Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 18th January 2025
Lichfield City 2- 0Tividale

Better, but still no points

After our dismal performance last time out against OJM Black Country and a two week break. A visit to league leaders Lichfield City is possibly not the ideal fixture to come back to.

Manager Phil Rann made four changes from the OJM game. With Ethan Delaney suspended, Harry Higginson, Tom Cottam unavailable and Ryan Piggott on the bench. In came Raheem Akhtar, Jordon Sangha after his 3 game ban. Matt Holland for his first appearance since the first game of the season. Alfie Higgs back after injury.

The first real chance of the game came after 2 minutes when Lichfield’s Jack Edwards cuts in from the left and the Ethan Hawkes makes a good save at his near post. On 12 minutes, a great chance from a Sangha Tividale corner, with Holland at the back post with a free header but he puts it wide. Lichfield’s Joe Haines then tried his luck from distance but the ball sailed over Hawkes crossbar.

After the goalmouth action in the opening minutes, the game then settled down a bit with both teams looking for the breakthrough. Lichfield with all the possession, but the visitors looking dangerous on the counter.

In the 30 minutes’ Lichfield keeper Brendan Bunn with a miss kicked a clearance straight to Sangha who looks to beat him from distance but hit it well wide and in the 38th minute Agyemang also had a shot that cleared the bar. Callum Griffin was even closer with his effort at the end of the half but again he failed to hit the target just skimming the Tividale cross bar.

Half Time:- Lichfield City 0-0 Tividale

Within two minutes of the restart Hawkes had to get down to push away a Haines drive. Then on 52 minutes the home side went ahead with a free kick that looked to have come straight off the training ground. Haines played the ball into the near post on the  edge off the Tividale 6 yard box and Callum Rudd met it and placed the ball over Hawkes and into the back of the net.

Five minutes later and they doubled their lead, and as good as the first was a piece of quality, the second was anything else. An Edwards corner caught Hawkes in no man’s land. The ball went over him and also Tom Rann on the back post. The ball then came off the inside of the upright and into the back of the net.

The visitors had a great chance to get back into the game when on the hour Rudd handled in the area, but Lichfield debutant keeper Brendon Bunn dived down low to his right to push away the Sangha spot kick.

This rest of the game saw Lichfield fairly comfortable as Tividale never really threatened to cut the deficit and the league leaders marched on with another three points in the bag. It was a vast improvement from Tividale but again their mistakes at the back were punished and they did not carry enough of a threat in the attacking third.

Full Time:- Lichfield City 2-0 Tividale

Tividale:- 1.Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann (16. Nehemia Zazi 77), 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton, 4. Matt Holland, 5. Callum Lloyd, 6 Raheem Akhtar, 7. Jordon Sangha, 8. Eddie Rann (15. Lewis Derrick 61), 9. Ezekiel Agyemang (14. Ryan Piggott 68}, 10. Jason Woods (17. Myles Durham 80), 11. Alfie Higgs (12. Aon Mohammed Abbas 74)

Unused Subs:–None

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 4th January 2025
Tividale 0-5 OJM Black Country

Woeful

Tividale’s first game of 2025, produced the worse performance of the season. It was an accumulation of everything of what not to do in a football match. Poor in defence. Poor in attack. Poor discipline. Poor attitude

Unsurprisingly Tividale were unchanged from the side that started the game last week against Shifnal Town. But nobody could have predicted the complete contrast in the two performances.

OJM were at the home side from the off and in the first minute Tividale keeper Ethan Hawkes had to get down sharpish to deny Dan Danks after the wide man had got behind the home back line way too easily. Tividale’s first effort on goal came in the 4th minute but Ethan Delaney shot well over the bar. Two minutes later and he was much closer with a deflected shot that OJM keeper Tom Clapp clawed away but only as far as Eddie Rann but Clapp was quickly up to catch his shot.

Hawkes did well in the 19th minute to stave off an OJM break led by Lucas Edwards, who in turn put through Star Mayemba but Hawkes blocked his shot. The keeper was very fortunate a couple of minutes later when centre back Callum Nimmo met a Steven Leslie free kick but his header came back off the crossbar and into the arms of Hawkes.

