Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 7th February 2023
Tividale 2-2 AFC Wulfrunians

A goal and a deserved point.

Tividale ended their goal drought and actually got something their play has deserved in this pulsating 2-2 draw.

After Saturday’s disappointing display and result. Manager Dave King rang out the changes. In came the returning, Joe Hawkins and Jason Wood after his one game suspension, with Andre Robinson and Ryan Snape missing out. With Hawkins teaming up with Joe Burroughs at centre back. Zac Kourouyianni was moved to right back in place of Robinson. Woods and Snape were a straight swap.

The game started at a frightening pace with both teams on the front foot. Wulf’s had the first chance on 4 minutes. Tividale conceded a free on the edge of their box and possibly the one player keeper Peter Hawk did not want to stand over it was ex Tividale player Brad Welding, who the Tividale keeper has watched score quite a few of these on many occasions from the opposite end of the pitch. This time Welding beat Hawk with it but the ball cannoned off the cross bar.

A couple of minutes later and Dan Smith tested Wulf’s keeper Jake James with an effort. Jay Holdcroft then saw his header cleared by Hawkins. With both sides committed to attack the only thing the game had missing was a goal (Welding had an amazing four free kicks in the half and Tividale still kept a clean sheet)

On 32 minutes Tividale were adamant they had scored. A Smith effort crashed off the crossbar and down. Smith and many of the spectators were certain it had crossed the line, but the officials ruled that it had not.

Half Time :-Tividale 0-0 AFC Wulfrunians

Within the opening seconds of the second half  a great Tividale move ended with Smith just failing to convert the chance.

The Tividale defence had not put a foot wrong throughout the first half but 3 minutes into the second period Wulf’s Kai Adams was brought down by Joe Burroughs and the skipper  Jumaane Meggoe sent Hawk the wrong way from the spot.

Smith did brilliantly to find the by line in the 57^th minute and cut back a great ball but Khoshkhoo just could not reach it. Fletcher then tried his luck from range on 61 minutes but James did not have to move for it as it hit him in the midriff.

In the 65^th minute and after over 500 minutes of football. Tividale scored. After great work from Kourouyianni. James could only parry his shot into the path of Smith who fired home.

In the 68^th minute Meggoe was through and just as it looked like he only had Hawk to beat, across came Joe Burroughs with a brilliant tackle. A brave tackle that had he misplaced it, He would have conceded another penalty and definitely received a second yellow card.

Tividale were now the side looking to win the game and a superb David Solademi cross in the 70^th minute was met by Smith but his overhead kick flashed wide. Smith then laid on a glorious chance for Harry Lewis, but he blazed over the bar.

As the game moved into the closing stages and a 1-1 draw looked on the cards, In the 88^th minute Ryan Bright showed good feet on the right and crossed in to the middle where Aaron Bishop turned and stooped to head home.

After such a performance where Tividale gave everything it looked like it would end in heartache again with the home side getting nothing out of the game, but as the 90 minutes were up a deep free kick from Snape on the Tividale left was powerfully headed home by Kourouyianni to level the scores.

Tividale could have won it in injury time when Snape hit a volley from the edge of the box that flew over James’s bar.

Full Time :-Tividale 2-2 AFC Wulfrunians

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Kamol Campbell (16. David Solademi 55), 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Joe Hawkins, 6. Joe Burroughs, 17. Harry Lewis (12, Ryan Snape 78), 8. Jack Fletcher, 9. Dan Smith , 10. Jason Wood, 11. Arman Khoshkhoo.

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 4th February 2023
Tividale 0-1 Worcester City

Not the greatest.

In a game lacking any real action devoid of chances Tividale’s goal drought and of course their winless streak continued

With Jason Wood suspended and Malcolm Melvin unavailable, changes had to be made, Jack Fletcher was moved into midfield. So a debut was given to new signing former Alvechurch and Heather St John right back  Andre Robinson. Kamol Campbell came in at left back in place of David Solademi and Arman Khoshkhoo was also given a first start.

The first half started quite decently with both sides getting early chances. The first in the 5th minute from Worcester’s ex Tividale player Elliott Hartley but Tividale keeper Peter Hawk was equal to. Then on 9 minutes Tividale skipper Dan Smith played a neat ball behind the City back line for Khoshkhoo but City keeper Haydn Whitcombe just palmed the ball away before the winger could get his shot in.

