Birmingham Senior Cup
Round Two
Tuesday 14th January 2020
Tividale 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 6
Tividale get mauled by Wolves

In our last few games in the Birmingham Senior Cup against League or Premier League opposition we have come up against predominately youth team players, with older lads mixed in. So although natural and technical wise they are that much better, you are able to even it out with our physical strength.

Not with this squad of opposition players. Wolves came with their Under23’s making our squad as young if not younger than theirs. So they were just as physical as us added to this was the fact that we were playing the game on Sporting Khalsa’s 3G Aspray Arena (as it had been postponed twice before) it had all the making’s of a very difficult evening.

In the end Wolves progressed with a Boubacar Hanne hat-trick as Wolves dominated. With the score at 4-0 at half time we feared the worse especially after three screamers, two from
Hanne, the other from regular first team squad member Dion Sanderson. The fourth was scored by Renat Dadashov which was his first goal in gold and black following his summer transfer from Estoril just before the half-time whistle was blown.

Half Time:- Tividale 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4

Wolves came out with the same intensity in the second-half and added two more goals, with Dadashov doubling his tally ten minutes into the second period, before Hanne added his third to confirm his hat-trick with 15 minutes of the game remaining. But take nothing away from Tividale they battled away in a much improved second half and although they were never going to get anything from the game they ensure the score line did not get too embarrassing considering the opposition.

With the six goals under their belt, Wolves earned their place in the quarter-finals, and another away tie, as they head to National League North outfit Leamington FC in the next round.

Full Time:- Tividale 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 6

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 11th January 2020
Tividale 1-2 Stourport Swifts

Stour take a swift 3 points

After going down to those two last minute goals a week ago. It would have been good to take something away from a team up their with the title challengers.But alas it wasn’t to be and despite the lad’s giving their all Stourport took the spoils.

Goalkeeper Louis Connor was made captain for the day, with this being his last appearance for Tividale before going off to pastures new and a job in the USA.

It was Swifts that started on the front foot and pressed the home side back and Nick |MacPherson saw his first effort flash wide after only 2 minutes. 5 minutes later and a Martin Slevin corner was also headed wide by Matt Hanson. Skipper, keeper Connor then had to make a great double save to keep the scores level. First he parried away a Drew Canavan scorcher straight to Jack Downing but again he was equal to it.

The visitors were threatening to run riot in these first 15 minutes but the Tividale defence stood firm as Downing headed wide an Aaron Brett cross and then Cross himself blazed over when Downing returned the compliment. Tividale did have half a chance in the 22nd minute but Darragh Bustin just failed to pick out Tyree Clarke in the box after doing well down the Tividale right. The home side possibly had the best chance of the half when Dan Smith was played through. Stourport keeper Dominic Richards did well to keep out his initial shot, the ball then fell for Clarke but with the keeper beaten defender James Timmins just got a block in.

Swifts ended the half as they began first Connor did well to turn a Slevin free kick on 38 minutes around the post and from the resulting corner taken by Slevin, MacPherson tried a near post header but could not find the target.

Half Time:- Tividale 0-0 Stourport Swifts 

Swifts started the second period as they did the first with MacPherson shooting wide and then Slevin tried one from distance on the hour that also cleared the bar. After being superb in defence for so long, Tividale would have been disappointed in how they conceded the first goal after 67 minutes. A ball across the box was not dealt with and there was MacPherson at the back post and 3 yards out with a simple tap in. Connor prevented Swifts from going 2-0 up a couple of minutes later when he did well to deny Downing.

Tividale’s tenacity paid off on 72 minutes when from a Bustin free kick Swifts failed to clear and Joe Burroughs turned the ball home. The game now was in the balance and though Swifts did the majority of the pressing the Tividale back line were looking comfortable until 8 minutes before the 90 when Swifts produced a carbon copy of their first goal. A ball across the home area no one dealing with it and this time Downing found the target.

Full Time:- Tividale 1-2 Stourport Swifts