West Midland Regional League

Premier Division

Saturday 25th November 2017

Tividale 5-1 Bilston Town CFC

Steelmen blunted by Dale

 
Tividale continued their current goal-den spell with a five goal beating of Bilston Town.

With an ever increasing injury list and midfielders Joe Colley and Liam Wilkinson unavailable. Manager Dave King was able to make full use of the postponed Walsall Senior Cup tie at Pelsall Villa in midweek, selecting literally the same side that beat Shifnal a week ago with Liam and Dan Smith replacing Colley and Wilkinson.

10 minutes into the warm up and it was clear that Liam Smith had not fully recovered from a niggling injury that had kept him out for the last couple of weeks. So the Boss had to make another change, bringing in Nathan Jones at right wing back and moving Tom Hurdman to centre back alongside Dan Bryson and Karl Gardner.

Tividale were straight at the visitors and a Hurdman cross was headed over by Demetri Brown after just 3 minutes. Then on 8 minutes Tyree Clarke lofted an inch perfect cross onto the head of Dan Smith that Bilston’s keeper Dan Griffiths had to punch clear.

Tividale were absolutely piling on the pressure and you just knew a goal would be not long coming, and it was, but from the visitors. Bilston’s wide-man Aboudulah Ceesay was going nowhere and he seemed to just fall over the leg of Gardner as the defender put the ball out for a corner. The linesman from about 10 yards gave the corner but match referee Mr Ottaway gave a penalty from about 30 yards away. Despite the protest of the Tividale players the referee was adamant in his decision and ignored his assistant. Jason Hewitt stepped up and put the visitors 1-0 up.

Despite the set back it was business as usual as Tividale constantly threatened Griffiths goal and on 15 minutes he palmed away another Smith effort. Two minutes later and Tividale were level. Joe Lawley swung in a left side corner and Griffiths seemed to fumble it and their was Smith to steer the ball home.

Bilston had the next chance on 26 minutes when Matty Barnett found himself one on one with Ryan Cheshire but the keeper blocked his effort with his legs. 12 minutes later and Brown had a great chance to put Tividale ahead. Clarke’s flick on set him away, he rounded the keeper but the angle was too narrow and he could only find the side netting.

Tividale did take the lead on the stroke of half time and it was a perfect wing back’s goal. Jones went storming down the right flank, hit a cross to the far post and their was his left wing back Darragh Bustin on hand to bury his header past Griffiths.

Half-time:-Tividale 2-1 Bilston Town CFCTown

 
Just as they did a week ago Tividale wrapped up the points within 4 minutes of the second half. This time Bustin was the architect, beating his marker, hitting the bye line, cutting the ball back for Brown to meet on the half volley and put Tividale 3-1 up. 

It was now all Tividale but Bilston were determined in defence and kept the marauding Tividale at bay. It looked like it would take something special to breech this Bilston defence again and Smith nearly provided it, when his sublime first touch left his marker Sufyan Zia for dead but Griffiths was alert to the danger and smothered his shot. Three minutes later and Smith was through again, this time though he just nicked the ball past the keeper and Griffiths had no where to go and brought the forward down. Lawley stepped up for the spot kick but Griffiths guessed the right way and pulled off a fine save.

Tividale were not done though and against a tiring defence substitute Elliott Hartley began to cause his usual mayhem and on 87 minutes Lawley sent Jones away and his cross was met by Hartley who headed the ball home.  Tividale wrapped up the scoring in stoppage time when Hartley returned the favour crossing in for Jones to finish.

Full Time:- Tividale 5-1 Bilston Town CFCTown

Tividale:-1. Ryan Cheshire, 2. Tom Hurdman, 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Karl Gardner, 5. Dan Bryson, 6. Nathan Jones, 7. Demetri Brown (15. Elliott Hartley 77), 8. Curtis Cocking, 9. Tyree Clarke, 10. Dan Smith, 11. Joe Lawley (14. Harvey Walker 80) 

Unused Subs:-.12. Liam Smith, 13. Lewis Handley.