Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 9th August 2025
Tividale 1-1 Whitchurch Alport

All square in opener

Whitchurch built some momentum in the early stages of the first half and were taking the game to Tividale in the opening half an hour. The visitors were working the channels and putting dangerous crosses into the box to test the Tividale backline. They built up the play well and looked like a side in form inside the opening twenty minutes.

Tividale gradually grew into the match as the first half went on and were working hard off the ball to not allow any easy chances for the visitors. Bradley Maslen-Jones and Kyle Batchelor were reading the danger well at centre back and helped Tividale settle into the match.  They had an early half chance when Tom Cottam found some space down the left-hand side before having a shot comfortably saved by Jack Sheward in the 4th minute.

Whitchurch were pressing for an early goal at the other end and caused Tividale some problems. Theo Knight looked a threat down the right-hand side and was making things happen for the visitors yesterday. He found some space before crossing the ball to Adam Hailes at the back post who put his header over the bar in the 13th minute.

​The chances in front of goal were limited until the half hour mark when Whitchurch found the breakthrough to take the lead. Kyle Batchelor was dispossessed on the edge of the box with the ball being worked to Callum Parker who had just Kieran Harrison to beat. He calmly squared the ball to Adam Hailes who found the bottom right corner for 1-0 on 31 minutes.

Tividale showed character and responded well to going 1-0 down in the latter stages of the first half. They created some notable chances in the final ten minutes with the best one falling to Bradley Maslen-Jones in the box from a well worked corner. He found some space before having a shot well saved by Jack Sheward on 38 minutes. Whitchurch had a huge chance a few minutes later when Callum Parker broke free in the box and had a clear sight of goal. Bradley Maslen-Jones did well to block his shot to keep it at 1-0 going into half time.

Half Time-  Tividale 0-1 Whitchurch Alport

Whitchurch kept their momentum going in the early stages of the second half and had a good chance to make it 2-0. Theo Knight made a promising run down the left before playing a low ball across the box to Callum Parker. He made a good run at the back post but couldn’t quite connect with it on 46 minutes.
Tividale were working hard off the ball throughout the second half and built some momentum in the final thirty minutes in search of an equaliser.

Joe Fitzpatrick helped to break up the play from holding midfield to give them more of a foothold and did a good job of protecting the back four.

​Manager Phil Rann also made a clever tactical change which made them more of a threat up front. He bought on striker Isaac Phillips to play up front and moved Ezekiel Agyemang to the right hand-side to cause Whitchurch more problems at the back. They created a notable chance for an equaliser when Ezekiel Agyemang showed brilliant technique to get the ball down and lay it off to Isaac Phillips on the edge of the box. His strike was blocked on the goal line by Freddie Bishton on 67 minutes.

Whitchurch still looked a threat at the other end and almost made it 2-0 when substitute Lewis Bloor put a header wide of the right-hand post on 72 minutes. Isaac Phillips was brilliant for Tividale yesterday and changed the momentum of the game in the second half. He played well as the target man up front and won a lot of headers to help them get up the pitch.

Tividale were pushing for an equaliser and found the breakthrough late on to make it 1-1. A well worked corner into the box found Bradley Maslen-Jones at the back post who made no mistake and fired into the bottom left corner in the 87th minute. Whitchurch had a chance for a late winner when Lewis Brown found some space before putting his header wide from a free kick delivered into the box. Tividale were able to see the match out in the closing stages for a huge momentum building result yesterday.

Full Time-  Tividale 1-1 Whitchurch Alport