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Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 3rd October 2020
Tividale 1-2 Romulus

Ref makes Rom’s day

Tividale lost all 3 points due to two unlucky pieces of play. One of which could not have been avoided but the other most definitely could have. With Jacob Barnes now fit. He came in for Freddie Watts as the only change to the side that won at Highgate in midweek.

Tividale again got off to a dream start when after just 5 minutes, Lewis McPike cashed in on a Romulus defender’s error, he rounded keeper Stuart Parsons and rolled the ball into an empty net.

For the next 30 minutes of the half Romulus had the majority of the possession but apart from a Chad Degville-Cross effort that cleared the Tividale bar, the home side were quite comfortable.

With the half petering out, the game burst into life with 10 minutes to the break.  On 35 minutes another Romulus error and Dan Smith was through onto Parsons, the keeper did well to block the shot but Will Rawlins couldn’t find the target with the rebound.

Tividale will wonder how they did not extend the lead after 38 minutes when Smith, Ryan Grosvenor and Tom Hurdman all had shots blocked as the ball pinged about like a pinball in the Romulus area but somehow the visitors cleared the ball and kept the deficit to one.

Romulus themselves had a couple of late chances, the first when Kieron Clarke played in Kory Burns but his shot was blocked. Then a minute later Callum Rudd brought an easy save out of Tividale keeper Adam Harrison.

Half Time: Tividale 1-0 Romulus

Tividale could have started the half with another goal. After 48 minutes Grosvenor broke forward but Parsons was equal to his shot with a very good save. Then on 50 minutes Romulus midfielder Brett Fellows produced a piece of magic on the edge of the Tividale box to make himself some space but dragged his shot wide. A minute later and Romulus was awarded a free kick. Up stepped Fellows but his kick crashed back off the Tividale crossbar.

Tividale then gave the ball away in the 55th minute to Clarke, who beat his marker but shot wide. The home side had another great chance to wrap things up in the 57th minute when Smith found Rawlins in space but the wingback screwed his shot wide.

There then came another period of Romulus possession but no real threat until the 78th minute. For some unimaginable reason, if the ball is smashed against your hand from 3 yards, the fact that it is attached to your body is all that is needed now to concede a penalty. TJ Munthali the unfortunate player and Clarke scored from the spot.

Romulus substitute Mark Williams had a shot palmed away by Harrison in the 88th minute and from the resulting corner Degville-Cross’s shot was blocked by the keeper.

With the game looking to head for a draw, a Williams shot heading straight to Harrison was deflected by a Tividale defender and into the net leaving the keeper with no chance.

In the end you don’t always get what you deserve and this was one of those games.

Full Time: Tividale 1-2 Romulus

 

 

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 29th September 2020
Highgate United 2-4 Tividale
Tividale hit the High’s

After a month in which we played a total of 9 games. Tividale ended September how they started it with an away win.

After two days of correspondents between Kevin Preece at Worcester City, The MFA and the FA (and we would like to thank them all for their help) we registered Worcester City defender Joe Hawkins on loan just before the deadline for this game.

With Jacob Barnes, Colum Nugent and Dan Bryson all out injured and Freddie Watts playing with an injury leaving us with just skipper Matt Hunt as the only fit centre back, the addition of Hawkins was vital.

With Brad Welding unavailable, young Will Rawlins switched to left wing back and Tom Hurdman moved to his familiar right wing back position with Hawkins replacing him in the back three.

Tividale got off to a dream start when Hurdman delivered a cross from the right and Dan Smith rose unchallenged to head home after just 2 minutes. Highgate’s Alex Price had a couple of decent chances to level the score. First in the 8th minute when his shot was parried by Adam Harrison and cleared and then 3 minutes later when he headed a free kick wide.

The hosts were now having the majority of the possession but were unable to get a breakthrough against a well-disciplined Tividale defence and when they did find a way keeper Harrison was there.

Tividale could have punished them and extended the lead when Smith’s cushioned header from a Ryan Grosvenor’s corner cleared the bar. Highgate went even closer on 40 minutes when a Price free kick went behind off the base of the post. Then a couple of minutes later Romario Martin had a shot saved by Harrison.

Half Time: Highgate United 0-1 Tividale

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 26th September 2020
Coventry United 3-2 Tividale
Good Josh double sink Tivi

A trip to Coventry United is no easy awayday but again Tividale leave with a bagful of “if only’s” Once again manager Dave King can be proud of his team’s performance but has to be gutted with the result.

With the 2 matches a week workload catching up on the squad. Will Rawlins, Freddie Watts, Lewis McPike and Ryan Grosvenor returned in place of Joe Burroughs, Colum Nugent, Liam Wilkinson and Elliott Hartley from the side that played Nantwich on Tuesday night.

Tividale were quickly into their stride and in the 2nd minute Luke Carter had the first strike on goal but United keeper Reece Francis held it comfortably. But on 6 minutes they were ahead Dan Smith did well to hold off his marker, laid the ball into McPike who rolled the ball into the net.

