Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 26th August 2023
Tividale 1-4 Bewdley Town

Tividale still struggling.

These match reports are becoming a bit like Groundhog Day, as once again Tividale conceded 4 goals. That makes it 5 games played so far this season and we have conceded 4 goals in 4 of them. Now it does not take a genius to see that this cannot go on. Or it will not only be a long season but a very painful one.

After last Saturday’s defeat against AFC Wulfrunians and with Jason Wood leaving the club and Arman Khoshkhoo and Joe Hawkins both injured, manager Stuart How made a number of changes for the first of the two Bank Holiday fixtures. Dropped to the bench were Jakob Burroughs, Tarryl Davis, and Ewan Evans. In came Max Morris, Joe Burroughs, Kamol Campbell, Lewis Taylor-Boyce and after injury captain Zac Kourouyianni.

Tividale started brightly and could have been 2 or 3 up before the Bewdley opener after 30 minutes. Tividale though should have been ahead in the 2nd minute when Bewdley skipper Lewis Moseley brought down Taylor Townsend in the penalty area. Townsend himself stepped up but blasted the spot kick over the bar.

On 6 minutes Callum Gillies whipped a ball across the box but neither Dom Dell nor Townsend could get the ball under control and find the net.

Tividale continued to exert pressure and it was 15 minutes into the game before Bewdley created a decent chance. And a fine one it was too. Bewdley striker Ben Worthington forcing Louis Connor to turn his shot around the post. Dell then headed over a Cody Mullan cross on 21 minutes. A minute later and from a home free kick just outside the box James Douglas played the ball square to Dell but he drilled his shot just wide.

Tividale were themselves guilty of petty fouls around their area and from one of those on 27 minutes, a Jack Ricketts effort crashed off the underside of the bar and Tividale cleared the danger. As much as Tividale had possession and were creating chances, Bewdley were looking dangerous when they had the ball and on 30 minutes Douglas lost the ball on the halfway line. One long ball then split the Tividale defence and Worthington run onto it and fires past Connor to put the visitors a goal up.

Three minutes later and Worthington is through again but this time he is foiled by a brilliant Joe Burroughs tackle. Yet the warnings went unheeded because on 38 minutes another ball over the top found Worthington and again, he made no mistake putting Bewdley 2-0 up at the break.

Half Time: Tividale 0-2 Bewdley Town

​As in the first half Tividale had a great chance to open the scoring within the first couple of minutes when Joe Burroughs headed over a Townsend corner. Then right at the other end a deflected Ricketts shot was turned around the post by Connor.

Tividale halved the deficit on 62 minutes when Ryan Snape came off the bench and curled home a free kick from 25 yards out, leaving Bewdley keeper Louis Beresford no chance. Snape had another chance 5 minutes later but this time he could not hit the target and it sailed over the bar.

Tividale were again doing the attacking and were looking good for the next goal and somehow Bewdley escaped with their goal intact after a mad goalmouth scramble that they ended up with conceding a corner.

Bewdley restored their two-goal lead in the 78th minute when Kai Del Kiffin was allowed to run at the heart of the Tividale defence and he fired past Connor. The goal knocked the stuffing out of a Tividale side low on confidence and although there was the odd attacking flurry the points were Bewdley’s. Townsend sent a free kick over the Bewdley bar with 3 minutes of normal time to go.

But Bewdley hit the regulation 4th goal in the 7th minute of stoppage time when Worthington was allowed once again to run clear after the Tividale defence was caught out again but this time he unselfishly rolled the ball into the path of Ricketts of shot into an empty net.

 

Full Time: Tividale 1-4 Bewdley Town

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni 3. Callum Gillies (11. Ryan  Snape 52), 6. Joe Burroughs, 7. Taylor Townsend, 16. Max Morris (4. Jakob Burroughs 46), 9. Dominic Dell, 10. James Douglas, 12. Kamol Campbell 14. Cody Mullan, 19. Lewis Taylor-Boyce (17. Ewan Edwards 52).

Unused Subs:- 15. Nashawn Blake, 18. Taryll Davis)

 

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 19th August 2023
Tividale 0-4 AFC Wulfrunians

Tividale routed at home.

For the second time in 6 days Tividale conceded 4 goals and again individual errors accounted for all of them. It is something the coaching staff are desperate to rectify, or it will be a long season.

Arman Khoshkhoo and Elliot Sumnall joined captain Zach Kourouyianni on the injury list. The other changes were Joe Burroughs, Ryan Snape dropping to the bench with Jason Wood, Joe Hawkins and Ewan Edwards returning to the starting lineup and new signing James Douglas given his debut.

The visitors were at Tividale from the off with Curtis Cocking trying an effort from a good 30 yards out whistling past Louis Connors left hand post. Tividale first attack of note came when a Douglas cross field  ball found Edwards, but his cross was easily collected by AFC keeper Jake James.

AFC took the lead on 9 minutes when from a throw in the ball was worked out to unmarked Ryan Bright and he hit a superb first-time volley from the corner of the penalty area across Connor and into the far corner of the net.

By this time Tividale’s defence were all over the place and full back James Meddows was allowed to run into the home area but his shot went over the bar. Then on 15 minutes Jake Webb latched on to another long throw and beat two defenders before putting the ball past Connor and rolling the ball into the empty net. It was now looking like a rout was on the cards. Bright again threatened down the right beating three defenders down the byline but his pull back was cleared by Taryll Davis. Dominic Dell got on to the end of an Evans header across the face of the goal, but AFC were able to clear his header.

