Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 13th August 2024
Tividale 1-0 Romulus

Tividale off the Mark

Although the weekends game ended in defeat against one of the title favourites. Phil and his management team were far from disappointed with the effort that the lads put in and they were rewarded with a home win three days later.

Tividale went into the game with a couple of changes. Matt Holland replaced the unavailable Mohammed Sahil Sajad and Mario Mendez came in for Aon Mohammed Abbas.

The first 20 minutes were fairly uneventful with the home having the majority of the possession but without causing the Romulus defence any real problems. Yet it was the visitors who had the first real chance when Max McNulty seemed to be taken by surprise when the ball fell at his feet in the 21st minute but he stabbed the ball wide from 8 yards. Four minutes later and Romulus were in again. This time a under hit back pass from Holland left keeper Ethan Hawkes stranded with Reece Nunn one on one with him but he blocked the forwards shot and cleared.

Romulus were now right into the game and again should have done better on the half hour when Jeval Thompson-McKenzie shot wide and then on 41 minutes after a mazy run from Zak Mackenzie he tried to play in McNulty but the pass was wayward. A minute later, Mackenzie pounced on another poor Tividale defensive pass but again Hawkes was alert to the danger and foiled the attacker with a great tackle and cleared the ball.

Half Time: Tividale 0-0 Romulus

Romulus started the half as they ended the first creating the better of the chances the best being McNulty heading against the bar from a corner after a couple of minutes of the half. It was 55 minutes before Tividale threatened again when a neat Mendez pass found Alfie Higgs but his shot was deflected wide.

It was now Tividale’s turn to go on the front foot and on the hour, Higgs had a glorious chance but he put his shot wide. On 63 minutes came the move of the game. Tremendous one touch passing between Higgs, Michael Agyemang and Ryan Piggott, but the Piggott lifted his shot over the bar.

While Tividale were on top it felt that they had to score as the game may swing again in the visitors favour and on 67 minutes they obliged. A Jordan Sangha corner was cleared back out to him. This time he whipped the ball across the face of the goal and there was Higgs to head home giving his name sake, keeper Jack Higgs no chance. Ethan Delaney tried an audacious effort on 72 minutes from a good 40 yards in an attempt to catch the keeper off his line  but it went wide and then in injury time Brandon Mossini hit a screamer that rattled the bar.

Tividale saw out the final few minutes with good game management and in the end, it was a very good win.

Full Time: Tividale 1-0 Romulus

Tividale:- 1. Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann (12. Brandon Mossini 75), 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton, 4. Jordan Sangha 5. Matt Holland, 6. Harry Higginson, 7. Ethan Delaney, 8. Eddie Rann (16. Vishav Kumar 88), 9. Ryan Piggott , 10. Alfie Higgs, 11. Mario Mendez (14. Michael Agyemang 63)

Unused Subs:- 15. Aon Mohammed Abbas, 17. Lewis Derrick

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 10th August 2024
Shifnal Town 3-0 Tividale

Tough start to the league campaign

So, time for a new season and a new look Tividale squad now under the leadership of Phil Rann travelled to Shifnal Town for the opening league game of the season.

With Jamie Hunt out injured after limping off with ligament damage in last week’s FA cup defeat at Brocton and Callum Lloyd serving a 3 match ban for his dismissal in the same game. The manager had to make a couple of changes bringing in new signings Jordan Sangha and Harry Higginson. He also dropped young Brandon Mossini to the bench and brought in Ethan Delaney to the starting line-up.

The first chance of the came after 3 minutes when Shifnal were awarded a freekick right on the edge of the box on the left hand side, when Tividale keeper Ethan Hawk was judged to have handled the ball outside of his box. The freekick took a  nick off the wall and the Hawk was able to push it up into the air and then gather it at the second attempt.

Tividale’s first effort came 2 minutes later when Jordan Sangha spotted the Shifnal keeper George Scott off his line and tried his luck from just inside the Shifnal half. It was a good effort which went just over the bar. On 10 minutes a Shifnal through ball put Goodluck Eke in one on one who forced a good save from Hawk. Initially the ball bounced kindly for the forward who with the entire goal in front of him and practically on the goal line somehow managed to put the ball wide of the goal.

Tividale won the ball on the halfway line on 15 minutes a through ball then put Ethan Delaney in on goal but a brilliant challenge from the recovering defender just as he was about to hit the ball ended the attack. 3 minutes later the Shifnal keeper Scott had his clearance blocked the ball was played out to the Tividale’s Delaney who cut inside and hit a weak effort with his left foot which was comfortable for Scott. On 24 minutes Tividale were struggling to clear their lines and the ball broke for a Shifnal midfielder about 35 yards out who hit a powerful shot which was well held by the Hawk. A minute later Tividale had a freekick on the right which was swung into the box and caused complete chaos after a bit of penalty box pinball the ball was eventually cleared for a Tividale throw. Shifnal took the lead on 35 minutes Joe Cuff with a freekick from 25 yards which he bent low around the Tividale wall and into the bottom corner. Shifnal doubled their lead 5 minutes later when an attempted clearance by Mohammed Sahil Sajad bounced off Eke and the spin of the ball was kind to the striker who rolled the ball into an empty net.

Half Time: Shifnal Town 2-0 Tividale

The second half started as the first finished, with Tividale struggling to clear their lines and the ball breaking to Kevin Monteiro who rifled the ball past the Hawk to put Shifnal 3 up on 48 minutes. The game then settled into a rhythm of Shifnal being comfortable and not taking any risks as they didn’t need to, with the visitors huffing and puffing but not getting much to show for it.

The next chance of any note came on 82 minutes when Tividale skipper Samuel Bratt-Wyton hit a dipping effort which went just over the Shifnal bar. 2 minutes later Shifnal played a ball over the top for Joe Cuff to chase he got there first but could get the ball past the onrushing Hawk who came put to meet him who blocked Cuffs attempt to knock the ball past him before clearing the ball up field.

Full Time: Shifnal Town 3-0 Tividale

Plenty of positives for Tividale to take from the game who created a few chances of their own in the first half, they just need to be a bit more decisive in the final third.

Tividale:- 1. Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann, 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton, 4. Jordan Sangha 5. Mohammed Sahil, 6. Harry Higginson, 7. Ethan Delaney (15. Michael Agyemang 74), 8. Eddie Rann, 9. Ryan Piggott (16. Tyrese Segree ), 10. Alfie Higgs (17. Lewis Derrick 65), 11. Aon Mohammed Abbas (14. Mario Mendez 52).

Unused Subs:- 12. Brandon Mossini.