Midland Football League
Premier Division
Saturday 13th April 2024
Tividale 0-2 Shifnal Town

The unbeaten run ends.

Tividale were back in action just 48 hours after they kicked off against Stone Old Alleynians in their 0-0 draw and the strain of a long season was now showing as they struggled against a very good Shifnal side.

Once again manager Stuart How rang out the changes bringing into the starting line-up Callum Gillies, Lewis Wright, Joe Burroughs, Craig Gregg, and Callum Powell for Nashawn Blake, Ryan Snape, Kamol Campbell, , Jack Pearlman and Tarryl Davies.

Shifnal had the home side under pressure from the off and keeper Louis Connor had to make a number of saves in a first half assault and he made two great saves after just 4 minutes. A ball into the box is scrambled out to Brandon Tanomjit and his shot is parried away by Connor and half cleared by Kourouyianni but it fell to Shifnal skipper Joe Cuff but his shot was well saved by Connor. A minute later and Connor again was equal to a Tanomjit shot. Then he was out to deny Ash Fallon with his feet in the 6th minute but from the resulting throw in taken by Jamie Melbourne, the ball was nodded down by ex-Tividale striker Dominic Dell to Tanomjit who gave Connor no chance with a crisp shot into the bottom corner.

There looked no way that Tividale could relieve the pressure and it looked as though they were going to get a hammering as  Mikey Nelson shot wide in the 16th minute, But they slowly got a foothold in the middle of the park, and although they did not create much at least stemmed the constant Shifnal attacks and it was not until the 39th minute that Connor was called upon again, this time pushing a Cuff volley around the post for a corner. The resulting corner was met with a thumping header from Keefe Williams, but fortunately for Connor it went straight into his arms.

In the 41st minute and another corner to Shifnal, another unchallenged header and another save from Connor, this time denying Dell. Tividale did have the last attack of the half and it was a very good move, when Wright found Powell who in turn laid the ball off to Gillies but his shot lacked the power to trouble Yankuba Colley in the Shifnal goal.

Half Time:-Tividale 0-1 Shifnal Town

The second period started as the first ended with Tividale creating a decent chance, this time Powell forcing a save from Colley in the 46th minute. But it was normal service soon returned as Shifnal kept the pressure on. A Cuff shot was saved by Connor on 50 minutes and then a Melbourne cross was headed wide by Jordan Jones from the middle of the goal. Dell then did well to work an opening for himself in the 65th minute but put his shot wide.

5 minutes later and Shifnal doubled their lead with a deserved second goal. With the home side pushing forward for an equaliser Colley found Cuff with a long ball and he calmly lobbed the oncoming Connor.

The second goal literally ended the game as a contest as Tividale never posed much of a threat and Shifnal were quite happy to see the game out. They should have added a third at the death when Cuff and Lewis Jameson exchanged a one-two that cut through the home defence, but again Cuff failed to hit the target.

Full Time:-Tividale 0-2 Shifnal Town

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor, 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 3. Callum Gillies, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 5. Lewis Wright (12. Kamol Campbell72), 6. Joe Burroughs, 7. Craig Gregg, 8. Max Morris (9. Jack Till 56), 11. Callum Powell (10. Nashawn Blake 62) , 14. Tom Cole, 19. Lewis Taylor-Boyce

Unused Sub :- 13. Roman Davies 18. Tarryl Davies

Midland Football League
Premier Division
Thursday 11th April 2024
Tividale 0-0 Stone Old Alleynians

Stone Stalemate

Tividale were back at The Beeches for this game and despite a state of panic due to our game against Congleton Town being postponed on Tuesday 9th April.

While Congleton only had a chance of winning the league, all their games had to be played by Saturday 13th April. That meant we would have had to play them today. But Lichfield’s defeat on Tuesday night meant Congleton were crowned champions and their game against them was now a dead rubber and could now be played in a weeks time.

I hope you were able to follow all that.

Anyway onto the game. With a number of players returning from injury and suspension, manager Stuart How made a total of seven changes from the team that started against Highgate United including the three youth team players who had played so well when called upon.

In came goalkeeper Louis Connor for Roman Davies. Jakob Burroughs for Joel Harrison and Lewis Taylor-Boyce for Callum Powell. And the other changes were Callum Gillies, Lewis Wright, Craig Gregg and Joe Burroughs rested for Kamol Campbell, Jack Pearlman, Max Morris and Nashawn Blake

After a cagey start on 7 minutes Jakob Burroughs tried an insane effort from the centre spot that beat Stone keeper George Hill but the ball crashed off the crossbar and to safety. Stone’s first chance came in the 11th minute when Sam Bowater cut in from the left and shot wide.

The game never really sparked into life and the next chance fell to Stone’s Sam Wilson who headed an Ethan Newton Taylor cross into the arms of Connor. A long ball on the half hour saw Jack Bowater outpace the Tividale defence but he smashed the ball wide. Ryan Snape had Tividale’s next chance when his shot was deflected wide in the 35th minute.

On 36 minutes Tividale could have no complaints when Tarryl Davis brought down Wilson in the penalty area and referee Mr Lindsay pointed straight to the spot. Matt Thomas stepped up to take the spot kick and chose power, but Connor pulled off a fine block and the Tividale defence completed the clearance. Jack Bowater again did well up front on his own working himself into a shooting position but the shot lacked power and Connor saved comfortably.

Deep into first half injury time and Stone were nearly handed the lead. From a Tividale attack that broke down, Stone won the ball through Wilson and his pass set Jack Bowater free but again the striker failed to find the target.

Half Time:-Tividale 0-0 Stone Old Alleynians

The second half was an even cagier affair as both sides struggled to make clear cut chances and it was not until the 53rd minute when we had a string of chances, the first came when Stone’s Charlie Batho shot wide. A minute later it was Tividale’s turn from a Harrison free kick but Tom Cole also put his header wide. Then immediately after a Stone free kick forced another brilliant save from Connor turning the ball around the post for a corner.

Stone came even closer still on 74 minutes when after Davis was adjudged to have fouled Jack Bowater the resulting Thomas free kick struck the base of the Tividale post. With 5 minutes to go Wilson flashed a cross into the Tividale area but no Stone attacker could get a touch on it and in the end Tividale cleared it for a corner.

Full Time:-Tividale 0-0 Stone Old Alleynians

Tividale:- 1. Louis Connor (13. Roman Davies 80), 2. Zac Kourouyianni, 4. Jakob Burroughs, 8. Max Morris (5. Lewis Wright 70), 9. Nashawn Blake (11. Callum Powell 70), 10. Ryan Snape, 12. Kamol Campbell, 14. Tom Cole, 16. Jack Pearlman (15. Joel Harrison 40), 18. Tarryl Davies 19. Lewis Taylor-Boyce (16. Jack Bate 70)

Unused Sub :- None