Walsall Senior Cup
2nd Round
Tuesday 27th February 2024
Tividale 3-6 Hednesford Town

Tividale go out fighting.

Tividale bowed out of the Walsall Senior Cup but can be proud of their effort against a side who play at two levels above. On a very heavy pitch and a cold, wet miserable night, both sides produced an all action encounter and although over the 90 minutes Hednesford were the better side the 3 goal margin definitely flattered them.

With a number of players available for this game that were not last week, boss Stuart How was able to rest all three of last week’s centre back’s and switch to their normal back four. Also replaced was Dominic Dell who had signed for Shifnal Town the day before. So, in came Tom Cole, Ryan Snape and Jack Till also making his return was Jack Pearlman signed from Lye Town, eight years after he last played in the yellow of Tividale.

Hednesford showed their intent to attack in the first few minutes and after just three minutes Danny Edwards went on a slaloming run that was stopped by good defending deep into the Tividale penalty area. Tividale’s Jakob Burroughs then tried an effort from range that went wide on 6 minutes.

On 11 minutes Tividale were ahead, A Hednesford back pass is under hit and Jack Till nips in to take the ball around the keeper and roll the ball into the empty net. Hednesford then stepped up the pressure and in the 20th minute Joe Morley fired over after some great individual work to create the chance. Then Michael Williams hit an absolute screamer on 29 minutes that flashed past Louis Connor’s far post.

That Williams effort was just a sighter because 3 minutes later, Tividale fail to lose down the full back and he hits an absolute rocket into the back of the net from about 30 yards to bring Hednesford level.

Then came two goals in a minute. First on 45 minutes Tividale were back ahead  Till scores his second of the night with an effort from the edge of the box which beat Hednesford keeper Ryan Brown and settled into the back of the net. Then Hednesford equalise straight from the kick off in the 46th minute, Williams is allowed to walk through to the box unchallenged beat two players and smashes one past Louis Connor who had no chance.

Half Time:- Tividale 2-2 Hednesford Town

Tividale started much the better in the second period and pressed the Hednesford defence but were behind after 52 minutes when from a Hednesford corner Callum Mendez-Smith bundled the ball home. Connor then did well to save a fierce Dann Edwards free kick on the hour mark. Two minutes later and Tividale were back on level terms again. A tremendous Callum Gilles cross from the left flank was met by Snape and he hits a first time shot past Brown which goes in off the post.

The game was now up for grabs, and it was Hednesford who edged ahead again on 70 minutes. A missed tackle costs Tividale after the they had lost the ball in the Hednesford half and Morley on the counter attack advances into the box and hits one into the back of the net.

Tividale were now throwing everything at the visitors in an attempt to get back in the game. But Hednesford break in the 85th minute and substitute Joe Thompson is left one on one with Connor, and he hits the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net.

With the home side dead on their feet, Thompson made the most of the space in the Tividale area to net his second and Hednesford’s 6th in the 87th minute.

Full Time Tividale 3-6 Hednesford Town

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni (5. Joe Hawkins 52), 3. Callum Gillies, 4. Jakob Burroughs. 8. Max Morris, 9. Jack Till, 10. Ryan Snape, 14. Tom Cole, 16. Jack Pearlman (6. Joe Burroughs 52), 17 Ewan Edwards, 19. Lewis Taylor-Boyce (11. Nashawn Blake 67)

Unused Sub:- 5. Joe Hawkins  6. Joe Burroughs, 12. Ashley Oliver, 15. Jack Perry