Midland Football League
Tuesday 27th September 2022
Tividale 1-5 Highgate United

High Five for The Gate

 There is a well-known saying that “we did not see that coming”. Even during the first quarter of this game nobody expected what the last 22 minutes of the half would bring. Take nothing away from Highgate, but as good as they were. Tividale in that second quarter of the game were woeful.

With Zac Kourouyianni out injured and Cameron East out with a long-term injury. Joe Burroughs was moved from his centre back position to right back with Brad Welding left back. Debutant Ryan Grant came into partner Louis Ezewele.

Jakob Burroughs returned from holiday and went straight into a midfield four alongside Taylor Townsend, Curtis Cocking and Jamie Hunt. With Dan Smith and Alex Cameron starting up front. In what was a 4-4-2 formation.

The first few minutes were a quiet affair with neither side creating a clear-cut chance. The first decent chance fell to the home side on 6 minutes. From a free kick the ball takes a couple of deflection and looped safely into the arms of Highgate keeper Ben Maxwell. Then on 11 minutes came Highgate’s first goal threat. A cross from Charlie Shaw was met on the volley by Connor Mooney but he could not hit the target.

On 17 minutes Tividale will wonder how they where not ahead when Smith fires in a low cross that hit’s a Highgate defender and the ball cannons off his own crossbar. There then follows a bit of pandemonium in the box with both Townsend and Cocking both failing to get a shot on target.

Highgate then get a flurry of corners and in the 23^rd minute Jack Till has too much room and he makes no mistake hitting it on the volley and firing Highgate into the lead. Two minutes later and Highgate keeper Maxwell is in the right place at the right time as a Welding long throw falls into his box and he scoops up the ball with no Tividale body in the vicinity.

Highgate doubled their advantage on the half hour when Hawk did well to block a fierce drive from Mooney, but Till was first to react and beat the keeper. Highgate where now rampant and Tividale give away a needless foul on 36 minutes. The ball is played into the box and Ryan Harkin can steer his header past Hawk for number 3.

Tividale are now at 6s and 7s in defence and it is no surprise when they concede a 4^th before half time. This time Highgate’s Shaw can run at the heart of the Tividale defence literally unchallenged before lashing the ball into the roof of the net.

Half Time Tividale 0-4 Highgate United

If we thought Highgate would take their foot off the gas in the second half, we were wrong because 10 minutes into the second period it was 5-0. Again, Hawk can only beat away a Mooney shot. Again, Tividale fail to clear their lines and Wilcock can clip the ball to the back post where Mooney is able to head home unchallenged, with the Tividale defence appealing in vain for an offside.

It was now looking like this could be a double figure defeat as Highgate kept up the pressure but in fairness to Tividale they encouraged each other on and off the field and you sensed they may be going down, but they are not throwing in the towel. Highgate on the other hand were still creating chances. But out of the blue the home side pulled a goal back. A Welding free kick was headed home by Smith for his 99^th Tividale goal.

In the 70^th minute another Harkin cross into the Tividale 6-yard box goes begging. Hawk then denies Mooney again with a good save in the 76^th minute.

For the last 15 minutes Highgate had most of the possession but the Tividale defence had by this time cleared their heads after the pre interval battering and saw the rest of the game out with no great scares.

Full Time Tividale 1-5 Highgate United 

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Joe Burroughs, 3. Brad Welding, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Louis Ezewele, 6. Ryan Grant, 7. Taylor Townsend, 8. Curtis Cocking (17. Ryan Snape 76), 9. Dan Smith (16. Tom Cottam 82), 10. Alex Cameron (15. Jack Downing 54), 12. Jamie Hunt (14. Jack Fletcher 54)

Unused Sub: 13. Roman Davies

 

 

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 20^th September 2022
Atherstone Town 3-2 Tividale

After back-to-back wins on the road against Racing Club Warwick and Romulus. The final part of trilogy moved onto Atherstone which again was going to be a toughie.

With Jason Wood unavailable Jamie Hunt came back into the side and young Ryan Snape came in for the even younger Jack Fletcher.

Atherstone started the game excellently, with Connor Gudger and Chris Cowley both forcing smart saves from Peter Hawk before the deadlock was eventually broken. Callum Carsley whipped a dangerous low ball in from the left, and Mitch Piggon was on hand to deftly flick the ball home.

