Midland Football League
Premier Division
Tuesday 4th March 2025
Whitchurch Alport 4-2 Tividale

Just short on the night

Tividale took the tough trek (in more ways than one) on a dark Tuesday night to Whitchurch Alport. On Saturday, our host’s had just been edged out in the Quarter Final of the FA Vase by an injury time winner. So, we was not sure what to expect. A side deflated from the weekends defeat or one that was going to show the form that got them to the last eight of a national competition. After 25 minutes there was no doubt which side had turned up.

For the third game in a row, Tividale manager Phil Rann was able to pick the same starting line up and the same bench. And although the home side were literally untouchable in those opening minutes it was a deflection that put them ahead after 3 minutes. A free kick on the edge of the Tividale box and Jack Loughran stepped up and his deflected shot gave Ethan Hawkes no chance. Three minutes later and Loughran tried his luck from distance but this time Hawkes was equal to.

Tividale had a chance on 7 minutes when a Jordon Sangha strike was palmed clear by Alport keeper Eric Merner, but that was just a slight break in the Alport wave of attacks and they increased their lead in the 20th minute with Ellis Turner firing home after a great team passing move. It should have been 3-0 three minutes later when a Callum Parker shot was blocked by Hawkes and the ball fell at the feet of Callum Knowles but he blazed over the bar with Hawkes beaten.

Tividale started to get into the game and a Sangha shot was deflected for a corner on the half hour. Seven minutes later and the visitors pulled one back. A Jason Wood free kick was glanced home by Alfie Higgs. The rest of the half was fairly even as Tividale had drawn the sting from Alport and found that they were able to get at them.

Half Time:- Whitchurch Alport 2-1 Tividale

Loughran had the first chance of the second half on 54 minutes when Alport were awarded a free kick from about the same distance as his goal in the first half but this effort cleared the crossbar.

The home side restored their two goal lead in the 58th minute when a ball out to Parker (who looked for all the world offside) who in turn crossed to Bower, who fired past Hawkes. Another Loughran free kick on 67 minutes was met by Alport defender Lewis Brown, but his header was blocked by Hawkes and from the corner Roman Allen headed over.

Tividale cut the deficit to one again in the 74th minute when another Wood free kick was this time met with a thumping Agyemang free header that gave Merner no chance. Hawkes then pulled off the save of the game on 78 minutes to deny Adam Hailes with a header at point blank range from a Loughran corner.

With Tividale pressing for the equaliser they were always short at the back and the home side had a couple of chances to get a 4th when outnumbering the Tividale defence but were unable to find the target until the 96th minute when substitute Sam Flory sent fellow sub Ollie Holden away and he finishes with a lovely solo goal.

A great effort against a very good side that would be there or there about without that brilliant FA Vase run. But if they keep this group of players, they will take some beating next season.

Full Time:- Whitchurch Alport 4-2 Tividale

Tividale:- 1.Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann (15. Myles Durham 84) , 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton (17. Aon Mohammed Abbas 79), 4. Jason Wood, 5. Callum Lloyd, 6 Matt Holland, 7. Jordon Sangha, 8. Eddie Rann (16. Nathan Guest 63), 9. Ezekiel Agyemang, 10. Alfie Higgs (12. Lewis Derrick 70) 11. Ethan Delaney (14. Ryan Piggott 67)

Unused Subs:– None

 

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 1st March 2025
Tividale 5-1 Wolverhampton Casuals

Back to Back Wins

After last Saturday’s away win at Highgate United. It was imperative that we did not throw    the great work away by dropping points at home today. While a draw would be painful but not quite the end of the world a defeat would be disastrous.

There was no issues with the line-up, as the same first eleven and substitutes were named.

The home sides nerves were settled within the first minute as Ezekiel Agyemang surged down the Tividale right picked out Jordon Sangha and his half volley flew past Casual’s keeper via the underside of the bar and in. Although it settled the home nerves Casuals were not going to roll over and immediately went for the equaliser with right back Phil McKerdy firing wide on 5 minutes.

Casuals were nearly two behind on the quarter hour when a mix up in their defence put Agyemang through one on one with Casuals keeper Bradley Clarkson, but the keeper blocked the forwards shot and put it behind for a corner that itself caused a mass scramble in the Casuals area but they cleared.

On 20 minutes came a great Casuals chance, when it was Tividale’s turn to give the ball away and ex Tividale wide man Jack Downing beat Ethan Hawkes with his shot but Tom Rann was on the line to clear. The errors continued and in the 24th minute Tividale cashed in on another one when a loose Casuals defensive pass fell to Sangha to fire home his and Tividale’s second.

It should have been 3-0 to the home side on the half hour when from a corner Matt Holland had his shot blocked on the line. But back came Casuals and Zak Poskitt tried his luck from distance on 34 minutes but it never troubled Hawkes. A minute before the half time break Casuals again had the chance to half the deficit when a Billy Corns cross was headed wide of Hawkes post by Charlie Swingwood

Half Time:- Tividale 2-0 Wolverhampton Casuals

Tividale started the second period as they started the first when a brilliant 49th minute cross field ball from Jason Wood was met on the half volley by Sangha and he hammered the ball past Clarkson and into the back of the net. The all action game continued with Agyemang unselfishly picking out Alfie Higgs in the 53rd minute but his shot was blocked by Clarkson. The ball immediately went straight down the other end and Hawkes had to get down sharpish to deny the dangerous Downing.

Corns had his goal bound effort blocked by Tom Rann in the 56th minute and two minutes later Agyemang beat Clarkson with his shot but his effort came back off the post. Sangha was the first to react and he turned the ball to Higgs who side footed the ball home for Tividale’s 4th.

After a wave of substitutions, a lapse in the Tividale defence and a poor clearance on 71 minutes allowed Downing to hit a shot from the edge of the box that beat Hawkes and made it 4-1. 7 minutes later and Tividale regained their 4 goal lead when substitute Aon Mohammed Abbas left his full back for dead played in fellow sub Ryan Piggott and he in turn calmly turned his marker wrong footed Clarkson and passed the ball into an empty net.

Lewis Derrick nearly added to the scoring in the 87th minute but could not keep his shot down and in injury time Downing was again looking to get a consolation for the visitors but the Tividale defences never say die attitude was summed up when Callum Lloyd dived across him to block his shot.

In the end not only a very good win against a fellow struggler but the 8 goal swing in the goal difference was as good as another point.

Full Time:- Tividale 5-1 Wolverhampton Casuals

Tividale:- 1.Ethan Hawkes, 2. Tom Rann, 3. Sam Bratt-Wyton, 4. Jason Wood, 5. Callum Lloyd, 6 Matt Holland, 7. Jordon Sangha (15. Myles Durham 75) , 8. Eddie Rann (16. Lewis Derrick 66), 9. Ezekiel Agyemang (14. Nathan Guest 60) , 10. Alfie Higgs (17. Aon Mohammed Abbas 77) 11. Ethan Delaney (12. Ryan Piggott 60)

Unused Subs:– None