Isuzu Sponsored FA Vase

Round Two
Saturday 12th November 2022
Tividale 0-3 Highgate United

 Tividale never reach the High in Vase defeat

 You get these games all the time. Game’s where despite a number of chances, when you do get some on target you are either denied by a brilliant keeper or the woodwork and if you played all night, you still would not score.

Even after the impressive mid-week win, changes had to be made, with the side that started against Radford in the last round starting. Matt Hunt was cup tied and Peter Hawk, Jamie Hunt, David Solademi, Cody Mullan, Ryan Snape, Lewis Taylor-Boyce and Malcolm Melvin all dropped to the bench and in came Louis Connor, Louis Ezewele, Zac Kourouyianni, Curtis Cocking, Jakob Burroughs Dan Smith, Jack Downing and Jason Wood. Wood broke down in the warmup and was replaced by Melvin, So the home side only made the 7 changes.

Tividale started like a house on fire and created a number of chances in the first few minutes. Taylor Townsend was denied by a great goal line block by Highgate defender Ruben Freeman. Then Highgate’s keeper Reece Francis pulled off a great save to deny Smith, Downing also had a shot blocked after a great run and Cocking shot wide all in the space of the first 5 minutes. On 8 minutes Francis parried and caught at the second attempt Welding free kick.

After getting through the first 15 minutes unscathed. Highgate’s first chance came on 16 minutes when Jack Storer shot over.  Then the visitors Jack Till had his shot blocked by Hunt. The visitors were now well in the game and on 25 minutes a short free kick by Charlie Shaw found Liam Cairns, but his shot was comfortable for Connor.

Fletcher then found Smith after a great run, smith in turn chested the ball down for Townsend but his shot lacked power and Francis collected. Smith then found Townsend after a great run and cross, but the wide man could not keep his shot on target.

Highgate broke the deadlock on 34 minutes. Tividale lose possession deep in their own half. One Brown ball over the top sends away Ryan Harkin who takes a touch and the hitman showed why he has scored over 20 goals already this season when calmly placing the ball past Connor and into the back of the net.

Six minutes later and Tividale where again made to rue those earlier missed chances. Freeman puts a ball through to Harkin on the right-hand side. Harkin’s shot is parried onto the bar by Connor but the keeper cannot prevent the ball from coming down over the line.

Francis had to make one more save in the half when a Townsend shot was deflected get hold of his shot and the keeper fielded the ball on his 6-yard line.

The difference in the half was Harkin. While Tividale squandered a number of chances. The Highgate front man was lethal in front of goal.

Half Time: – Tividale 0-2 Highgate United

Welding’s free kick on 46 minutes was the first action of the half but although he bent it around the wall. It went just the wrong side of the Highgate post.

Cocking then does well to clear an in-swinging Josh O’Grady corner. On 51 minutes Welding went even closer with a free kick, this time it comes off the outside of the post and is recycled by Downing who’s cross to the back post is put back into the box and header from Smith is parried brilliantly by Francis.

On 57 minutes Tividale hit the post again after a Welding free kick finds Downing at the back post and his shot smacks against the upright.

Harkin went close on 61 minutes when from a Storer pass, this time he failed to hit the target. On 76 minutes it was game over. Shaw’s high pressing enabled him to win the ball and one on one with Connor kept his composure and puts the ball into the top right-hand corner.

Connor then pulled off a stunning save in the 90th minute when he denied Storer.

Full Time: – Tividale 0-3 Highgate United

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Jack Fletcher, 3. Brad Welding, 4. Jakob Burroughs (19. Ryan Snape 71) 5. Louis Ezewele, 6. Zac Kourouyianni , 17. Taylor Townsend , 8. Curtis Cocking, 9. Dan Smith (12. Lewis Taylor-Boyce 76), 14. Malcolm Melvin, 11. Jack Downing

Unused Sub: 10. Cameron East, 13. Peter Hawk, 15. Jamie Hunt, 16. David Solademi, 18. Cody Mulan

Isuzu FA Vase

1st Round

Saturday 22nd October 2022
Tividale 1-1 Radford (4-1 Pens)

Radford penalised in the end

After a game that had everything Tividale advanced into the 2nd round of the Isuzu Sponsored FA Vase edging out Radford on penalties.

With Matt Hunt cup tied and Jamie Hunt injured. Manager Dave King brought back into the line up Joe Burroughs and Curtis Cocking to a side that were now 6 games unbeaten against a side that were battling it out at the top of the United Counties League Division One the equivalent to our Division One, so a step lower than their hosts.

