Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 25th November 2023
Stone Old Alleynians 2-2 Tividale

Could have, should have.

After an amazing 6 weeks gap since our previous Midland Football League Premier fixture, (the 4-1 defeat at Highgate United),.we returned back to league action. In that time, we have played 5 cup games winning them all, so confidence was high going up against a Stone Old Alleynians side sitting just outside the play off places. So, this was not going to be an easy afternoon in Staffordshire.

With the squad still struggling with injuries. manager Stuart How could only name four subs on the bench with Louis Connor, Zac Kourouyianni, Cain Smith, James Douglas, and Dominic Dell returning to the starting eleven.

Tividale were close to starting as they did on Tuesday night against Bewdley with a 2nd minute Taylor Townsend corner finding Joe Hawkins but this time the centre half headed over. In the 14th minute Stone’s Josh Sedgley hit a first time volley from the edge of the box after a Tividale clearance that went wide of the post. A Joe Baxter corner was met by Luke Askey, but his header was saved by Tividale keeper Connor.

In a period of end to end football after 24 minutes Douglas won the ball in the middle of the park and put through Dell, but he shot over the bar. Then a ball over the top catches out the Tividale defence but Jack Bowater fired over. Dell then blocked an attempted clearance from Stone keeper Raajan Gill and the ball landed at the feet of Cody Mullan, but his first time effort went wide of the relieved keepers post.

On 32 minutes Tividale took the lead when Townsend received a Callum Gillies pass cut in from the left and from 25 yards fired past Gill. Stone almost equalised two minutes later when a Bowater cross found William Lloyd, but his header was saved by Connor. As the game moved into first half injury time, Ewan Edwards did well to get his shot in from an acute angle, but Gill got down to save it.

Half time: Stone Old Alleynians 0-1 Tividale

The second half started as the first half went with action at both ends and an Edwards volley from a Townsend cross flashed wide. Then the impressive Jake Tomlinson found Sam Wilson, but he also failed to hit the target in the 49th minute,

Tividale doubled their lead in the 53rd minute when a Douglas cross field ball found Townsend and he lobs Gill. And they could have gone 3-0 up when another Douglas pass found Townsend and he in turn found Dell through on goal, but Gill was equal to his shot. Although Stone were now looking a lot more threatening the visitors were defending quite comfortably. and looking capable of adding to their score on the break. That was until the 68th minute when a mix up between Connor and Gillies resulted in Bowater nipping in poking the ball across the 6-yard box and Tomlinson tapping in from 3 yards.

5 minutes later and the scores were level In the 73rd minute, the Old Boys were on level terms. After some good work the ball was played into the Tividale box and despite a number of attempts to clear the ball, it fell to Wilson, who slotted the ball home.

On 78 minutes there was a major talking point. Up to this point there was only the two major decisions that the referee had to make. In the first half. First, he cautioned Tividale’s Edwards for diving in the penalty area and later in the half he cautioned Stone’s Tomlinson for the same thing.

This one however had everyone confused. Tividale moved the ball well and Cain bent a great shot into Gill’s bottom right hand corner from 15 yards. The goal was given and there was no flag. The referee then proceeded to go over to his assistant and after a conversation with him disallowed the goal (and despite a number of enquiries from our players and management staff no answer was forthcoming). Tividale were now incensed and on 80 minutes later Mullan was sin binned for dissent. Again, Mullan pleaded his innocence but again no explanation was given.

On 85 minutes a Sedgley cross was headed wide by Tomlinson. Tividale, despite being a man down until injury time stayed on the front foot and had chances but they couldn’t find a way past Gill.

So Tividale had to settle for a share of the spoils. With us still scratching our heads as to why Cain’s goal was disallowed. But credit to Stone they battled back from 2-0 down and maybe a couple of months ago would have been odds on to go on and win it.

Full time: Stone Old Alleynians 2-2 Tividale

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 7th October 2023
Shifnal Town 3-3 Tividale

Points shared in thriller

With our recent unpredictable performances, there was a sense of dread against one of the favourites for the league table. But typical of Tividale, this performance was a case of chalk and cheese compared to the awful performance and result less than 72 hours previously.

With no Cody Mullan, Zac Kourouyianni switched to right back and Tarryl Davis came in at centre back alongside Joe Burroughs. The other change was Max Morris coming in for Ryan Snape.

Tividale were immediately on the front foot and in the 2nd minute Max Morris played in Ewan Edwards, but Shifnal were able to clear their lines. A minute later and a Taylor Townsend corner came out to Tarryl Davis at the back post but he put the ball just wide.