In the 12th minute, Brad Welding then pounced on a misplaced pass drove forward but then fired a shot straight at Francis. Straight from Francis’s save United countered with their first attack. Kyle Carey racing into the Tividale penalty area before firing his shot against the outside of Adam Harrison’s post.

As Tividale pushed forward Welding had a free kick on the edge of the United area but again it went straight into Francis’s midriff.

On 22 minutes Francis produced a save that I doubt will be bettered in this league this season. Once again Smith held the ball up well on the right side of the United area and made space to get his shot off. There only seemed one place that he could aim for that was across Francis and into the far corner. Instead with Francis going one way, Smith hooked the ball toward his near top corner. With it looking a certain goal Francis somehow switched his weight to his other foot and pawed the ball away.

The save stirred the whole United side and on 33 minutes they were level. What looked a harsh free kick conceded by Tividale on the edge of their area. Up stepped United’s Josh O’Grady and he fired the free kick into the back of the Tividale net. On 40 minutes with their tales up Carey saw his shot beat away by Harrison.

Grosvenor then went close, his shot beating Francis but defender Lewis Isun cleared off the line. Francis then pulled off another brilliant save parrying away a Grosvenor effort. While at the other end first Carey was denied again by Harrison before the loose ball fell to O’Grady who volleyed just wide.

Half Time: Coventry United 1-1 Tividale

With just 3 minutes into the half Harrison had to scoop away a dangerous Carey cross and Tividale immediately countered with Grosvenor producing another Francis save.

This was now end to end stuff and United’s Chris Cox then brought a save from Harrison with 55 minutes on the clock. Two minutes later and Harrison turned a Carey effort away for a corner . From the corner Rawlins cleared an Isun header off the line.

On 65 minutes came possibly the second best save you will see all season. Carey collected a pass on the edge of the “D” and his shot was arrowing for the back of the net before Harrison touched it over. But the referee gave a goal kick to the astonishment of everyone in the stadium.

On 70 minutes the visitors had a great chance to retake the lead. A Welding free kick was met by Matt Hunt but his header was well saved by Francis

Two minutes later came O’Grady and United’s second. Tividale failed to clear and the home side won the ball back, the ball was worked inside to O’Grady and from 25 yards his shot beat Harrison.

Tividale kept battling away and on 88 minutes they had great chance to level the scores. Smith played in substitute Jack Bailey but again his turn and shot went straight at Francis. In the 90th minute United extended their lead. Welding failed to cut out a Carey pass to United substitute Rio Hutson, leaving Hutson one on one with Harrison and he beat the keeper at his near post.

In injury time to Tividale were awarded a penalty when Smith was brought down by United skipper Michael Quirke and Carter sent Francis the wrong way making it an uneasy couple of minutes for the home side. But they held out and took the 3 points.

 

Full Time: Coventry United 3-2 Tividale

 

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Emirates FA Cup

1st Qualifying Round
Tuesday 22nd September 2020
Tividale 2-4 Nantwich Town

Nantwich end the Tividale run

Tividale entertained level 3 side Nantwich Town and although second best for the majority of the game showed their fighting spirit with 2 late goals.

Manager Dave King went with the same side that did so well in Saturdays defeat at Newark.

Nantwich started well and where 1-0 up inside three minutes. When Callum Saunders was adjudged to have been brought down by Tividale keeper Adam Harrison and were awarded a penalty. It was Saunders who got up to take it himself and fired the spot-kick down the middle.

Harrison then had to make a double save first denying Jamie Lawrie and then Saunders. But could do nothing about Nantwich’s second on 20 minutes. Saunders crossing for Joe Malkin to head in from point blank range.

Saunders will feel that he should have put the visitors 3-0 up when just before the break he found himself through on goal, he rounds Harrison but his shot was cleared off the line.

Tividale had little to show for their first half endeavours and Nantwich keeper Greg Hall was a mere spectator.

Half Time: Tividale 0-2 Nantwich Town

Nantwich again scored an early goal when on 49 minutes a Mike Koral cross was laid back by Saunders for Malkin to get his second and the Dabbers third.

Harrison turned a Malkin shot round the post as he loomed in on his hat trick. But again, he was helpless as The Dabbers got their 4th on 64 minutes when Saunders headed home from a Sean Cooke corner.

Tividale’s first real threat on goal produced a goal when a 67th minute Lewis McPike corner was headed home at the near post by Elliott Hartley.

Then on 80 minutes it was Curtis Cocking who cashed in on another Tividale corner flickingthe ball past Hall, giving the home side a glimpse of an amazing comeback.

With Tividale now pushing men forward Joe Mwasile had a great chance to make it 5 for The Dabbers, when after going through with just Harrison to beat. He blasted over the crossbar.

It could have been even nervier for the visitors if Colum Nugent had put away a great chance in the 89th minute but he failed to hit the target. So in the end, it was Nantwich who go into the next round.

Full Time: Tividale 2-4 Nantwich Town