Tividale FC

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Isuzu Sponsored FA Vase
2^nd Qualifying Round
Saturday 24th September 2022
Tividale 1-0 Abbey Hulton United

Tividale squeeze past the Abbey 

We try not to talk about Dave King’s record in the FA Vase. Suffice to say it is not particularly good. As a matter of fact, it cannot be any worse. So, the visit of Stoke side Abbey Hulton United (who by the way had despatched our tenants Smethwick Rangers in the previous round) would mean that Tividale would have to be on top of their game if they were going to break the FA Vase cycle.

The only change to the squad that was narrowly defeated by Atherstone was the absence of Jason Wood and Louis Connor returning to the bench as Peter Hawk continued in between the sticks.

The visitors will feel that they should have been a goal up in the 4^th minute as an unenforced error in the Tividale defence let in Abbey striker Sam Medley, but he fired wide. Then 4 minutes later excellent work from Kevyn Davies put through Fitzroy Butler but his effort was comfortably saved by Hawk.

It was all abbey at this stage and on 21 minutes a cross from the left side of the Tividale box, none of the defence dealt with it and Davies fired wide. More good play between Butler and the evergreen Eric Graves ended with the classy Grave testing Hawk with a low drive, that the keeper held well.

Tividale’s first shot on target was in the 26^th minute and what a shot. Abbey gave away a free kick on the edge of their box. Up stepped Brad Welding and for the second time in 4 days from the right-hand side of the box his shot left footed shot curled around the wall and into Abbey keeper Dominic Kurasik left hand side of the net. It was a great goal but harsh on the visitors who had done most of the early running.

Matt Ward then tried his luck from distance on 29 minutes but again Hawk in the home goal held it comfortably. Tividale had a chance to double their lead on 31 minutes when another Welding free kick was swung in Dan Smith met it, but his header was again comfortably taken by Kurasik and that was literally the end of the first half action.

Half Time Tividale 1-0 Abbey Hulton Unite

Tividale had the first good chance of the half on 53 minutes when Smith got to the bye line and pulled the ball back to the edge of the 6 yard box for Taylor Townsend at the back post and his shot was parried away by Kurasik and his defence could only clear to the edge of their penalty area where Smith and Cocking both had shots charged down before the visitors completed the clearance.

On 65 minutes Townsend was again involved, this time his shot was well saved by Kurasik. A minute later and a Graves free kick was well held by Hawk.

With 18 minutes to go Hawk again did well to deny Davies after he found space and get his shot off. On 80 minutes Hawk was again called into action. This time diving to his left to turn an Abbey free kick around the post.

The visitors threw everything at the home side in the closing stages but Tividale’s well marshaled defence managed it without much alarm to Hawk in goal

Full Time Tividale 1-0 Abbey Hulton United 

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Brad Welding, 4. Jamie Hunt, 5. Joe Burroughs, 6. Louis Ezewele 7. Taylor Townsend, 8. Curtis Cocking,ownsend,8. Curtis Cocking, 9. Dan Smith (17. Lewis Taylor-Boyce 77), 10. Ryan Snape (15. Malcolm Melvin 67), 12. Jack Downing (16. Alex Cameron 71)

Unused Sub: 13. Louis Connor, 14. Jack Fletcher