Tividale FC

Report

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 23rd November 2019
Highgate 3-1 Tividale

This was Tividale’s first game since the 4-1 win against FC Stratford in the League Cup on Bonfire Night and it showed as we put on a performance that can be summed up as below par. But the management team were not too disappointed as the obvious lack of match sharpness against a side that had played twice in the last 7 days is something that hopefully will remedy itself in the weeks to come.

Tividale started disastrously, conceding in the very first minute, when Ryan Conlon headed home Harry Reece’s cross. The good thing about conceding early is that you have a long time to get back into the game and Tividale only needed 6 minutes to do so. Some neat play around the edge of the home box ended with Dan Smith finding Tyree Clarke 12 yards out and he turned and fired into the bottom right hand corner of Highgate’s keeper James Beeson’s goal. Two minutes later and Beeson denied Tividale a second. Darragh Bustin’s free kick from the edge of the box was initially spilled by the keeper but he was quick enough to dive onto the loose ball.

Highgate went close in the 13th minute when a well worked short corner by Cameron Collins found full back Trevor Edwards and his shot was turned around the post by Tividale keeper Louis Connor. Liam Wilkinson making his 100th appearance then had an effort comfortably saved by Beeson on 21 minutes. Then in the space of two minutes the officials turned down two Tividale appeals for handball. The first a hand ball in the penalty area and the second although outside the penalty area a blatant handball. With the first they could argue with the distant the ball travelled. But the second one there was no excuse. Clarke then curled an effort on 30 minutes that drifted just past Beeson’s far post.

On 38 minutes, after an obvious disagreement between Connor and the assistant in his half, the referee was called over and the keeper was sin binned. Lee Smith was handed the gloves, but he never touched the ball in the closing 7 minutes and 3 minutes of injury time.

Half Time:- Highgate United 1 v 1 Tividale

Due to the 3 minutes injury time on top of the final 7 minutes, Connor had done the 10 minutes required and was able to take back the gloves at the start of the second half.

Highgate’s Miracle Okafor had the first decent chance of the second period when his glancing header went wide. In the 56th minute Bustin then tried to lob Beeson but he missed the target. The highlight of the next 15 minutes or so was Highgate’s Correy Currithers being sin binned for another conversation with the same official. It was the 70th minute before a chance worthy of reporting was fashioned. Beeson diving full length to turn a Clarke effort around the post.

With the game meandering to a draw, Highgate substitute Seegu Sebbeh’s punt into the Tividale area was completely misjudged by Connor who found himself way underneath it and the ball just floated over his head and into the net.

So from looking fairly comfortable, Tividale were now chasing the game, but despite the possession they were held at bay by a disciplined Highgate defence. With the game well into injury time a Highgate counter attack led by Conlon who’s through ball had both striker Okafor and keeper Connor racing for the ball, a race that the striker won and he was able to slide the ball past the keeper and into the back of the empty net.

Full Time:- Highgate United 3 v 1 Tividale

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor, 2. Joe Burroughs (14. Tom Hurdman 60), 3. Lewis Probert, 4.Jacob Barnes, 5. Luke Carter (15. Jake Webb 75), 6. Matt Hunt, 7. Darragh Bustin, 8. Liam Wilkinson (c), 9. Dan Smith (12. Brad Welding 72), 10. Tyrone Clarke, 11. Lee Smith

Unused Subs:- 16. Cameron Milne, 17. Dan Bryson