Midland Football League
Premier Division
Monday 1st April 2024
Wolverhampton Casuals 0-1 Tividale

Nothing Casual with this win

Tividale gained their second win of 2024 with a hard fought but in the end just about deserved with a Lewis Wright injury time winner.

Young Joel Harrison became the 7th of the current youth team squad to make a first team appearance this season and he lined up alongside fellow youth team player Callum Powell in the line up.

The opening 5 minutes was pretty much the two teams finding out about each other, the first moment of any note came on 8 minutes when Callum Powell crossed the ball in from the right for Tividale the Ball came to Callum Gillies on the edge of the box who had a shot blocked, the ball went back out to the right where another cross was put in and Jack Till hit an overhead kick which had no power and was comfortable for the Cassies keeper. 5 minutes later Cassies went close when a miss hit cross landed behind the Tividale goal, Louis Connor never looked worried, but I can’t say the same for us standing down the other end of the pitch.

Cassies went close again on 17 minutes when they were awarded a freekick just outside the Tividale box, the ball was well hit by the Cassies number 7 but went just wide of the left post. Tividale played a ball over the top on 21 minutes and Joel Harrison got onto the end of it and lifted it over Stan Amos in the Cassies goal, but it landed wide of the goal. Tividale played another ball over the top 3 minutes later this time Jack Till was on the end of it who was one on one with Stan Amos who made a good save low down to his left he then forced Till wide who rolled it back to Callum Powell who also saw his shot saved by Amos this time the Cassies Keeper was able to hold on to it and end the attack.

On 38 minutes Cassies were asking for a freekick on the edge of the Tividale box however the ref waved away the appeals, it was too far for us to tell if it was a foul or not, Tividale then got the ball and hit another ball over the top which Jack Till got on the end of again he drove into the box before hitting a tame effort straight at Amos in the Cassies goal. Deep in first half stoppage time Callum Gillies hit a shot from 25 yards which forced Amos into another good save at his near post, this led to a couple of Tividale corners where they were able to apply pressure but were not able to breakthrough the Cassies defence.

Half Time Wolverhampton Casuals 0-0 Tividale

The opening 5 minutes of the second half were pretty identical to that of the first half with neither team creating anything, the first chance of the half coming on 51 minutes when Cassies hit a shot straight at Louis Connor in the Tivi goal. There then seemed to be a couple of minutes where the Cassies back line forgot how the offside rule works appealing for 2 or 3 Offsides however it was clear to us that at least 2 or 3 defenders were playing the Tividale forwards onside on each occasion.

On 55 minutes the Cassies defence were appealing for offside but again the assistants flag stayed down Tivi were then able to cross the ball from the left and the ball was put over the bar at the near post. It was then Tividale’s turn to be frustrated with the assistant referee on 59 minutes a quickly taken freekick to Jack Till who put the ball into the back of the net, but the flag was up for offside, although we weren’t quite level with it, I have to say it did look like Till had run past 2 defenders. Cassies then went down the other end and a ferocious effort from about 25 yards went just over the Tivi goal. The final 30 minutes of 90 were a hard fought battle with neither team really causing the other too much trouble, the defining moment of the game came 3 minutes into stoppage time, when Jack Till playing on one hamstring got onto the end of a ball in behind the Cassies defence he was completely isolated and out wide on right, he did well to hold it upland and wait for support Till timed his cross perfectly to meet the run of Lewis Wright from midfield who was able to send the ball past a helpless Amos in the Cassies goal and give Tividale a late lead.

Full Time Wolverhampton Casuals 0-1 Tividale

A close encounter just edged by Tividale who I think on the balance probably just deserved it on their first half performance, Cassies definitely had the best of the second half but like Tividale in the first half were unable to convert any of their chances. Late goals are becoming a regular occurrence in this fixture now with 3 of the last 4 games between the 2 sides being settled in added time.

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor, 3. Callum Gillies (12. Kamol Campbell 74), 4. Lewis Wright, 5. Joel Harrison (2. Zac Kourouyianni 74), 6. Joe Burroughs, 7. Craig Gregg (15. Louie Preston 69), 8. Max Morris, 9. Jack Till, 11. Callum Powell (10. Nashawn Blake 63), 14. Tom Cole, 16. Jack Pearlman 

Unused Sub :- 13. Roman Davies

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 23rd March 2024
Tividale 1-3 Lichfield City

Much Better

After the horrible midweek showing. It was felt all around the club that the lad’s owed the management, volunteers and supporters a performance. Unfortunately it was against the Lichfield City, leagues top scorers and tightest defence. And to give them even more incentive, they had a chance to go top of the league.

Manager Stuart Hale made just the three changes from the midweek loss. Lewis Wright, Callum Gillies and Craig Gregg replacing Kamol Campbell, tarryl Davis and Nashawn Blake.

