West Midland Regional League

Premier Division Cup

Quarter Final

Thursday 22nd March 2018

Tividlale 3-0 Ellesmere Rangers

Bladen getting back to his best

TTwo goals in his first full game for 4 months from Chris Bladen eased Tividale into the semi-final of the league cup with an emphatic win over Ellesmere Rangers.
As much as the visitors worked they were never up to the standard set by the home time and in the end the three goal margin slightly flattered them.

Manager Dave King once again shuffled the pack but he tried again the 4-4-2 that Tividale played in their previous outing the defeat at Sporting Khalsa in the Walsall Senior Cup. In came Darragh Bustin, Karl Gardner, Liam Wilkinson, Chris Bladen and Dan Smith to the starting line-up. In place of Liam Smith, Curtis Cocking, Tyree Street, Connor Rich and Elliott Hartley.
Tividale were a goal up after 8 minutes when a Bustin cross found Dan Smith and he steadied himself and placed the ball into the bottom corner.

Tividale should have extended their lead in a half that they had the majority of the possession but a mixture of good defending and wayward shooting restricted them to the one goal lead up until the 41st minute, when again a ball from the right fell to Bladen at the back post and his rising shot gave the Ellesmere keeper no chance.

Half Time:Tividale 2-0 Ellesmere Rangers

Tividale had to make a change at half time when Nathan Jones was forced off due to an injury he had picked up in the first half and he was replaced by Elliott Hartley.
Within two minutes of the restart it was game over. TJ Munthali’s inch perfect pass sent young Bradley Welding away down the left and his first time cross was met on the volley by Bladen and he steered the ball into the roof of the net.
With nothing to lose the visitors tried to venture forward and led by Connor Hughes they did threaten with Hughes coming the closest to a breakthrough with an effort that came back off the Tividale bar.
But apart from that mini revival in the middle of the half Tividale were barely troubled and ran out worthy winners.
Ellesmere will have their chance to gain some revenge when Tividale meet them again this time a league fixture at their Beech Grove home in 11 days’ time.

Full Time:-Tividale 3-0 Ellesmere Rangers

 
Tividale:-1.Ryan Cheshire, 2. Tom Hurdman, 3. Bradley Welding, 4. Karl Gardner (16. Liam Smith 75), 5. Freddie Watts 6. TJ Munthali, 7. Darragh Bustin, 8. Liam Wilkinson 9. Chris Bladen, 10. Dan Smith (16. Harvey Walker 80) , 11. Nathan Jones (17. Elliott Hartley 45)

Unused Subs:-.14. Curtis Cocking, 15. Demetri Brown.