Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 25th January 2020
Tividale 0-0 Coventry Sphinx

Sphinx stalemate

Both sides have a little leeway over the bottom three coming into this game but they are both still having to look over their shoulder’s as both sides had only won one in their last 6 league games. Throw into the mix a heavy pitch and this was never going to be a classic and so it proved.

With Tom Hurdman and Matt Hunt absent and Lewis Probert transferred to Lye Town in midweek. New signing Samuel Prince started on the right side of midfield and the other new signing Ryan Boothe on the bench.

Sphinx had the better of the first half and their first chance on goal came in just the 6th minute when Lewis Noon blazed over the bar after good work from Liam Cairns. Minutes later and Noon was nearly in again when an Adam Harrison clearance hit him on the back and could have gone anywhere but thankfully it bounced harmlessly clear and the keeper was able to regain possession. Colin Smith was then denied by Harrison at his near post. Smith then went on a mazy run on 15 minutes but again he hit his shot high and wide.

Tividale’s first chance on goal came on 26 minutes when Darragh Bustin got free but although his shot beat keeper Tom Cross it also went wide of his far post. Colin Smith then had another great chance when a neat Callum Woodward chip was headed wide by the forward. Smith turned provider in the 37th minute when he out muscled the Tividale defence played the ball into Noon but Harrison pulled of a brilliant save to deny him.

The half ended with the two number 10’s Noon and Bustin having speculative long range shots. But both were comfortably saved by Harrison and Cross respectively.

Half Time:-Tividale 0-0 Coventry Sphinx

Sphinx’s Smith had the first chance of the second period but his 47th minute shot lacked the power to trouble Harrison. Two minutes later and Tividale’s Dan Smith headed a Brad Welding free kick wide.

It was not until the 67th minute that the next decent effort on goal arrived and once again it was Harrison on hand to turn a Woodward shot over the bar. Cross then foiled Bustin at his near post. Harrison then saved a Scott Hammond shot with his legs.

Tividale had the final chance of the game when a Luke Carter header from a Bustin free kick sailed wide of Cross’s post.

Full Time:-Tividale 0-0 Coventry Sphinx

 

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 18th January 2020
Haughmond 2-1 Tividale

The Monds snatch late winner

No one at Tividale thought that this season would be easy and after two relegations and a promotion it would be fair to say that we are a much more resilient club as a whole. This would be the sort of game that would test what we have achieved so far. Up against a club whose fortunes over the last couple of seasons have been similar to ours. A side that will battle until the final minute and beyond.

We went into this one with 2 debutants. Adam Harrison a loan signing from Bedworth in goal and Jakob Burroughs younger brother of our full back Joseph in a central midfield role.

From previous encounters between the teams Tividale must have known about the threat of Carl Rogers at throw in’s that are literally anywhere in our half and in the first few minutes a couple of those throws caused some dodgy moments in the Tividale penalty area, but somehow they survived and settled into the game. The first Tividale attack on 7 minutes could have produced a spectacular opener when Darragh Bustin volleyed a Brad Welding cross wide. Then Welding himself fired an effort goal wards but was deflected out for a corner.

Everyone in the ground will wonder how Tividale did not score in a first half were on two occasions either side of Haughmond’s 20th minute opener they peppered the home goal, but some inspired defending and goalkeeping by Sam Jones denied the visitors.

Haughmond did have their chances and with a bit more composure in their finishing could have worked Harrison. But they did score from their first shot on target when Matt Hunt was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box. It did look a harsh decision considering how close the two players were together. Anyhow the prolific Steve Hole stepped up and gave Harrison no chance from the spot. Zac Hartley then tried an effort from distance but Harrison held it comfortably before half time.

Tividale would have felt that despite conceding the penalty the amount of chances that Bustin, Welding, Dan Smith amongst others had and not converted in that half they should have been at least level.

Half Time:- Haughmond 1-0 Tividale

Tividale started the second period with another flurry of strikes on goal. First a Smith shot was parried away by Jones. Then Bustin had an effort turned round the post and from the resulting corner skipper Matt Hunt’s header was well held by Jones. Tividale were level on 58 minutes when from a Haughmond corner, Jakob Burroughs won the ball on the edge of his penalty area and found Bustin with a pass sprayed out left. Bustin in turn fed in Smith who placed the ball past Jones and into the back of the net.

Both sides had chances to go ahead but both defences were surviving on a mixture of luck and determination. But with a couple of minutes left on the clock. Tividale gave away what can only be described as a soft free kick and young Luke Ward stepped up and placed the free kick beyond the diving Harrison and into the back of the net. There was no coming back from that for the visitors and Haughmond took the three points.

The winning goal just about summed up the game. In the previous 88 minutes Tividale must have had 5 or 6 free kicks around the edge of Haughmond’s penalty area but was only made to work for just one of them.

Full Time:- Haughmond 2-1 Tividale