It was the 14th minute before Shifnal started to get going and on 19 minutes Tividale failed to deal with an easy ball down the middle and in the confusion the ball took a wicked deflection that put the ball into the path of Joe Cuff who rounded Connor and scored.  Tividale hit straight back and a Townsend corner in the 37th minute flashed across the Shifnal box and Jakob Burroughs stabbed the ball home. A minute later and Connor produced a great save to deny Cuffy

Half Time:- Shifnal Town 1-1 Tividale

Cuff had the first chance of the half on 55 minutes when he’s free kick went just wide. Then on 60 minutes a great save from Connor denied Cuffy but Kieran Buckley on the follow up fires home. Five minutes later and it was just too easy for McNulty-Hartnett to work his way into a shooting position but but shoots wide.

On 75 minutes a Kourouyianni throw is cleared off line after causing chaos in the Shifnal defence. Obviously neither team realised that you cannot score from a free kick and it would have been better letting the ball go in the net.. On 78 minutes a Townsend corner was met by Davis but his shot crashed off the crossbar.

As the game moved into the last 10 minutes it looked as though Shifnal would take the three points and could have extended their lead on a couple of occasions first Buckley had a great chance but he fired his free kick over in the 83rd minute. Then a minute later Nelson was one on one with Connor but the keeper saved brilliantly. .

On 88 minutes the game was turned on his head, when a mix up in the heart of the Shifnal defence left substitute Ryan Snape one on one with Shifnal keeper Jaden Bevan and he slots the ball past him to equalise. Tividale were now laying siege to the Shifnal goal and on 91 minutes they went ahead. Again some great work again by Townsend and his cross is turned in by Snape at the near post.

One thing can be said about this game and it was that you could not take your eyes off it and on 92 minutes came the goal of the game and a strike that deserved something from the game in itself. Shifnal substitute Mikey Nelson hammers a shot from outside the Tividale area and Connor has no chance as it flies past him and in. Tividale still had a chance to win it in the 95th minute when a Snape free kick was met by Kourouyianni at the back post but he fired over the bar in what was the last piece of action in an action packed game.

Full Time:- Shifnal Town 3-3 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Callum Gillies (5. Kamol Campbell 73), 4. Jakob Burroughs, 6. Joe Burroughs, 7. Taylor Townsend, 9. Dominic Dell (10. Ryan Snape 62), 16. Max Morris, 17. Ewan Edwards, 18. Tarryl Davis, 19. Lewis Taylor Boyce (15. Callum Powell 83)

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Wednesday 2nd October 2023
Darlaston Town 6-1 Tividale

A horror show

After the superb performance against Uttoxeter on Saturday. Tividale were looking to follow it up in another tough game away at Darlaston Town. Unfortunately it was not to be.

Darlaston took the lead on 8 minutes. A Josh Jones corner was kept alive by Ben Podmore and Jack Downing both heading into the Tividale penalty area, the ball finding Bishop who swivelled to shoot home from 8 yards, Keeper Louis Connor flat footed as the ball found the bottom left hand corner.

On 21 minutes, Bishop added his second when a Tividale free kick was saved by keeper Jono Brown, Darlaston breaking quickly, Ryan Winwood’s superb defencing splitting pass setting Bishop free. Bishop beat his defender for pace before slotting home from 18 yards.

Bishop’s hat trick came on 35 minutes. Bishop took a Ben Podmore header in his stride , drove into the box and shot beyond keeper O’Connor to double his seasonal goal tally.

Darlaston had pretty much dominated most of the first half, Tividale restricted to long range efforts and free kicks into the penalty area,

Half Time:-Darlaston Town 3-0 Tividale

The home side started the second half, pretty much as they had finished the first half, pushing forward at every opportunity in an effort to add to their goal tally.

Tividale were on the back foot, Lewis Taylor Boyce seeing Red after picking up two yellow cards inside 3 minutes.

A short corner between Jack Downing and Lewis Gill, saw Gill’s cross into the box powerfully headed against the bar by skipper Alex Foreshaw. The rebound falling back to Foreshaw who shot home from 10 yards.

The fifth came on 81 minutes, Darlaston winning the ball in midfield, Winwood’s second defence splitting pass of the night sending Kieron Miller clear, the striker slotting home from 15 yards.

Darlaston added a sixth on two minutes into injury time substitute Jake Pearson breaking clear following Miller’s slide rule pass to score from 15 yards. Within a minute of the restart, following an excellent Tividale move, former Darlaston striker Dom Dell stole in at the back post to net a consolation goa for the visitors.

Full Time:-Darlaston Town 6-1 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Callum Gillies (5. Kamol Campbell 72), 4. Jakob Burroughs (15. Callum Powell 66), 6. Joe Burroughs (12. Elliot Sumnall 72), 7. Taylor Townsend, 9. Dominic Dell, 10. Ryan Snape (16. Max Morris 66), 14, Cody Mullan, 17. Ewan Edwards (18. Tarryl Davis 46) , 19. Lewis Taylor Boyce 

Unused Subs:- None