West Midland Regional League

Premier Division

Saturday 30th September 2017

Tividale 4-2 Wellington

Lawley put’s the boot in with hatrick

 
This squad of Tividale players once again showed their resilience to come storming back after a shaky start in which Wellington were much the better side.

Once again manager Dave King rang out the changes. In came Liam Smith, Dan Smith and Harvey Walker in for the rested Karl Gardner, Nathan Jones and the suspended Curtis Cocking who was beginning a three match ban after our attempt to overturn last weeks shocking red card failed.

The visitors were the quickest out of the blocks and it should have been one nil to them in the very first minute when after some sloppy passing in the home defence. Brendan Hackett stole the ball but with just Ryan Cheshire to beat, he blazed over the bar.

After constant Wellington pressure it was 10 minutes before Tividale literally got out of their own half and when they did it was Darragh Bustin who led the counter attack that ended with his shot well saved by Wellington keeper Matt Apperley.  A couple of minutes later and Joe Lawley tested Apperley with another shot that the keeper parried, Bustin kept the ball alive and played in Walker but again Apperley was equal to it. Then Chris Bladen saw his effort just clear the Wellington crossbar.

On 17 minutes Wellington striker Josh Hunt was caught in two minds whether to cross the ball or shoot when put through but in the end he did neither and the ball ballooned into the arms of Cheshire. On 32 minutes from a Will Perkins cross a Paul Jones header hit the Tividale’s upright with Cheshire beaten, then Perkins had a shot saved by Cheshire.

It was in the 36th minute when Wellington deservedly took the lead, even though it was a little fortuitous. A great run and low cross from the left by Hunt, took a deflection that took it away from Cheshire, then another that steered it onto the path of Luke Griffiths and he made no mistake from a couple of yards out.

Three minutes later and the scores were level. Wellington centre back Jack Lewis bundled over Dan Smith in the box and Lawley sent Apperley  left and put the ball to the right. Four minutes later and Tividale had turned the game on it’s head. Walker won the ball on the edge of the Wellington box played the ball into Lawley and his blistering drive roared past Apperley and into the back of the net. Wellington were unfortunate not to go into the break level when after some great work from Griffiths but he could not beat Cheshire with his shot.

Half-time: Tividale 2-1 Wellington

 
The half was only 5 minutes old when Lawley completed his hat trick and sent Tividale 3-1 up. Again Lewis bundles over Dan Smith but this time it was outside of the box. Trouble is that makes little difference too Lawley as he curled the ball over the wall and into Apperley’s top left hand corner with the keeper rooted. Four minutes later on 54 minutes and it was Wellington’s turn to benefit from a foul in the box when the usually reliable Freddie Watts mistimed his tackle and Jones scored from the spot.

Wellington now had something to build on in their quest to get back on level terms and Griffiths fired over on the hour mark after James Hancocks had set him up. Cheshire than had to get down low to turn a Hunt shot around the post and a long clearance from Appereley was not dealt with by the Tividale defence but again Griffith’s could not keep his shot down.

Wellington were now raising the threat level and on 72 minutes a cross from Hancocks was headed over by Adam Newbury and then on 74 minutes another Hackett effort from range cleared the bar. 

Just when it looked as though the visitors may get back on terms, on 74 minutes Tividale went 4-2 up with a beautifully crafted goal. Sub Elliott Hartley won the ball in his own half, drove at the visitors defence and then popped the ball off to Lawley who swept a sublime first time ball out to Bustin. He never broke stride when he whipped in a first time cross that was volleyed home by fellow sub Nathan Jones.

The goal really ended any further threat from the visitors and Tividale had literally all the possession in the last 10 minutes against a tiring defence, with Bladen, Jones and Hartley causing all sorts of problems. But their best chance  was a great cross from Jones that Hartley headed over the bar.

Full Time: Tividale 4-2 Wellington

Tividale:- 1.Ryan Cheshire, 2.Tom Hurdman (12. Chris Hill 88), 3. Darragh Bustin 4.Freddie Watts, 5.Daniel Bryson, 6. Liam Smith, 7. Joe Colley, 8. Joe Lawley, 9. Chris Bladen 10. Daniel Smith (17. Nathan Jones 74), 11. Harvey Walker (15. Elliott Hartley 70)

Unused Subs:-14. Karl Gardner, 16. Tyree Clarke