AFC were then reduced to 10 men on 33 minutes when Webb was sin binned for dissent, instead of taking advantage of the 10 men for 10 minutes, Jakob Burroughs himself was sin binned 5 minutes after Webb’s. Taylor Townsend went on a great run and his pass found Wood, but his shot was cleared.

The visitors added a 4th in the 44th minute when Josh McKenzie ran on to a ball over the top, out muscled Davis and curled a shot into the far corner. Connor got his fingertips to the ball but could not keep it out.

Half Time: Tividale 0-3 AFC Wulfrunians

​With a mountain to climb, Tividale made 4 changes at half time with Snape, Taylor Boyce, Joe Burroughs, and Campbell replacing Gillies, Davis, Jakob Burroughs and Evans and they started the half much better without really creating anything to threaten the visitor’s goal.

While AFC were still looking likely to score off every attack they embarked on, and Webb should have made it 4 when through but blasted his shot wide. Connor then made a brilliant double save denying both Demetri Brown and Bright.

Tividale were still looking more threatening in this second period but despite a fair amount of goalmouth action the Wulfs defence stood firm and James had little to do.

With 10 minutes remaining a Brown shot crashed off the underside of the Tividale cross bar and with ball falling to Bright, Campbell brought him down in the area. Brown stepped up and extended Wulf’s lead from the penalty spot.

Full Time: Tividale 0-4 AFC Wulfrunians

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 3. Callum Gillies (15. Kamol Campbell 46), 4. Jakob Burroughs (20. Ryan  Snape 46), 5. Joe Hawkins, 7. Taylor Townsend, 8. Jason Wood (16. Max Morris 46), 9. Dominic Dell, 10. James Douglas, 14. Cody Mullan, 17. Ewan Edwards (19. Lewis Taylor-Boyce 46). 18. Taryll Davis (6. Joe Burroughs 46)

Unused Subs:- None

 

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Monday 14th August 2023
Romulus 4-3 Tividale

Tividale suffer stoppage time heartache

Manager Stuart How made three changes from the previous game. He had injuries to Zac Kourouyianni and Jason Wood who were replaced by Elliot Sumnall and Ryan Snape and Callum Gillies came in for Kamol Campbell who dropped too the bench

The following match report is courtesy of Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League

The opening 20 minutes of the match were eventful with both teams having a number of chances. Tividale had an early chance with Dom Dell getting into a good position near the edge of the box before shooting straight at Lewis Gwilliams. Romulus opened the scoring minutes later with Luke Keen scoring from a header in the box in the 4th minute to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Stephen Palmer had a brilliant strike moments later that was well saved by Louis Connor in the 6th minute. The save was a crucial moment in the first half as it allowed the visitors to settle into the match and build a bit of momentum as the half went on.

None the less, Romulus were still building good attacks throughout the first half with Jordan Francis standing out on the left wing and making things happen for the Roms. He constantly delivered good balls into the box for the hosts.

A player who stood out throughout the first half for Tividale was Dom Dell who had a few half chances for the visitors and was linking up play well going forwards prior to the equaliser. He managed to score from a corner through a shot at the far post in the 22nd minute to make it 1-1.

The remaining period of the first half was cagey and an interesting battle in a competitive match. Jakob Burroughs played an important role for Tividale in holding midfield and helped the visitors grow into the game as the half went on and build a bit of confidence.

Tividale had a good chance to take the lead on the half-hour mark when Ryan Snape had a shot that was tipped over the bar by Lewis Gwilliams in the Romulus goal. The hosts managed to hold on to Tividale growing into the match and went into HT 1-1 in an intriguing match.

Half Time: Romulus 1-1 Tividale

​The second half started in a similar fashion to the first with Romulus managing to take the lead early and settle into it. Jordan Francis was on hand to score and put the ball into an empty net following a shot that hit the post and came to the winger. He calmly finished into the bottom left corner to make it 2-1.

The hosts managed to score again to make it 3-1 in the 64th minute when Fin Douglas played a brilliant ball to Luke Keen who finished well into the bottom right corner. It was an excellent passage of play from Romulus that underlined what they can do going forward this season.

Just as Romulus were starting to control the match, Tividale managed to get a goal back. Substitute Joe Hawkins scored from a corner in the 67th minute to set up a nervy finish. Romulus responded by creating a brilliant chance of their own with Harry Goode striding forward and playing a quality through ball to Luke Keen who had a shot on target well saved by Louis Connor in the Tividale goal in the 71st minute.

Tividale started to put a sustained run of pressure on the Romulus goal throughout the next 15 minutes of the match with the hosts looking to hold on and get a result. The visitors managed to score a late equaliser in the 85th minute through an excellent header by substitute Ewen Edwards following a good cross into the box to make it 3-3.

Following the equaliser Tividale were going forward with purpose looking to get the win with Romulus defender Cameron Lee doing a great job at the back and heading key balls away from danger when it mattered for the hosts late on.

As Romulus were able to withstand the pressure, the match looked like it was heading for an eventful draw until a dramatic finish to the match in the final few minutes. A moment of inspiration from Stephen Palmer deep into injury time gave Romulus a huge win following an outstanding strike from the edge of the box that sent the home supporters ecstatic.

Full Time: Romulus 4-3 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 3. Callum Gillies, 4. Jakob Burroughs (19. Lewis Taylor-Boyce 80), 6. Joe Burroughs, 7. Taylor Townsend, 9. Dominic Dell (15. Kamol Campbell 90), 10. Ryan Snape (17. Ewan Edwards 55), 11. Arman Khoshkhoo, 12. Elliot Sumnall (6. Max Morris 59) 14. Cody Mullan, 18. Taryll Davis (5. Joe Hawkins 55)

Unused Subs:- None