The three lads that were put on the bench could feel that they were unfortunate, as any of Tuesday’s starting eleven could have been replaced.

Match Report Courtesy of Lichfield City FC

Callum Griffin had the first chance of note in the game as his strike from distance cleared the bar.

But Tividale upset the odds when a long ball over the top saw Taylor-Boyce beat City keeper James Beeson to the bounce to find the net

Lichfield went close to levelling the scores when Joe Haines met an Edwards cross but the ball came back off the post.

The equaliser eventually came when McMenemey rose highest to head home an Edwards corner.

The leveller gave City the impetus to push on with Smith seeing a shot blocked and Haines forcing a save from home stopper Louis Connor.

Half Time:-Tividale 1-1 Lichfield City

It took just ten minutes of the second half for Lichfield to get in front as a neat move saw Brown’s shot saved, but Edwards was on hand to tuck away the rebound.

Tividale keeper Connor produced a fine save to tip over Demitri Brown’s header, but he could do nothing when McMenemey again got his head to a corner and nodded home to make it 3-1.

Griffin was next to test the home stopper before Lomas sent a low shot wide from distance.

Lichfield almost added a fourth late on when Haines raced on to an Edwards pass and dinked the ball over the keeper, but a defender was on hand to clear off the line.

Full Time:-Tividale 1-1 Lichfield City

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni (11. Callum Powell 71), 3. Callum Gillies, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Lewis Wright (14. Myles Durham 77), 6. Joe Burroughs, 7. Craig Gregg (12. Kamol Campbell 85), 8. Max Morris, 9. Jack Till, 16. Jack Pearlman (18. Tarryl Davis 63), 19. Lewis Taylor-Boyce

Unused Sub :-10. Nashawn Blake

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 19th March 2024
Tividale 0-4 Northwich Victoria

Embarrassing

In football, there are times that you feel that it cannot get any worse. Well tonight we hit rock bottom. You can put many things on the management team but a complete lack of effort is unacceptable at any level and that is down to the players on the pitch.

With a dwindling squad and the effort the previous Saturday, there was no reason for wholesale changes and so there was just the two. Kamol Campbell and Tarryl Davis, replacing Callum Gillies and Tom Cole respectively

Tividale could have been ahead after just 5 minutes when Nashawn Blake headed wide a Jack Till cross from about 4 yards out and that was as good as it got in the first half, because Northwich dominated the next 30 minutes.

The warning sign’s where there after 9 minutes when a Sam Unwin free kick skimmed Louis Connor’s cross bar and from then on it was just a mixture of poor decisions, lack of awareness and lack of effort and the inevitable goal came on 14 minutes when a left wing Marcus Perry cross picked out an unmarked Callum Parker in the penalty area and he planted his header past Connor and in the back of the net. On 17 minutes it was 2-0. A Parker cross was met by Unwin and his shot squirmed under Connor’s body and in.

Campbell tried his luck from distance in the 20th minute but it was never going to trouble Northwich keeper Adam Reid, and three minutes later it was 3-0 and the goal just about summed up Tividale’s performance. A complete c*ck up between Connor and skipper Zac Kourouyianni ended with a header from the defender looping over the keeper and into the net.

The only bonus for the rest of the half was that the home side did not concede because they never looked like threatening the visitors and the relief of the home support around the ground at half time was obvious.

The second half had to be better. We thought

Half Time:- Tividale 0-3 Northwich Victoria

The home side mad three changes at half time in an attempt to get back into the game. but the second half was again a non entity on Tividale’s part, and whilst Northwich rarely troubled the home side they in turn were never troubled and it was not until the 70th minute that there was a decent effort on goal and it brought Northwich’s 4th goal. A Dylan Switters shot was parried away by Connor straight into the path of Unwin to put the ball into an empty net.

What can only be seen as a mixture of frustration and ill discipline, Tividale were reduced to 9 men in the final 10 minutes. First Lewis Taylor-Boyce and Unwin were involved in a tussle that evolved into a bit of “to me to you”. This ended with the Tividale player raising his hands, Unwin becoming a sniper victim and the referee had no choice but to dismiss him.

Five minutes later and Jakob Burroughs was shown a straight red for a rash and unacceptable challenge on Unwin that the referee classed as serious foul play and again there can be no complaints regarding the red card. 

Full Time:- Tividale 0-4 Northwich Victoria

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni (3. Callum Gillies 46), 4. Jakob Burroughs, 6. Joe Burroughs, 8. Max Morris, 9. Jack Till, 10. Nashawn Blake (11. Callum Powell 67), 12. Kamol Campbell (14. Tom Cole 46), 16. Jack Pearlman 18. Tarryl Davis (7. Craig Greg 46), 19. Lewis Taylor-Boyce

Unused Sub :- 5. Lewis Wright