The next chance came in the 17th minute when City skipper Aaron. Roberts broke clear from his marker at a corner and found himself alone 6 yards out to glance a header past Hawk. Tividale went close to hitting back immediately but Smith headed over a Ryan Snape free kick.

City where never really troubled after that in the half but they never really threatened the Tividale defence and when they did break through they rarely were worked Hawk with most of their efforts on goal going either high or wide. The best two came in the last 5 minutes of the half. In the 40th minute when after City’s Billy Shaw was given the ball by Tividale, he broke clear of the Tividale backline but one on one with Hawk his shot was well wide of the mark and a minute later he was much closer with a  first-time left-footed effort that was just wide of the mark.

Half Time :-Tividale 0-1 Worcester City

The second half was literally a non-entity. With neither side able to build any momentum and get hold of the game.

City looked the more likely to score. Reiss Taylor-Randle and Hartley both had efforts well saved by Peter Hawk. But the home side never really produced anything until deep into injury time when substitute Nashawn Blake found space in the City area but his header went well wide

Full Time :-Tividale 0-1 Worcester City

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Andre Robinson (12. David Solademi 65), 3. Kamol Campbell (14. Joe Hawkins 65), 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Zac Kourouyianni, 6. Joe Burroughs, 17. Ryan Snape , 8. Jack Fletcher, 9. Dan Smith , 10. Harry Lewis, 11. Arman Khoshkhoo (15. Nashawn Blake 65).

Subs: – 13. Louis Connor, 16. Ashley Oliver

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 31st January 2023
Stone Old Alleynians 1-0 Tividale

The goal woes continue.

Football is an easy game to understand. Your team puts the ball in the oppositions net more times than they put it in yours. Whatever happens in between matters but it’s the goals scored and conceded that count. At the moment we are doing great in two thirds of the pitch. but that final third is letting us down.

For possibly the first time this season Tividale were unchanged from the side that drew with Studley at the weekend and they soon set the pace and had the first decent chance when a Jason Wood free kick on 6 minutes cannoned off the wall and out for a corner. Within a couple of minutes Stone had a penalty appeal turned down for what looked like handball.

On 16 minutes Stone keeper Raajan Gill pulled off a fine save tipping over a Dan Smith shot after he had been put through by Malcolm Melvin. Tividale continued to threaten and on 24 minutes a Ryan Snape volley that Smith thought was going wide, and he tried to glance it home but only succeed in putting it over the bar.

In the 27th minute, Alleynians had their first real chance and should have scored when an excellent deep cross from Ryan Goodwin found striker Jack Tomlinson in acres of space at Tividale’s back post. Unfortunately for the hosts, Tomlinson could only place his shot wide. Sam Bowater then had an effort that lacked any pace and Peter Hawk saved comfortably.

Tividale continued to see most of the ball with the Old Boys defending resiliently on the edge of their penalty area. In the 38th minute, Stone managed a rare break into their opponents’ half with defender Ollie Davies getting a shot in from the edge of their penalty area, only to see it well saved by Hawks in the Tividale goal.

Tividale will feel that they should have broken the deadlock on 41 minutes when Smith pounced on a Stone mistake but his ball to Snape gave the youngster too much to do and he could only find the side netting

Half time: Stone Old Alleynians 0-0 Tividale

The second half saw Tividale having much of the play again but unable to take advantage of their supremacy in possession. Alleynians, once again, struggled to make any real headway against their visitors with chances few and far between. Five minutes into the half, home keeper Gill made a rare error when he was unable to gather the ball after a Smith shot but fortunately, defender Joe Baxter was on hand to clear the ball away from danger.

In the 55th minute, Stone’s Ollie Davies launched a long, high cross over to the right-hand side of the Tividale penalty area where he found Baxter, who had joined the attack. As the ball came down, Baxter positioned himself perfectly to slam the ball, from the edge of the Tividale area, past Hawks and into the back of the net..

Tividale continued to press forward, and a Melvin shot was deflected wide on 73 minutes. Three minutes alter and Tividale had a golden chance to draw level and end the goal drought when Smith was pushed over by Goodwin in the home box and a penalty was awarded. Melvin stepped up and took the kick, but his shot clipped the bar and went over.

