Tividale FC

Report

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Monday 26th August 2024
Tividale 1-1 Highgate United

Bouncebackability

After losing 6-0 only 48 hours before. Deciding to have a whole squad initiation straight after the defeat. You would not have been blamed if you had feared the worse for this Bank Holiday fixture. But the togetherness of this management team and squad is nothing short of remarkable.

With this being the second game in 48 hours and also taking the beating on Saturday into consideration, Boss Phil Rann made 4 changes from Saturday’s starting line up. In came Callum Lloyd, Lewis Derrick, Ryan Piggott and Mario Mendez in place of Brandon Mossini, Mohammed Sahil Sajad, Michael Agyemang and Aon Mohammed Abbas.

If there was a hangover from Saturday (either the result or the initiation’s) it wasn’t showing as Tividale started with all gun’s blazing and should have gone one up in the first minute. Alfie Higgs found Ethan Delaney who in turn played a one -two with Higgs who had continued his run into the box, but the Higgs shot was blocked by a defender and Highgate keeper Kobi Brookes was able to gather the loose ball. From the keeper’s kick down field Higgs again picked up the ball and again found Delaney but this time he tried his luck and the shot went over. In the 12th minute a Sam Bratt-Wyton free kick was met by Piggott but Brookes had no trouble collecting his header.

After all Tividale’s pressure, in Highgate’s first attack they went ahead. A 16th minute George Elwell ball into the box found Kyle Hayden who held off his marker Lloyd and he hooked his shot past Tividale keeper Ethan Hawkes at his near post and into the net. Three minutes later and Highgate had a great chance to make it 2-0. From a Tividale corner Highgate cleared and broke the ball came found its way to Elwell at the edge of the Tividale box but Hawkes saved his shot with his legs.

Not a lot happened as both sides tried to impose themselves on the opposition, until the 39th minute when Highgate forward Taylor Needs went down under a Higginson challenge in the area, but referee Simon King waived away the Highgate penalty appeals. A minute later and a Delaney cross to the back post finds Mendez but his shot is fielded by Brookes. Derrick then tries his luck from distance but his shot is blocked.

on the stroke of half time Highgate win a free kick on the edge of the Tividale box. Bracher’s shot is blocked by the Tividale wall, Ty Sanusi is the first to react and his cross across the box finds Hayden but again Hawkes is out to him and blocks.

Half Time Tividale 0-1 Highgate United

For the second time in two games. From a Tividale corner the opposition clear and over run the Tividale defence. On this occasion though Hawkes again comes to the rescue denying Sanusi. On 52 minutes Higgs saw his header from a Derrick cross parried away by Brookes and a minute layer Delaney heads over a Mendez cross.

On 71 minutes came the Tividale equaliser. Highgate’s Hayden tries to run with the ball but Higgs tracks back and disposes him. He in turn finds Delaney and his cross is taken down beautifully by Tividale substitute TJ Davies in the area. His second touch is to lay off the ball into the path of Sangha who rifled the ball past Brookes and into the back of the net. I don’t think I can the team give the goal justice (so click here and have a look for yourself)

Tividale continued to press for a winner and on 77 minutes a neat ball in from Mendez to TJ Davies but after stretching for the initial ball he could not get his shot off and Brookes raced off his line to clear the ball. in the 82 minute Bratt-Wyton went close with an effort that was deflected for a corner. Highgate themselves had chances in the closing moments as substitute Randy Osei tried his luck from range but Hawkes watched it go sailing over his crossbar. A Sangha free kick as the game moved into injury time gave the home side the cance to take all three points but he put it wide.

Full Time Tividale 1-1 Highgate United

Tividale:- 1. Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann, 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton, 4. Jordan Sangha, 5. Callum Lloyd, 6. Harry Higginson, 7. Ethan Delaney , 8. Lewis Derrick (15. TJ Davies 72) , 9. Ryan Piggott, 10. Alfie Higgs, 11. Mario Mendez (16. Michael Agyemang 71)

Unused Subs:- 17. Nashawn Blake