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