Tividale FC

Report

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 21st March 2023
Highgate United 2-0 Tividale

Still Small Steps

Even with Tividale’s improvement and consistency over the last few games. This games was always going to be a tough one. Midweek, away from home against genuine title contender’s.

Tividale were forced into a couple of changes to the side that got the vital three points against Lichfield City the previous weekend. With David Solademi in Cardiff for his trial with Cardiff City and Harry Lewis going down ill. In came Kamol Campbell and Jason Wood.

On the bench for this game was local Tividale lad Owen Woodhouse. Owen is on a scholarship at Forest Green Rovers and the League One club were kind enough to allow him to end the season on a work experience contract with us.

Tividale had the first sight on goal in the opening minute when full back Zac Kourouyianni got forward and tried an effort that went wide. Highgate’s first effort fell to Connor Mooney, but he fired high and wide.

Tividale’s Dan Smith was denied by Highgate keeper Reece Francis. But the forward was flagged offside anyway.

Although Highgate had the majority of the possession they was not causing the visitors many problems as all their efforts came from outside the Tividale penalty area.

Tividale again went close on 26 minutes when Jack Fletcher played in Arman Khoshkhoo but again Francis pulled off another great block.

Highgate went ahead on 32 minutes when a low James Wilcocks cross was parried away by Tividale keeper Louis Connor. The ball then bounced about in the Tividale area before ex Tividale striker Ethan Muckley forced the ball over the line.

Mooney then went a slalom of an attack beating three Tividale players before dragging his shot wide in the 41st minute. Then a minute later Francis again denied Tividale. This time it was Fletcher who failed to beat the Highgate keeper in a one-to-one situation.

On 42 minutes Wood released Smith. But he couldn’t find Khoshkhoo with his pass and the Highgate defence got back to clear.

On the stroke of half time the league’s top scorer Ryan Harkin had his first sight of goal in the game but shot over.

As the game moved into the second period of first half injury time Cody Mullan tried his luck but again Francis was equal to the shot.

Half Time:- Highgate United 1-0 Tividale

Harkin had the first effort of the half on 53 minutes, but he dragged his shot wide.

In the 55th minute Joe Hawkins can well feel aggrieved when he was booked for bringing down Muckley on the edge of the area although he looked to have played the ball. From the resulting Mooney free kick, Connor touched the ball over the bar.

Hawkins was at the rescue when his last-ditch tackle denied Harkin a shooting opportunity in the 65th minute and two minutes later Highgate substitute Jack Till could only find the side netting when played in by Ben Vallance.

The home side increased their lead on 78 minutes. Tividale lost the ball in the middle of the park and a missed tackle left Harkin one on one with Connor who he rounded and rolled the ball home.

From an 80th minute corner Louis Ezewele had an effort that cleared the Highgate bar as they hunted for at least a consolation goal. But Highgate also were looking to extend their lead and Connor had to pull off another great save to deny Harkin as he met Till’s cross deep into injury time.

Full Time:- Highgate United 2-0 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni (14. Ryan Snape 82), 3. Kamol Campbell (15. Owen Woodhouse 70), 4. Joe Burroughs, 5. Louis Ezewele, 6. Joe Hawkins, 7. Cody Mullan (12. Reinaldo Forbes 76), 8. Jason Wood, 9. Dan Smith, 10. Arman Khoshkhoo, 11. Jack Fletcher.

Unused Subs:- 13. Peter Hawk, 16. Jamie Oliver