Tostevin's late strike helps Wheway cause

North 1, Vale Rec 0

A SLICE of good fortune kept alive champions North's hopes of clinching a Wheway Cup spot at Northfield last night. Simon Tostevin's late strike gave them a slender victory over derby rivals Vale Rec.

Pride was at stake as the teams, who both fielded generally youthful sides, battled to cancel each other out.

North coach Mick Le Prevost handed a first team start to table tennis star Garry Dodd.

And already shorn of the services of several first team regulars due to injury, Craig Young who was work-tied in Sark and Jamie Ferbrache with an ear infection, he had only youngsters Jack Domaille and Danny Giles to warm the bench.

'If it was not for the kids, I would have had to play Railway players and that is not the way to go forward,' he stressed.

'I thought Miles Pengelley was the best player on the pitch by a mile, Garry Dodd played well on his debut along with Scott Bougourd up front and Glyn Dyer had a very good game.'

Tostevin's height proved a handful for Vale Rec's defenders and at the other end Lee Ogier kept North's backline on their toes in a scrappy first-half.

The best chance fell to Tostevin on the half-hour mark but his fierce shot from 12 yards was too close to Jody Bisson, who saved well.

Paul Page then made a complete hash of a clearance, leaving young Jamie Gauvain a clear run at goal, but his inexperience at this level showed as he allowed Richard Davey to deny him.

Jon Rihoy's first touch deserted him early in the second period as he had a great chance to break the stalemate for the visitors.

Young Bougourd had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside before Youth One captain Pengelley, who ran his socks off for the cause, headed Steve Ozanne's tempting cross straight at Bisson from the penalty spot.

Tostevin appealed in vain for a penalty after he felt he was fouled in the box at the clubhouse end.

But he did not have to wait long for the decisive goal with eight minutes left.

Vale Rec failed to deal with an Ollie McKenzie ball into the area and after Bisson, Neil Sarahs and Tostevin clattered into each other, the ball fell kindly for the striker, who rifled the ball centrally into the roof of the net from 15 yards.

But the green-and-yellows almost salvaged a point at the death.

Ogier's header from a corner was hacked off the line and when the ball fell back to him outside the penalty box after shots had been blocked, he struck a superb effort against the post with Davey beaten.

Tostevin could have doubled the lead twice in injury time but was denied by Bisson.

'I thought we deserved to win and we created chances. I thought it would be one of those nights when it was not going to go in for us,' said Le Prevost.

'I always thought one goal would win us this game - they all clattered into each other and it fell for us nicely.'

Vale Rec assistant coach Martin Gaudion had a differing perspective.

'I thought we played very well and we were unlucky not to come away with at least a point, which I think would have been a fair result,' he said.

'The performance of the last few games has been good. The players have been training hard and the attitude has been great. We just need a bit of luck to go our way - everything else is OK.'