Tividale did not learn by their previous mistake and after another needless foul outside their box on 23 minutes. This time Leslie’s free kick found an unmarked Mayemba in the 6 yard box and his header gave Hawkes no chance. Tividale were now all over the place and another foul led to another free kick and the second goal. This time Tividale made a mess of clearing the free kick, it landed out to Michael Nelson and despite the effort of Sam Bratt-Wyton on the line he could not prevent Nelson’s shot from going over the line.

Mayemba was nearly gifted his second and OJM’s third on 30 minutes when for some reason two Tividale defenders and a keeper were undecided to complete a simple clearance and the centre forward seized on the opportunity but Hawkes saved his shot.

Tividale’s first attack of any note since the 6th minute came in the 40th minute when Delaney did well to get to the bye line and put in a cross that found Tom Cottam but he shot straight at Clapp. With half time looming and the home side still under pressure Eddie Rann was adjudged to have brought down OJM’s Casey Collins and the referee pointed immediately to the spot and on 44 minutes, Leslie calmly rolled the ball past Hawkes and into the back of the net.

Half Time:- Tividale 0-3 OJM Black Country

OJM began the second period as they ended the first and should have been 4-0 up in the 47th minute when Edwards was able to get his cross in and an unmarked Nelson could not generate the power in the header required to trouble Hawkes. A minute later and Ryan Piggott had a great chance to pull one back for the home side but he fired over the bar. On 50 minutes a Jason Wood free kick was well held by Clapp.

Tividale were thrown a lifeline on 58 minutes when after a bit of wrestling in the penalty area Leslie looked to tread on Delaney. Again, referee Henry Gregory had no hesitation in showing Leslie the red card for violent conduct. This brought on a host of substitutions and the chance for Tividale to get at the visiting defence. But apart from a Delaney header cleared of the line on 59 minutes they never really threatened.

Delaney then got himself sent off in the 73rd minute, after a challenge that the referee felt worthy of a red card and at that point you felt that with both sides now playing with 10 men Tividale had missed their chance to get back into the game.

With 10 minutes to go OJM substitute Reece Morris somehow wiggled free from two Tividale challenges and get his shot off but again Hawkes was equal to his shot. But in the 91st minute another piece of sloppy defensive work resulted in Morris leaving Danks with just Hawkes to beat and he duly obliged. Two minutes later and with Tividale now in complete disarray Morris again allowed Danks to stroll in and make it 5-0.

Overall, it was as bad a performance that Tividale have produced all season. But on the other hand, you have to give credit to OJM. They were better all over the park and while the home side lost their discipline completely, they kept theirs.

Full Time:- Tividale 0-5 OJM Black Country

Tividale:- 1.Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann (12. Raheem Akhtar 62), 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton (14. Aon Mohammed Abbas 68) , 4. Jason Wood, 5. Callum Lloyd, 6 Harry Higginson, 7. Ethan Delaney, 8. Eddie Rann (15. Lewis Derrick 74), 9. Ryan Piggott , 10. Tom Cottam (17. Nehemia Zazi 80), 11. Ezekiel Agyemang (16. Alfie Higgs 8562)

Unused Subs:– None

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 28th December 2024
Tividale 0-2 Shifnal Town

Again Tividale draw a blank

Once again our shortfall’s in front of goal completely overshadowed a sterling effort from the lad’s but at this level if you lose concentrations or make error’s in defence. You will have to score goals to stay in games and at the moment we are struggling to find the net.

Coming off the back of the 0-0 draw at Stourport Swifts on Boxing Day. Tividale made just the 2 changes Ethan Delaney came in for Aon Mohammed Abbas who limped off injured at Stourport and Ryan Piggott came in for Luke Postle.

Tividale got off to the worst possible start, when in the second minute goalkeeper Ethan Hawkes brought down Shifnal striker Lewis Jarman and Isaac Phillips sent Hawkes the wrong way from the spot to open the scoring. Kyle Bennett tried his luck from 25 yards after 10 minutes, but he was a yard wide.

Town doubled their advantage on 13 minutes when Bennett’s corner from the left was flicked home by Jarman at the near post.

Shifnal were now threatening to over run the home side and they had a good chance to add to the lead on the half-hour when a Brad Maslen-Jones’ long ball fell to Theo Knight, but he hurried his shot from the edge of the penalty area which was straight at Hawkes. Tividale settled down for the last 15 minutes and slowly got themselves into the game but never laid a glove on the visitors for the rest of the half.