In the 70th minute Arman Khoshkhoo played in Jakob Burroughs, but Gill was equal to it. Although Stone was determined to see the game out with their goal in tact they were still dangerous on the counter and In the 80th minute, good play by Alleynians set Baxter up with another opportunity for a shot at the Tividale goal. This time however it went wide.

With five minutes to go, Alleynians’ defender Goodwin missed a clearance to give the visitors a late chance to equalise, but Nashawn Blake could only shoot into the arms of Gill.

Full Time:- Stone Old Alleynians 1-0 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Jack Fletcher (15. Fortune Sibanda 93), 3. David Solademi, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Zac Kourouyianni, 6. Joe Burroughs, 17. Ryan Snape (12. Nashawn Blake 81), 8. Jason Wood, 9. Dan Smith (14. Arman Khoshkhoo 73), 10. Malcolm Melvin, 11. Harry Lewis.

Subs: – 13. Louis Connor, 16. Ashley Oliver

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 28th January 2023
Studley 0-0 Tividale
Studley Stalemate

An example of things to come at Tividale. In our last game, the 3-0 defeat at Stourport. The average age of Tividale’s starting 11 was 26. Three weeks later away at Studley, it was 22. Including two 18 year olds, three 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old in the match day squad.

With Taylor Townsend, Matt Hunt, Curtis Cocking and Jack Downing leaving the club (and we wish them all well in their new ventures) A major revamp of the squad was required and credit to Dave, Stuart, Rich, Gard’s and Wayne they took it as a challenge and identified young talent they felt they could work with and improve. So, arriving at The Beeches was midfielder Harry Lewis on loan from Stourbridge. Forwards Alfie Higgs and Arman Khoshkhoo from Gornal Athletic and Sporting Khalsa respectively and wide man Fortune Sibanda who was previously with Bromsgrove Sporting.

Tividale had the first decent chance of the game after 11 minutes when a Ryan Snape shot was blocked and rolled out for a Tividale corner, that came to nothing. 5 minutes later and Dan Smith just failed to get on the end of a David Solademi through ball and Studley defender Joe Hawkins got back to clear.

The home side had the chance of the game in the 22nd minute when a Sam Jackson cross was met by Sean Brown on the penalty spot and his half volley had goal written all over it but for an amazing save by Tividale keeper Peter Hawk.

Jakob Burroughs will feel he should have at least worked Studley keeper Brendan Bunn when he got up to a Harry Lewis cross but he headed wide.

Tividale had a number of chances in the closing minutes of the half with Bunn equal to a Dan Smith shot, parrying it over his bar. From the corner Ryan Snape saw his shot blocked and the ball fell to Jason Wood, but he also could not beat Bunn who turned it out for a corner in the last action of the half.

Half Time:-Studley 0-0 Tividale

Tividale had the first decent chance of the second period with a training ground move. Malcolm Melvin’s short corner to Snape on the edge of the box but he could not keep his shot down and it cleared the bar. Snape went even closer on the hour mark when he skimmed the cross bar after ghosting in at the back post. Studley striker Brain then had an effort that took a deflection that helped Hawk’s save very comfortable.

With 20 minutes to go Solademi again put in Smith but again the Tividale forward failed to get the ball under control and failed to get a off a shot. A minute later and Hill was through but again the Studley defence dealt with it. With 12 minutes to go Jakob Burroughs shot well wide.

As the game moved into the last 10 minutes Studley stepped up the pressure and Studley substitute Finn Newell nearly caught Hawk out with a cross come shot that he had to scramble back and touch over his cross bar.

Deep into injury time Tividale’s Wood received his second yellow card when he abruptly put an end to an attempted Studley counterattack with a foul known in the game as “taking one for the team”.

Studley had the last chance of the game when Liam Baker tried his luck from distance but again it never looked like troubling Hawk.

Full Time:- Studley 0-0 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Jack Fletcher (15. Fortune Sibanda 93), 3. David Solademi, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Zac Kourouyianni, 6. Joe Burroughs, 17. Ryan Snape (12. Nashawn Blake 81), 8. Jason Wood, 9. Dan Smith (14. Arman Khoshkhoo 73), 10. Malcolm Melvin, 11. Harry Lewis.

Subs: – 13. Louis Connor, 16. Ashley Oliver