After the goal, the Adders seemed to lift off the gas and let Tividale play their way back into the game. Tividale found themselves level when Brad Welding dispatched a brilliant free kick, despite the best efforts of Carl O’Neil.

Atherstone responded well to the goal, but the ball just wouldn’t drop in the right areas. Brady Middleton forced a save from the edge of the box, and the debuting Louis Baker was lively throughout, but sides would go in level at the break.

Half Time: Atherstone Town 1-1 Tividale

Tividale started the second half fast and caught the Adders cold to take the lead. A fast move down the left-hand side eventually saw Dan Smith find Taylor Townsend who slotted home.

Stunned by the visitors quick start, the Adders once again set about working their way back into a game. Ten minutes later they were level again, as another cross form the left caused problems, this time finding Baker who marked his second debut with an excellent finish into the bottom corner.

The game was end to end following the second equaliser, with both teams testing each other defensive with long balls. It also threatened to start boiling over with some heavy challenges from both sides.

The Adders lead would be restored at the midway point of the half, as Piggon controlled a driven ball into the box, turned his man and finished calmly low to Hawk’s left.

The rest of the game was seen out by a resilient Atherstone back line, dealing with a barrage of Tividale long balls to secure the 3 points.

Full Time: Atherstone Town 3-2 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Brad Welding, 4. Jamie Hunt, 5. Joe Burroughs, 6. Louis Ezewele, 7. Taylor Townsend, 8. Curtis Cocking, 9. Dan Smith (16. Alex Cameron 72), 10. Ryan Snape (15. Malcolm Melvin 74) 12. Jack Downing

 

 

 

 

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 17^th September 2022
Romulus 0-2 Tividale

A good win on the Roman Road

Tividale latest away trip was one to Castle Vale against Romulus. Unbelievably this was our 8th away fixture out of the 9 games we have played this season in all competitions and on Tuesday night we are at Atherstone Town., before we are back home if we can remember where it is it against, Abbey Hulston United in the Isuzu FA Vase

Manger Dave King was able to welcome back Jason Wood and Jamie Hunt from holiday’s. Wood going straight into the side and Hunt on the bench.

It was a good start to the game with both teams probing but unable to find any joy in the final third, the first opportunity going to Alex Cameron of Tividale after 16 minutes as the ball broke to him on the edge of the box and he hit a powerful effort just wide of the goal.

Tividale took the lead on 24 minutes when the ball was pulled back to Curtis Cocking on the edge of the box, who hit a first time shot into the far corner past the Romulus keeper.

Tividale had a chance to double their lead 3 minutes later when the ball fell to Alex Cameron, whose effort had more chance of derailing the next train that went past than beating the Romulus keeper. Romulus had a half chance on 29 minutes when the ball was flashed across the Tividale 6-yard box, no one was able to get on the end of it and it’s goes all the way through for a throw in.

Romulus went close on 39 minutes working the ball into the box from a freekick forcing Pete Hawk in the Tividale goal into an excellent double save to preserve the visitors lead. Romulus had another chance on 41 minutes as they worked the ball into the box and the Tividale defender threw himself in front of the shot to block it behind for a corner

Half Time Romulus 0-1 Tividale

A good half of football with both sides playing some good football, a strike of real quality the difference between the two sides at the break.

Romulus had a huge shout for a penalty 2 minutes into the second half, as the ball appeared to strike the arm of the Tividale player who blocked a Romulus shot on the edge of the box, the ref waves away the penalty appeals and points for a corner.

Romulus were asking for another penalty on 55 minutes as there was a coming together on the far side of the area, again the ref waved away the appeals and pointed for a goal kick.

Romulus went close to equalising in the 59th minute with a surging run into the box the shot wrong footed Pete Hawk who somehow managed to stick out his foot and scoop the ball over the bar for a corner.

Tividale doubled their lead on 73 minutes Dan Smith fresh off the bench out pacing and out muscling the Romulus defender saw his initial shot spilled by the keeper but he was the quickest to react and got to the rebound first put the ball into the back of the net.

With 10 minutes remaining Romulus were looking to apply pressure to Tividale and a shot was sent well over the goal. Dan Smith went close for Tividale again in the third minute of added time forcing the Romulus keeper into a good save to turn the ball around his post for a corner.

