West Midland Regional League

Premier Division

Tuesday 27th March 2018

Wolves Casuals 1-3 Tividale

Wolves run casual Tividale close

Once again Tividale were wasteful in front of goal as they just about overcame a difficult away game at free scoring Wolves Casuals.
The difference between the chances missed on Saturday and these at Casuals was that with a 4 or 5 goal lead you could make light of the efforts off target and admire the heroics of the opposing keeper. With only a two goal deficit after being under the cosh for the majority of the first half Casuals looked likely to snatch something in a second half that Tividale’s attack’s should of yielded more.
With injuries and unavailability, Tividale only made the 2 changes from Saturday and both were at centre back. In came Freddie Watts and TJ Munthali and they replaced Dan Bryson and Liam Smith. Tividale also welcomed back Joe Lawley on the bench for the first time in 3 games.
As has been the norm’ in the last few games Tividale started like a “house on fire” and were ahead after just 3 minutes. A neat chip to the near post by Lee Smith, Demetri Brown headed it across the face of goal and Curtis Cocking was there to provide the finish.
Casuals had a chance to draw level on 10 minutes but Jay Holdcroft shot wide. Dan Smith could have extended Tividale’s lead but he was foiled by Casuals keeper Mark Brach in a one on one situation. The game was fairly nip and tuck with both sides playing some attractive football but with no real goal threat until the 33rd minute. Darragh Bustin got to the by-line but was well marshalled by Casual’s Craig Radford. As he could not get his cross in he played a neat reverse pass to Liam Wilkinson who in turn spotted the forward run of Dan Smith and played a perfect first time pass into his path and in one movement beat Brach at his near post with a neat finish.
Tividale could have been 3-0 up a minute later when Brown rounded Brach but was denied by a great Radford tackle. Tividale were now well on top and Casuals could not wait for the half time whistle as Tividale failed with another great chance to extend their lead on the stroke of half time but again Brown could not find the target with his shot after good work by Smith

Half-time:-Wolves Casuals 0-2 Tividale

Brach pulled of the first of his second half saves after 48 minutes when Brown let loose an absolute rocket of a shot that the keeper touched over the bar. But back came Casuals and a Shane Thomas shot on 55 minutes just slid past the base of Cheshire’s goal post. It was now all action as again Tividale were denied on 60 minutes this time a goal bound Brown header although beat Brach was cleared off the Casuals goal line. Dan Smith then had a chance on 70 minutes when a Bustin pass left him one on one with Brach, but although he placed the ball wide of the outstretch leg of the keeper it also went wide of the post.
With Casuals now growing in confidence they were becoming a greater attacking threat and on 71 minutes, their perseverance paid off, when from a half clearance by Cheshire the ball fell nicely to Jake Walton and he smacked the ball into Cheshire bottom right hand corner. It was now game on.
Casuals were now pressing for the equaliser. But as they did so they were left open to Tividale’s counter attacks and it was one such counter that possibly cost Casuals at least a point when Shaquille Lee brought down Harvey Walker and earned himself a second yellow. Down to 10 men, Casual’s could not throw men forward as before but were still dangerous at set pieces.
Brown again was denied by Brach on 75 minutes and then an almighty scramble inside the Casuals area somehow ended with the ball in the arms of Brach. Bustin, Dan Smith and Wilkinson all had efforts that Brach either saved or his defence blocked
At the other end on 79 minutes from a Casuals corner Liam Hughes’s header was cleared off the line by Tom Hurdman. Tividale made the game safe with 3 minutes to go when Brown was on hand to stab the ball home after Casuals failed to clear.

Full Time:-Wolves Casuals 1-3 Tividales

Tividale:-1.Ryan Cheshire, 2. Tom Hurdman, 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Karl Gardner 5. Freddie Watts 6. Lee Smith 7. Liam Wilkinson (14. Joe Lawley 80), 8. Curtis Cocking (12. Harvey Walker 75), 9. Dan Smith (15. Elliott Hartley 83), 10. Demetri Brown, 11. Lee Smith.

Unused Subs:-.16. Connor Rich, 17. Liam Smith.