Tividale FC

Report

Emirate Sponsored FA Cup

Extra Preliminary Round

 Saturday 5th August 2023

 Tividale 1-4 Rugby Borough

Tividale Fall at the First Hurdle

Tividale started their new campaign with a home, Emirate Sponsored FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie against Rugby Borough FC.

With Stuart How now in the manager’s hot seat, a re-formed back room staff and the squad formed after the usual arrivals, departures and retained players. On the back of a pre season that posed more questions than answers, we went into the new season with the usual optimism and after 20 minutes it was looking good, but then the wheels literally fell off.

The following match report is courtesy of The Footie Post.

It was almost a dream start for Rugby Borough as in the first minute a ball over the top was misjudged, by Tarryl Davis putting Rugby striker Jim Smith in on goal, fortunately for Tividale Davis recovered well and got back to put the ball behind for a corner.

Tividale thought they had taken the lead after 4 minutes when Arman Khoshkhoo turned home a Taylor Townsend cross, however, the goal was ruled out for offside. The game then went into a period of the two teams figuring each other out, Rugby went close on 14 minutes with a shot going just wide of the Tividale post.

The first goal came on 17 minutes as Tividale worked the ball forward before pulling it back to Dom Dell, who found the bottom corner of the Rugby goal, putting the host 1 up. This goal just sprang Rugby Borough to life more than anything else, as they ramped up the pressure and began to take control of the game.

3 minutes later a Halim Halim shot from the edge of the box left Louis Connor rooted to the spot as it came off the inside of the post and Connor was able to push it away to the edge of the box before the Tividale defence cleared the ball away.

Rugby had a freekick on 24 minutes, which was crossed into the box, and a header was flicked just wide of the post by defender Max Proudlock. Rugby again went close from a corner on 28 minutes as the initial cross was headed into the ground and Lockley with his back to goal could only help the ball over the bar. Rugby went close again from a corner on 34 minutes. This time, a short corner was then crossed to the back post where the ball was headed straight at Louis Connor. Rugby went even closer on 38 minutes, Smith working the ball into the Tividale box before forcing Louis Connor into a smart save low down to his right.

Rugby Borough did get their first ever FA Cup goal right on 45 minutes, with a ball played into the box Smith got a touch but it took a deflection off a defenders past a helpless Connor into the corner of the Tividale net.

Rugby scored again 3 minutes into first half stoppage time when a low cross came in from the right and Dan Childs lifted the ball over Louis Connor and into the far corner, again leaving Connor with no chance.

Half Time Tividale 1-2 Rugby Borough

It was an even contest for the opening 20 minutes with both teams battling and competing. Once Tividale took the lead, Rugby Borough took complete control of the game and ate fully deserving of their lead at the break. And the home side are lucky to only be one behind and needed to find something for the second half.

The second half started how the first ended with Rugby Borough finding the back of the net on 48 limited to extend their lead as a Gerard McGahey shot from the edge of the box was rifled past Connor who again could do nothing to keep the effort out. Rugby then took complete control of the game, and it was played at their pace and tempo.

Tividale went close on 62 minutes when out of nothing, Dom Dell unleashed an effort from outside the box, which forced Rugby keeper Jake Bull into a good save to turn the effort around his post. Another Tividale defensive error in which they gave the ball away on the halfway line on 71 minutes, in which it left Rugby 2 on 1 and Smith slide the ball past Connor to seal the tie and make it 4-1 to the visitors.

Ewan Edwards got in behind the Rugby defence for Tividale 5 minutes later. However, the defender was able to recover well and put the ball behind for a corner. Rugby had a chance to extend their lead 5 minutes from time to time when Adam Shaw beat the offside trap, but somehow, he missed the target and failed to extend their lead. The final chance of the game went to Tividale on the 3rd minute of stoppage time as the ball was pulled back from the byline, and an effort was sent goalwards by substitute Ryan Snape, which Bull saved well with his feet.

Full Time Tividale 1-4 Rugby Borough

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Callum Gillies, 6. Joe Burroughs, 7. Taylor Townsend, 8. Jason Wood, 9. Dominic Dell (10. Ryan Snape 79), 11. Arman Khoshkhoo (19. Lewis Taylor Boyce 66) 14. Cody Mullan, 17. Ewan Edwards, 18. Taryll Davis (12. Elliot Sumnall 59)

Unused Subs:- 4, Danny Cartwright, 5. Kamol Campbell, 15. Marcus Beckford, 16. Nashawn Blake.