The final change of the game went to Romulus with a freekick in the 96th minute which beat the Tividale wall and it was Pete Hawks turn to palm the ball behind for a corner.

Full Time Romulus 0-2 Tividale 

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Brad Welding, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Joe Burroughs, 6. Louis Ezewele, 7. Taylor Townsend (16. Malcolm Melvin 87), 8. Curtis Cocking, 9. Alex Cameron (12. Dan Smith 65), 10. Jason Wood (14. Jamie Hunt 70) 11. Jack Downing (15 Jack Fletcher 66)

Unused Sub: None

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 13^th September 2022
Racing Club Warwick 1-2 Tividale

Tividale are back at the Racer’s

On the back of a great performance against Lichfield that resulted in us still coming away with nothing, we did not really want a two-week break. But with FA Cup weekend and the passing away of her Majesty the Queen there was nothing we could do about it.

The plus side to the break saw the return of many of the holiday makers, banned and some of the injured. There where returns to the starting line-up for Brad Welding and Taylor Townsend also, a debut for weekend signing Jack Downing. With Welding in at his customary left back Zac Kourouyianni switched too right back and young Cameron East dropped to the bench. Townsend and Downing were straight swaps for Ryan Snape and Dean Fisher.

The Racer’s definitely lived up their name in the opening salvo’s and created two great chances in the first 8 minutes. The first on 6 minutes after some great work by the Racers Dylan Parker played in Josh Parsons who in turn found Josh Steele down the Racer’s left and though his cross was met by Parker who started the move, but the forward could not get his shot on target. The second came 2 minutes later, again well worked this time by Sam Hancocks but this time Parker headed his cross headed wide. Tividale were in danger of being overrun down their right and the over worked Kourouyianni received a caution.

The visitors first sight of the Racer’s goal came in the 20^th minute with a Townsend corner that skipper Curtis Cocking headed wide. Tividale were still having trouble with down their right and across in the 26th minute was turned away for a corner by Louis Ezewele and the corner came to nothing.

There was now a period when Tividale were getting a foothold into the game and the game became a more open affair. But the Racers were still creating the better chances and in the 40^th minute a Josh Parsons free kick was somehow sent back over the visitors crossbar. Goalkeeper Hawk went up to punch it but it looked to come off a defender, anyway a corner was awarded.

Tividale’s best chance of the half came in the 42^nd minute, when Dan Smith pounced on a weak Racers pass but he could not steer his shot wide of Racer’s keeper Dan Crane. On the stroke of half time The Racer’s had one last chance. Right back Chris Mayuba cut in from the bye line, found Parker with a neat pass but the forward’s shot went straight into Hawk’s midriff.

Half Time: Racing Club Warwick 0-0 Tividale

After the lack of goals in the first half the second period soon burst into life. From a Downing ball across the Racers penalty area Kourouyianni just got in front of Racers defender Jamal Clarke and went down, with the referee pointing immediately to the spot. Smith stepped up to take it and Crane made a great stop but could not deny Smith with the rebound and Tividale were 1-0 up in the 50^th minute.

The home side were denied in the 58^th minute when a Clarke header was cleared off the line by Tividale’s Malcolm Melvin. But they levelled on 70 minutes with just lets say the 2^nd soft penalty of the game. Mayuba going down in the vicinity of Welding and Parsons made no mistake from the spot, sending Hawk the wrong way.

Tividale where back in front 5 minutes later when substitute Jack Fletcher headed on a loose ball into the path of Downing and the front runner calmly lofted the ball past Crane and into the net. Fellow substitute Alex Cameron could have put the game to bed in the 83^rd minute when he forced a Racer’s defensive mistake but he shot across the face of Crane’s goal.

The last few minutes and what seemed like endless injury time had the Racer’s pressing for the equalising goal but despite giving up a fair amount of possession Tividale held their nerve and picked up a valuable three points on the road.

Full Time: Racing Club Warwick 1-2 Tividale

Tividale: – 1. Peter Hawk, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Brad Welding (14. Cameron East 90), 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Joe Burroughs, 6. Louis Ezewele, 7. Taylor Townsend (15. Ryan Snape 87), 8. Curtis Cocking, 9. Dan Smith (12. Alex Cameron 72), 10. Jack Downing 11. Malcolm Melvin (17 Jack Fletcher 66)

Unused Sub: None