because the more Chapel knocked at the door you feared it would open and maybe even they would take over the house if they got in.  Strangely though that chance did come for Tansley referee Chris Brown awarded a penalty for one of those modern day handballs, after a visiting player had been sin binned for his comments up stepped Wilkinson knowing a finish here would more than likely put the game beyond Chapel.  Cometh the hour cometh former New Mills keeper Toby Emmett who took off to his left to palm away the ball and give the visitors extra vigor now as they powered forward in search of an equaliser.

CHAPEL PRESSURE MOUNTS IN THE SECOND HALF

As the pressure mounted an edge of the box shot crashed down off the underside of the Tansley bar but it appeared not over the line although to the growing frustrations of the Chapel side it looked like the goal would not come and referee Brown had to sin bin a visiting substitute for his comments.  But they need not have worried with just seven minutes left on the clock captain Lugsden swept into the box drew the home keeper and slotted home the sweetest of finishes across the home number one.  Would there be enough time for a winner or from a Tansley point of view could they hang on the answer was yes somehow with moments left the ball fell to Lugsden who from close range agonisingly lifted the ball over the bar and you could feel the sigh of relief from Tansley team.

Chapel will probably refer to a few incidents in the game that would have seen them win and their performance was very strong but you could not deny that Tansley had a fixture that would be the toughest introduction to top flight football and it would have been cruel to deny them a point from their sterling efforts.

CHAPEL KEEPER EMMETT DENIES WILKINSON AND TANSLEY

Upon the final whistle the return walk dawned on me and no point in dawdling around a determination to get on with it was summoned up and the climb out of Tansley back towards Ashover parish would see an extension through the beautiful valley that surrounds the Ashover Hay district alongside the Primitive Methodist Church, more or less built in a field, formerly serving the hamlet of Milltown.  Pulling out of the valley and tracing my steps back towards Littlemoor as per the outward route, a further hour would see arrival back at base.

A lovely visit to a club who appear on the crest of a wave with a walk that was challenging but offered up so much picturesque countryside but the main event, the game, was a credit to both clubs and The Hope Valley League with a special mention for one its better referees Chris Brown who looks every bit the part.