Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 17th February 2024
AFC Wulfrunians 2-1 Tividale

We cannot get out of the rut

Match report written by Rhys Beardmore for the Midland Football League

AFC Wulfrunians were looking for a result yesterday afternoon to continue their good form under Carl Abbott and cement their position in the top half of the table. The Wulf’s have grown into the season and were unbeaten in their last three matches coming into this one.

Tividale have struggled in the premier division this season and are involved in a relegation battle to stay in step five.

The starting line-up for AFC Wulfrunians included Joe Williams starting in goal and Bradley Maslen-Jones captaining the team from central defence. The formation looked like a 3-4-3 with Daniel Munday playing up front and being supported on the wings by Kane Lee and Finlay Barker.

There were two changes from the team that started against Dudley Town last weekend with Lee Chilton coming back into the team and playing at left wing-back.

Tividale’s starting line-up featured Louis Connor starting in goal and Zach Kourouyianni captaining the team from central defence. The formation appeared to be a 3-4-3 with a front two of Jack Till and Ryan Snape being supported by Max Morris in the attacking midfield role.

There were three changes from the team that started against Dudley Town in mid-week with Joe Burroughs coming back into the team and playing as part of a back three.

AFC Wulfrunians started the match brightly and took the game to Tividale early on. They were making things happen in the final third and causing problems down the wings in the opening twenty minutes. The best chance to take the lead fell to Kane Lee on the right wing who made an excellent run before having a shot hit the far post.

Tividale did a good job of seeing the opening twenty minutes out to get a foothold in the match and looked well organised off the ball to limit the clear-cut chances in front of goal for AFC Wulfrunians. They were growing into the match as the first half went on and were passing the ball around well.

The visitors were starting to get into a rhythm with the only thing missing being the final ball to cause AFC Wulfrunians problems defensively. Tividale were building attacks well and playing out from the back to stifle AFC Wulfrunians’ early momentum.

AFC Wulfrunians did a good job to contain Tividale’s attacking threat and had a good chance to take the lead on the half hour mark. An excellent free kick into the box was headed over the bar by Jack Rowley. Both teams were knocking on the door to take the lead in an even first half.

The hosts managed to take the lead on the 33rd minute to make it 1-0. Finlay Barker was fouled in the box by Joe Burroughs for a spot kick with Daniel Munday stepping up to take it. His initial effort was instinctively saved by Louis Connor before the rebound fell into his path to finish into the bottom right corner.

It was tough on Tividale who competed well up to that point and it gave the hosts a sense of control over the match.

The last ten minutes of the first half was action packed with a lot of notable chances in front of goal from both teams. Kane Lee had a good chance from a second ball that was delivered into the box before putting his effort over the bar.

The best chance for Tividale in the first half came late on when Jack Till made a brilliant run and was one on one with Joe Williams before firing wide. Malcolm Melvin played an excellent chipped ball over the AFC Wulfrunians defence from midfield that was well anticipated by Jack Till near the edge of the box to create the opening.

AFC Wulfrunians mainly played a possession-based style and liked to invite Tividale on to them so they could play a long ball over the defence. They had an excellent chance to make it 2-0 at the end of the first half where an accurate long ball found Tom Poole down the right. The Wing-back advanced into the box before having an effort go wide.

Half Time:- AFC Wulfrunians 1-0 Tividale

AFC Wulfrunians managed to make it 2-0 early in the second half to make it an uphill task for the visitors. A well delivered corner found Dexter Dudley-Toole at the back post who headed the ball into the net. It was a well worked set piece routine from the hosts, but Tividale would have felt disappointed as they could have put considerable pressure on the hosts in the second half.

From 2-0 down Tividale were chasing the match for the rest of the second half. One of the positives for the visitors was how they stuck to their passing style and showed character to keep going despite the scoreline. Their best chance in the second half came when a neat passing move resulted in Jack Till having a shot well saved in the box at the near post by Joe Williams.

