Midland Football League Premier Cup
Quarter Final
Tuesday 21st February 2023
Stone Old Alleynians 3-0 Tividale

Either bad luck or no luck

At the moment Tividale are somehow finding way’s not to win games. After last week’s great performance against  Aston Villa’s Under-21s in the Birmingham Senior Cup. They failed to repeat the performance and crashed out of the league cup away at Stone Old Alleynians.

Again, changes were made for this game. David Solademi, Joe Burroughs, and Ryan Snape  were out due to unavailability and injury. In came Kamol Campbell, Joe Hawkins and Harry Lewis while Peter Hawk replaced Louis Connor in goal.

The visitors didn’t start too badly and Dan Smith failed to hit the target and fired over after just 5 minutes this after some great work by Jason Wood. But that was as good as it got as Stone began to take charge and Hawk had to be alert to a Jack Tomlinson shot on 11 minutes.

Stone should have opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Hawk misjudged a ball into his area but Oliver Boote shot wide. Two minutes later and Boote was put through again, this time his shot came off the base of the post and out. Unbelievably a minute later he was given a third chance to run onto another long ball and this time the forward’s shot gave Hawk no chance as it crashed off the underside of the crossbar and in.

Tividale just could not get hold of the ball and when they did, they were losing possession far too easily and in the 22nd minute after again giving the ball away Hawk had to turn away a Tomlinson shot. A free kick on 26 minutes saw Hawk again deny Tomlinson.

An Arman Khoshkhoo cross in the 28th minute found Lewis but his header was safely taken by Finley Knight in the Stone goal. As the game went into the last 5 minutes of the half Khoshkhoo saw his shot cleared off the line.

On the stroke of half time came the decision that about summed up Tividale’s recent luck. From a Malcolm Melvin free kick, Knight spills the ball and Wood is the first to the ball and Smith is also trying to turn the loose ball home. There is then a melee with Stone players claiming Knight had got the ball when Smith went in. While Tividale players are saying the ball was there to be won. But after consulting his assistant the referee decides to issue Smith with a straight red card for serious foul play.

Half Time :-Stone Old Alleynians 1-0 Tividale

Not only now down to 10 men but Tividale had to make a change at the start of the second period when Hawk was unable to continue due to illness and Connor had to step in between the sticks. And he was soon into the action as a shot from Boote in the 48th minute, reared up after bouncing in front of the keeper but he had his body behind it and caught the ball at the second attempt.

A couple of minutes later he had no chance when again Boote was able to get the run on the Tividale defence and one on one with Connor he made no mistake smashing the ball past him and into the back of the net. In the 55th minute it was game over. An error by Connor left Boote to walk the ball into an empty net to make it 3-0.

Tividale did create chances in the latter stages of the game but apart from a Jack Fletcher shot with 8 minutes to go that Knight saved. The keeper was never troubled.

While at the other end Stone were a constant threat, especially their front two of Boote and Tomlinson. But in the end it finished 3-0 to the home side and it is Stone who go into the next round, while Tividale will look to turn their fortunes around with some big league games coming up.

Full Time :-Stone Old Alleynians 3-0 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk (13. Louis Connor 46), 2. Jack Fletcher, 3. Kamol Campbell, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Zac Kourouyianni, 6. Joe Hawkins, 7. Harry Lewis (14. Alfie Higgs 72), 8. Jason Wood, 9. Dan Smith, 10. Malcolm Melvin, 11. Arman Khoshkhoo (12. Nashawn Blake 65)

Unused Subs:– None

Midland Football League
Premier Cup
Tuesday 6th December 2022
Tividale 1-1 Darlaston Town 1874
(Tividale win on penalties 4-3)

It takes Pens to part them

(Report courtesy of Darlaston Town 1874)

After the tremendous performance on Saturday. It was important that the squad backed it up with another performance at the same standard against A Darlaston team who are flying at the moment.

The home side gave debuts to their two midweek signings. Left back Kamol Campbell signed from Walsall Wood replacing the rested Jack Fisher and forward Matthew Funge on loan to us from Halesowen Town replacing Dan Smith in the forward line.

The other changes were Louis Connor in for Peter Hawk in goal. Jakob Burroughs back from his three game holiday in for the rested club captain Curtis Cocking, David Solademi in for the injured Louis Ezewele.

On a freezing evening at The Beeches, Darlaston made a strong start and had the better of the opening exchanges, Rivel Mardenborough, Dom Dell and Jake Pearson combining on several occasions to cause difficulties for the home defence. Unfortunately, the visitors were thwarted by some excellent defending, Jacob Burroughs and David Solademi excelling with some outstanding tackles. Several Darlaston corners and free kicks came to nothing, and the visitors were unlucky on more than one occasion.

The pressure finally told on 31 minutes, Darlaston taking the lead with a goal of the highest quality. A superbly weighted pass by Ben Priest fell to Dell whose first-time effort over the advancing Louis Conner gave the visitors a fully deserved lead. Mardenborough and Dell both had chances to double the lead before half time, but on both occasions put their efforts wide.

Half Time:- Tividale 0-1 Darlaston Town 1874

If Darlaston had the better of the first half, then it was Tividale who had the edge in the second half.

The impressive Matt Funge started to see more of the ball for Tividale and started to combine well with Taylor Townsend as they came more into the game as the half progressed. Despite the home side having more possession, it was Darlaston who had the best chance in the early second half exchanges when Jake Pearson failed to connect cleanly when well placed.

