Tividale FC

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Isuzu FA Vase
2nd Round Proper
Saturday 11th November 2023
Tividale 2-0 Shirebrook Town

Tough for Tivi but Two for Townsend,

You would think that Tividale are now becoming a bit of a cup team, winning their last four cup matches. Truth be known is that their last four games have all been cup games. But the manner that they got over the line in this one showed a mentality that is needed in their league campaign.

Make no mistake this It was not a game for the puris and the heavy pitch condition ensured that. We don’t know enough about Shirebrook to comment, but Tividale will play a lot better this season and come away with nothing.

Manager Stuart How had to make a number of changes, with not only losing both centre backs (Joe Hawkins and Taryll Davis) from the starting line up against Wisbech Town but also Cody Mullan to injury. This meant switching Zac Kourouyianni to centre back alongside the returning Joe Burroughs. Giving a start to the returning Lewis Wright in place of Zac at right back and Jakob Burroughs came in for Mullan.

The good news was the first appearance this season (since he got injured in pre season) of Malcolm Melvin who started on the bench. Also on the bench after returning from long term injuries was Lewis Taylor-Boyce and Nashawn Blake.

The first half never really got going and the first of the decent chances came in the 6th minute when Shirebrook’s Josh Devereux fired wide. On 11 minutes Tividale’s first effort on goal came via a james Douglas free kick that sailed wide.

A mix up in the home defence on 14 minutes allowed Kieran Watson to have a crack at goal but again it was off the target. Watson had an effort that bounced off the top of the cross bar, and a Wright free kick on 35 minutes that forced Shirebrook keeper Warren Squires into a regulation save was the last of the decent first half chances.

Half Time:- Tividale 0-0 Shirebrook Town

After a fairly eventless first half, dominated by defences their was hope that the second period would be better and for the first 15 minutes it was business as normal until on the hour a Wright  throw in, into Taylor Townsend and from the edge of the box, his shot beat Squires at his near post and put tividale 1-0 up.

Just like buses, you wait ages for one and all of a sudden two come and that is what happened here. From a 68th minute Callum Gillies throw, Cain Smith helped the ball on into the danger area and with Squires hesitating on the edge of his area, Townsend nipped in and headed the ball home.

Tividale now looked like the side that would stretch their lead and shot’s from Wright and Townsend threatened the Shirebrook goal.

Shirebrook had a great chance of getting back into the game when Shirebrook’s Watson went down under the slightest of touches by substitute Cameron East

 

 

Full Time:- Tividale 2-0 Shirebrook Town

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Callum Gillies, 4. Jakob Burroughs (12. Cameron East 57), 5. Lewis Wright (16. Max Morris 87), 6. Joe Burroughs, 7. Taylor Townsend, 8. Cain Smith (11. Malcolm Melvin 83), 9. Dominic Dell, 10. James Douglas, 17. Ewan Edwards

Unused Sub:- 14. Cody Mullan, 15. Nashawn Blake, 19. Lewis Taylor Boyce