AFC Wulfrunians’ best chance of the second half came when a good ball into the box by Curtis Cocking found Kane Lee in the box who fired narrowly wide of the far post. The front three for AFC Wulfrunians impressed throughout this match and were creating several good chances in the box which was a real positive yesterday.

Tividale did manage to get a goal back late on to set up a nervy finish to the match. A well delivered free kick by Ryan Snape found Joe Burroughs in the box who finished well at the back post to make it 2-1. This proved to be a consolation for the visitors with AFC Wulfrunians holding on to take home the three points and their sixth home win of the season.

Full Time

AFC Wulfrunians played well in this match and were worthy of the win. There’s quality throughout the team both on and off the ball and they showed a lot of effort and endeavour yesterday to get a result.

Bradley Maslen-Jones was excellent at the back and read the game well from central defence. He managed to stop several promising Tividale attacks to take the pressure off the hosts, especially in the first half. Joe Williams also had a good game and made some crucial saves to give AFC Wulfrunians the three points.

Dennis Digie had an underrated game from holding midfield and was linking up the play well. He offered the team a sense of composure when building attacks from midfield and moved the ball quickly through the thirds of the pitch.

Tividale played well in this match despite the result. They showed a lot of character and effort throughout the afternoon and have quality on the ball to make things happen.

The front two of Ryan Snape and Jack Till played well and looked a threat in the final third. Ryan Snape has been notably good at creating chances at this level and could be the difference in tight matches for the visitors. Jack Till was getting into some good positions around the box which was encouraging.

Malcolm Melvin had an underrated game from holding midfield and was passing the ball around well, especially in the first half. He linked up the play well for the visitors and gave them a way of growing into the match.

Overall, there were encouraging signs that they could pick up results to have a chance of staying up.

Full Time:- AFC Wulfrunians 2-1Tividale

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 13th February 2024
Dudley Town 1-0 Tividale

No action, no points

This game never really got started and in the end another defeat and a disappointing show on the back of the fine result and performance last time out.

From 10 days ago, manager Stuart Howe made just the one change. In came Callum Gillies for the unavailable Kamol Campbell and it was the 26th minute before the first decent piece of goalmouth action when after a bit of pinball in the area, somehow Tividale scrambled away a Dudley corner. On 29 minutes Jordan Davies benefited from a favourable bounce but could only smack the ball straight into the midrift of Tividale keeper Louis Connor.

A minute later and Dudley broke the deadlock. Harry Crook played the ball across the 6 yard box and after Tividale again failed to clear, Abdul Bashiru tapped the ball home. Somehow Dudley missed a fine chance on 40 minutes to make it 2-0 when somehow the ball was put over the bar with only the keeper to beat. The remainder of the half petered out with neither side creating anything decent chances wide.

Half Time:- Dudley Town 1-0 Tividale

The second period was about as eventful as the first and Crook had a shot deflected wide of the Tividale goal on 47 minutes. On 62 minutes substitute Cody Mullan had Tividale’s first decent effort when he fired just wide.

With 2 minutes of the regulation 90 to go Dominic Dell’s shot appeared to half the crowd, to have given Tividale an equaliser. That was until Dudley keeper Alex Graham went behind the goal to retrieve the ball. Apart from those two Tividale attempts it always looked as though Dudley would get the second goal and Crooks had two decent chances to put the game to bed but failed on both accounts.

In the end the one goal was enough in a game that never rose above tepid and again Tividale were the architects of their own downfall.

Full Time:- Dudley Town 1-0 Tividale

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 4. Jakob Burroughs. 5. Joe Hawkins  6. Lewis Wright, 7. Ryan Snape,  8. Jack Till, 9. Dominic Dell (17 Ewan Edwards 63), 10. James Douglas, 11. Malcolm Melvin (16. Max Morris 46), 12. Kamol Campbell (3. Callum Gillies 46)

Unused Sub:- 14. Jamie Oliver

 

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 3rd February 2024
Congleton Town 3-3 Tividale

Pride and Passion

If there has been one thing lacking this season with this set of lads, it is consistency. So, after the tremendous performance on Tuesday night, no one really knew what to expect away at table toppers Congleton Town.

