Midland Football League Premier Division Monday 25th August 2025 Tividale 3-2 Brocton Badgers Culled Tividale came into this on the back of a disappointing showing against Stafford Town in the Isuzu FA Vase at the weekend. Manager Phil Rann knew that a display similar to Saturday’s could end up embarrassing against a side that beat us 4 times last season. Tividale switched to a back three with skipper Brad Maslen-Jones moving into a midfield role Brocton’s first attack came after just 30 seconds, Connor Haddaway’s cross being dropped by keeper Keiran Harrison before being gathered at the second attempt. Tividale’s first attempt came from Jack Storer, but his volley was just over Jack Sandel’s crossbar. Brocton went close to an opener in the 13th minute. Reg Smith and Charlie King combined before Reg Smith took aim and forced a superb save from Harrison. Three minutes later, Brad Maslen-Jones spotted Sandel off his line and tried to lob him from the half-way line, the ball drifting wide of the posts. Tividale took the lead in the 25th minute. A poor clearance from Sandel was picked up by Eddie Rann who fed the ball to Storer. Storer changed feet and with his right foot shot past Sandel. Brocton responded with two shots on target from Charlie King, Harrison equal to both. In the 29th minute Ezekiel Agyemang beat Kenny Devoir and forced a save from Sandel. Brocton’s best piece of football almost created a goal. Haddaway played a free kick into the path of Reg Smith, His low cross was meant for Blanchette, but Matt Holland kept him out with a fine defensive clearance. Brocton were level in the 35th minute. Jake Thomas and Haddaway combined and Haddaway’s near post cross was turned home by Blanchette. Brocton were now having more of the play. A free kick from Reg Smith was well saved low down by Harrison with Blanchette unable to reach the rebound. Tividale were a constant threat going forward. A free-kick from Maslen-Jones took a wicked deflection but Sandel changed direction to save. Brocton continued to search for goals with Thomas and Blanchette off target with shots. Three minutes into stoppage time, Jude King won the ball, found Reg Smith but he dragged his shot wide. Half-Time: Tividale 1 Brocton 1 Tividale regained the lead four minutes into the second half. Myles Durham played a free kick to the back post where the unmarked Holland volleyed home. It got worse for Brocton in the 55th minute. A corner was played into the feet of Storer. He took his time and shot through bodies and Sandel into the corner of the net. Thomas cleared the bar with another effort before Agyemang was sent through by Porter only to shoot wide. Brocton had a couple of chances first from Jude King who shot wide and then for Haddaway whose shot was punched clear by Harrison. In the 68th minute Tividale were reduced to ten men when Storer was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away. Two minutes later, Brocton reduced the deficit. Charlie played the ball to Reg Smith who played hit back to Charlie King. His finish was clinical and gave Brocton a real chance against the ten men. However, that wasn’t to be as Brocton failed to test Harrison at all. In fact, Tividale should have had a fourth when Callum North was sent clear. ran at Sandel and somehow put his shot wide.

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