With substitutes Dan Smith and Jack Downing adding to the Tividale front line Darlaston had to call upon Alex Foreshaw and Ben Podmore to hold firm and repel several Tivi attacks.

The equaliser came on 72 minutes when some excellent approach work by Downing saw him beat two defenders, before setting up Smith to fire home from 20 yards.

Both teams had half chances to win the game within 90 minutes, Darlaston keeper Sidaway saving well on two occasions whilst for the visitors Dell broke clear of the home defence but in a one-on-one situation was unable to beat keeper Conner who saved with his legs.

Full Time:- Tividale 1-1 Darlaston Town 1874

At the end of 90 minutes the game went straight to penalties.

Taylor Townsend (Tividale) – Scores 1-0
Dominic Dell (Darlaston) – Hits Cossbar 1-0
Jason Wood (Tividale) – Saved 1-0
Lewis Gill (Darlaston) – Scores 1-1
Jack Downing (Tividale) – Scores 2-1
Joshua Jones (Darlaston) – Scores 2-2
Matt Funge (Tividale) – Scores 3-2
Charlie Swingwood (Darlaston) – Scores 3-3
Jakob Burroughs (Tividale) – Scores 4-3
Joe Sidaway  (Darlaston) – Saved – 4-3

Penalties Result:- Tividale 4-3 Darlaston Town 1874

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Kamol Campbell, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. David Solademi 6. Matt Hunt, 17. Taylor Townsend, 8. Jason Wood, 9. Matthew Funge, 10. Malcolm Melvin (14. Jack Downing 65) 11. Ryan Snape (12. Dan Smith 61)

Tividale: – 13. Peter Hawk, 15. Lewis Taylor-Boyce 16. Cameron East

Midland Football League Cup
1st Round
Tuesday 25th October 2022
Wednesfield 1-4 Tividale

Wednesfield hit by 3-minute blitz

After the tremendous win on Saturday. It was soon time to focus on our next game against Wednesfield in the league’s Premier Cup.
As with all our midweek cup games it was a chance to rotate the squad. So, into the starting line-up came Jack Fletcher, Matt Hunt, Cody Mullan, Lewis Taylor-Boyce, and Ryan Snape replacing Joe Burroughs, Louis Ezewele, Dan Smith, Jack Downing and Curtis Cocking.
Tividale started on the front foot and a Taylor Townsend shot after 2 minutes brought the first save from Wednesfield keeper Craig Pain. 2 minutes later home striker Ashley Bellingham nearly cashed in on a Tividale defensive error but his shot never troubled Louis Connor in the Tividale goal.
There then came a 3 minute spell where Tividale absolutely dominated the play and Wednesfield couldn’t get a touch of the ball and where in turn severely punished.
First on 6 minutes Snape got to the byline, pulled his cross back to the edge of the box and Jason Wood smashed the ball past Pain and into the back of the net. A minute later it was 2-0. This time Townsend was allowed to run at the home defence. He left 3 Wednesfield defenders in his wake before firing past Pain.
Two minute later on 9 minutes Tividale were three up. This was a class team goal. A Brad Welding throw was chested down by Taylor-Boyce into the path of Townsend. Who in turn found Mullan on the edge of the Wednesfield penalty area and he lashed the ball past Pain.
Pain then denied Welding from making it 4-0 on 16 minutes, when he touched his dipping free kick over the bar.
Wednesfield’s James Thompson then had a sight of goal in the 20th minute but he fired his free kick wide.
Townsend at the other end was still causing havoc and on 24 minutes he had a chance to make it 4 but his shot was deflected off Wednesfield’s Joe Finch for a corner.
On 31 minutes Snape was the beneficiary of a great through ball but he couldn’t keep his effort down.

On 38 minutes Wednesfield were awarded another free kick on the edge of the Tividale area up stepped Adam Sheldon and again he failed to trouble Connor in goal putting it over the bar.

Wednesfield were now having their best period of the game and on 42 minutes Jimmy Yates won the ball on the edge of the Tividale box but again Connor did not have to make a save as it went past his post.

Half Time:- Wednesfield 0-3 Tividale

By the end of the first half Wednesfield were showing signs of making a game of it and they came out in the second half with the mentality that if they were going to go out of the competition, to go out fighting and there was a couple of meaty late challenges where the referee could have given straight red’s but chose yellow..

They had the first real chance of the half in the 68th minute when a Sheldon cross was headed wide by Bellingham. On 75 minutes Tividale had a chance to extend their lead when Jakob Burroughs found Taylor-Boyce with a great Crossfield pass but with the angle getting tighter he shot wide of the post.

On 80 minutes Wednesfield got themselves a glimmer of hope when substitute Finlay Daley’s mishit shot, looped over the despairing dive of Connor and nestled in the back of the net.

Tividale restored their 3-goal lead in the 89th minute when Tividale sub Jack Downing was brought down by Pain after the keeper had made a hash of a clearance and Snape stepped up and placed it into pain’s bottom right hand corner.

Full Time:- Wednesfield 1-4 Tividale 

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Jack Fletcher (16. Louis Ezewele 74), 3. Brad Welding (12. Dan Smith 84}, 4. Jakob Burroughs 5. Zac Kourouyianni, 6. Matt Hunt, 7. Taylor Townsend (14, Jack Downing 77), 8. Cody Mullan, 9. Lewis Taylor Boyce 10. Jason Wood (15. Nashawn Blake 46) 11. Ryan Snape

Unused Sub: 17. Malcolm Melvin