So, to be three nil down after 30 minutes with the home side rampant. It did not bode well for the rest of the afternoon. But there is an old saying that “football is a funny old game” and nothing can surprise you.

Boss Stuart How made three changes from the midweek starting eleven. Max Morris, Ewan Edwards dropping to the bench and Joe Burroughs was unavailable due to work commitment. In came Ryan Snape, Malcolm Melvin, and Lewis Wright

Congleton in front of an amazing 700 plus fans at this level of football were at the visitors from the kick off and were appealing for a hand ball and penalty within two minutes but the referee waived play on. They had their first chance on goal after three minutes when a Brian Barton shot was well held by Louis Connor although the forward looked to be offside.

Tividale’s Jack Till’s snap shot just drifted wide after 8 minutes as they tried to relieve some of the pressure, but the home side just kept on coming and a minute later they opened the scoring. A long ball over the top and Connor does well to force Barton wide, but he pulls it back into the danger area, and after a little scramble in the box Peter Williams hits it in the far corner. Two minutes later and it is 2-0. The ball played out to Max McCarthy and his low driven shot found the bottom left hand corner.

On 14 minutes McCarthy reaches a long ball into the corner skips past the defender and whips a ball into the Barton at the back post who looked to get a touch to it but couldn’t hit the target. On 20 minutes Ethan Hartshorn had a rising effort from.25 yards that just cleared the Tividale bar. But they did not have to wait long for the third. In the 30th minute Tividale lose the ball on the halfway line and three passes later, George Sankey is there to finish off the move and stroke the ball into the back of the net.

Completely against the run of play on 33 minutes, Snape latches onto a forward pass, skips past his marker and shoots past Congleton keeper Daniel Parton and into the back of the net. A minute later and it was 3-2 through Snape again, as he gets on the end of a through ball that catches the home side asleep, and he fires the ball past the advancing Parton in goal.

After being battered for 30 minutes> Somehow Tividale are still in the game, and you can bet the team talk in both dressing rooms are a lot different to what they were 15 minutes ago.

Half Time:- Congleton Town 3-2 Tividale

With their new found confidence it was Tividale who started the half the better and from their first corner of the game on 57 minutes threatened but Town cleared. In the 58th minute Williams slides a pass into the box to Needham who whips a ball in, and Barton shoots and Connor collects. At the other end Tividale are looking for an equaliser and from a free kick Ewan Edwards puts the ball over the bar at the back post. Edwards then drives down the right and his cross is flicked on at the near post and put over by Till.

The game was now literally end to end as both sides looked to the all-important next goal. On 73 minutes a chance by Needham gives Congleton another corner as his shot takes a deflection. Then on 78 minutes a Hampton header comes off the cross bar. On 81 minutes substitute Max Morris throws himself and blocks a goal bound shot.

Connor then pulled off a brilliant save denying a Congleton effort when another cross from the right was met with a near post header and he pushed it onto the crossbar and over from point blank.

The save was doubly important 5 minutes later when a cross into the box was diverted neatly by Morris and the ball flew past Parton, and into the back of the net.

It was a great comeback from Tividale after looking dead and buried the lads showed real character to come from 3 down and take a point back from the league leaders.

Full Time:- Congleton Town 3-3 Tividale

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 4. Jakob Burroughs. 5. Joe Hawkins  6. Lewis Wright), 7. Ryan Snape,  8. Jack Till, 9. Dominic Dell (17 Ewan Edwards 63), 10. James Douglas, 11. Malcolm Melvin (16. Max Morris 46), 12. Kamol Campbell (3. Callum Gillies 46)

Unused Sub:- 14. Jamie Oliver