Tividale would have dreamt about the start they had to the game, because after 2 minutes they were ahead. Jack Downing drilled a cross into the Radford penalty area and Taylor Townsend was at the back post to fire past Radford keeper Yinka Adebowale.

It was possibly this early setback that then gave the game a bit of an edge. As both sides settled into their work and were making sure that the opposition knew they were there. One clash resulting in a blood shirt change for Radford left back David Adegbola

With the challenges getting meatier as the game went on Tividale conceded a free kick on the edge of their box on 19 minutes. Radford’s Joe Meakin stepped up to take it, but put it wide of Louis Connor’s right-hand post.

The visitors went even closer 2 minutes later when from another Meakin free kick, Radford centre forward Jordan Alls powered in a header from 8 yards that Connor got a hand too and his defence completed the clearance.

With the visitors in the ascendancy and Tividale conceding some dubious free kicks in their final third wide man Jonathan Jebbison again was unable to find the target in the 31st minute with a shot, after Tividale failed to clear a ball into their box and a Michael Fitzhugh free kick 7 minutes later skimmed the top of the Tividale crossbar.

A minute later and the home side launched their first meaningful attack since the goal, but Dan Smith could not get his shot on target after doing well in working the space. Then on 44 minutes Smith again broke away, played in Townsend but his shot was a comfortable save for Adebowale.

In the first minute of additional time came the first major talking point. After a 50/50 challenge Tividale’s Zac Kourouyianni went down with what looked to be a head injury. The referee played on with the home side appealing to the man in the middle, that they were a man down due to a head injury. The ball then hit the referee and he then stopped the game. Joe Burroughs then went up to him and in his frustration confronted the official and argued his case. This resulted with him sent into the sin bin.

From the resulting drop ball Radford won a corner and with a central defender off the pitch, Alls headed home the Fitzhugh’s corner. For what was on the balance of play a deserved equaliser.

Half Time Tividale 1-1 Radford

Radford had the first opportunity of the second half on 48 minutes with a Greg Tobin heading over another Fitzhugh corner. Then on 50 minutes after Alls rattled the Tividale crossbar, Jebbison made a mess of the rebound firing wide with the goal gaping.

Brad Welding then hit the Radford bar on 51 minutes from a miss hit cross, the ball dropped in the 6-yard box and Dan Smith got there ahead of his marker. Smith went down, the ref blew his whistle and pointed for a free kick to Radford stating that Smith had fouled the defender.

Tividale were still conceding too many free kicks around their penalty box, but most were after the slightest of touches and over the top appealing to anything not going the visitor’s way. Including a clash between an over eager Tividale coach who was trying to retrieve the ball and an equally over eager but half the size Radford player also trying to get the ball. That ended with a booking for the coach

As the game moved into the final third the tone of the game carried on, Radford players still falling over, players and benches getting involved. Tividale defending free kicks. From one of these on the hour Meakin got one on target but was a comfortable save for Connor.

Tividale’s finished strongly in in the last 15 minutes their next chance came in the 76th minute, this time a Welding free kick failed to trouble Adebowale. And on 82 minutes a Downing header from a Welding corner was blocked on the line.

The second piece of controversy came in the 85th minute. Radford concedes a free kick outside their area and their defensive line is on the edge of the penalty area. As the ball comes in there is no doubt that defender Riqual Bakala deliberately puts his arm out towards the ball and handles it.

This is where it gets messy. The referee shows the defender the red card and to be honest the defender seemed to accept his fate and walks off. The same could not be said about a number of his team mates. Whilst all this is going on the referee’s assistant has given a penalty. Now this sparks another outburst from the Radford players and bench. Some saying it was not a penalty, others appealing that you cannot give the red card and a penalty.

Regardless of the thoughts Dan Smith had the chance to put Tividale ahead with 3 minutes plus injury time to go. But his penalty was saved by Adebowale.

As the game moved into the dying seconds there were two great chances from both sides. The first a Welding cross that flashed across the six-yard box, with no home player able to get a touch. At the other end and in the 3rd minute of injury time an even better chance when in a one-on-one situation Connor had to make a brilliant save to deny a Scott Litchfield effort.

Full Time Tividale 1-1 Radford

And so, to penalties.

Tividale had the first penalty and Malcolm Melvin despatched his 1-0

Up stepped Radford’s, Jebbison and he levelled up the scores 1-1

Next up was Townsend and he made it 2-1

Greg Tobin then blasted his effort over the bar 2-1

Snape then mad no mistake with his 3-1

The pressure was now on Fitzhugh who brought a save from Connor 3-1

Tividale now had to miss their last 2 for Radford to take it to sudden death, but the coolest head on the pitch, Welding slammed his spot kick past Adebowale to send Tividale through