Half Time:- Tividale 0-2 Shifnal Town

Tividale showed a marked improvement in the second half and had their first decent chance of the game when from a Agyemang cross on 50 minutes Cottam headed wide and two minutes later Piggott fired wide. Agyemang won the ball on the left on 56 minutes, but his angled drive was well saved by Shifnal keeper Andy Wycherley. On the hour Piggott found Cottam with a great pass but again Wycherley blocked his shot.

It looked odds on Town extending their lead after 75 minutes when the ball fell to substitute Josh Beamond following a goalmouth skirmish, but his shot was saved well by Hawkes. Tividale came close to halving the deficit in the 78th minute when Cottam had his third chance of the half but this time he shot wide. In the 81st minute when Aon Mohammed Abbas was freed on the left but his first-time shot was deflected by Wycherley for a corner. But in the end the visitors stood firm and picked up the 3 points.

Full Time:- Tividale 0-2 Shifnal Town

Tividale:- 1.Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann (17. Papy Brandon Mossini 65), 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton, 4. Jason Wood (15. Lewis Derrick 85), 5. Callum Lloyd, 6 Harry Higginson, 7. Ethan Delaney (16. Aon Mohammed Abbas 79), 8. Eddie Rann (12. Raheem Akhtar 62), 9. Ryan Piggott (14. Luke Postle 92), 10. Tom Cottam, 11. Ezekiel Agyemang.

Unused Subs:– None

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 26th December 2024
Stourport Swifts  0-0 Tividale

Stalemate down by the river.

After conceding 5 goals in our last game, it was great to keep a clean sheet but at the other end our failings were still there as we struggled to find the back of the net even though we created some decent chances.

With it being Boxing Day and the Christmas holiday’s as is the norm there were a lot of players unavailable for this fixture and in the end, there was 5 changes and a number of positional changes as we looked to bounce back to the beating we had against Dudley Town. Out for this game were Jordon Sangha (suspended), Lewis Derrick (unavailable), Ryan Piggott, Nehemia Zazi and Raheem Akhtar rested. In came Tom Rann (from suspension), Jason Wood, Callum Lloyd, Aon Mohammed Abbas, and Ezekiel Agyemang.

With Rann returning at right back, Sam Bratt-Wyton returned to left back and Luke Postle moved back to wide left with Tom Cottam moved into the No 10 role.

Tividale had the better of the start and an Abbas pass found Agyemang on 10 minutes but he fired wide. 8 minutes later Abbas himself saw an effort go wide. Although Stourport had most of the possession they never really threatened until Jim Hanson had a clear chance but his shot on the turn flew narrowly wide.

Matt Harland then linked up well with Chris Knight on 30 minutes for Kobi Love to force a fine save from Tividale keeper Ethan Hawkes turning his shot around the post. 5 minutes later and Swifts were in on goal again Love with a 20 yard effort that shaved the crossbar. Hawkes was in action again soon after, holding on to long range effort from Cameron East, and a fine run from George Baker saw Knight fire his low cross narrowly wide.

As the half ended Postle fired a shot come cross, across the Swifts 6 yard box but no Tividale player could get a touch and at the other end an East cross was headed over by Baker.

Half Time:- Stourport Swifts  0-0 Tividale

In the first attack of the second half on 46 minutes, Knight shot weakly wide when clean through on goal, and then 2 minutes later Hawkes denied Love in a one on one situation. Then Baker drove his right foot effort straight at a grateful Hawkes.

Swifts keeper Dom Richards was called into action after 58 minutes when he touched over the bar a Piggott shot seconds after coming on as a sub. Fellow Tividale sub Brandon Mossini then shot wide in the 74th minute. .

Harry Higginson did well to block a snapshot from Jim Hanson and as the game meandered out to a close Piggott again failed to hit the target with his shot and Hawkes produced another fine save from an Ethan Hanson header following a corner to keep the game goalless.

Full Time:- Stourport Swifts  0-0 Tividale

Tividale: 1. Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann, 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton, 4. Jason Wood, 5. Callum Lloyd, 6. Harry Higginson, 7. Aon Mohammed Abbas (14. Ryan Piggott 57), 8. Eddie Rann, 9. Ezekiel Agyemang, 10. Tom Cottam (16 Jason Wood) 76), 11.Luke Postle (15. Brandon Mossini 65)

Unused Subs: 12. Raheem Akhtar, 16. Nehemia Zazi