West Midland Regional League

Premier Division Cup
Semi Final

Saturday 12th May 2018

Tividale 3-3 Black Country Rangers
(3-4 on penalties)

Tividale pay the penalty

At the end of a long season these two teams played out another thriller of a game. Both team went into the game with key men unavailable. Tividale had Ben Birch and Lee Smith both cup tied as they had played for Black Country in the competition earlier in the season. While the visitors had ex Tividale man Shaquille Leachman-Whittingham out.

It was Black Country who had the best of the early play and were deservedly ahead after 6 minutes, when Lewis Archer got behind the Tividale defence and whipped in a cross that found Jake Healey who converted his cross.

Tividale were back on equal terms 10 minutes later with an almost identical goal. Great wing play from Bradley welding and his cross was steered home by Demetri Brown. Tividale were now back in the game and pressing and Dan Smith headed wide a Liam Wilkinson cross wide on 27 minutes as they cranked up the pressure.

Black Country were still dangerous on the break and had a great chance on the half hour mark when Kartel O’Neil-Martin was allowed to break into the box but he could not keep his shot down and it cleared the bar. They were unfortunate not to go ahead on when a TJ Munthali clearance struck Liam Smith and the ball fell nicely for Healey but his shot was deflected for a corner.

Tividale went into the half time break ahead on 44 minutes, when after some hesitation in the Black Country defence Brown was on hand to lash the ball past Black Country keeper Edward Cavaziel-Cox and into the back of the net. Yet the visitors still had a chance to draw level on the stroke of half time when Tividale keeper Ryan Cheshire had to be at full stretch to turn a Healey overhead kick round the post.

Half-Time:-Tividale 2-1 Black Country Rangers

The second half was only four minutes old when Rangers architected their equaliser. From a counter led by O’Neil-Martin his cross found an unmarked Jason Chilton at the back post and his finish gave Cheshire no chance. 4 minutes later and Rangers had a chance to go back in front. Cheshire failed to hold onto a Chilton shot but quickly gathered the loose ball before Healey could cash in on his error.

On 57 minutes Tividale were given a great chance to go back ahead when Dan Smith played in Tyree Clarke but as he was about to pull the trigger he was brought down by O’Neil-Martin in the area. Young Brad Welding stepped up to take the spot kick, but he got underneath it and skied it over Cavaziel-Cox’s crossbar.

Welding did not have to wait long to make amends when on 57 minutes Brown broke into the Rangers penalty area and played a great reverse pass to Welding as he cut inside of him and without breaking stride passed the ball past Cavaziel-Martin and into the bottom corner.

Clarke then met a Bustin long throw on 64 minutes but headed wide. Ten minutes later and Rangers were back on level terms again. From a short corner the Tividale spotted the initial danger but the ball was put back in to the danger area and Matthew Vaughan unmarked stabbed the ball home.

In the latter stages Tividale finished the stronger and had two great chances to win it. First on 87 minutes Brown fired wide when put through by Clarke and with the last kick of the 90 minutes Bustin put a Welding corner wide.

Full Time:-Tividale 3-3 Black Country Rangers

At the end of a long season on a sweltering spring afternoon another 30 minutes of football is what nether team wanted and it showed. It was contested by two tired side ho between mustered one decent chance each. First on 91 minutes when Brown’s shot went the wrong side of the post and then 102 minutes when Cheshire did well to push a Chilton shot over the bar.

After Extra-Time:-Tividale 3-3 Black Country Rangers

And so it was penalties

BCR    O’Neil – Martin   Scored    0-1
TIV     Clarke                   Scored     1-1
BCR    Healey                  Saved      1-1
TIV     Bladen                  Scored     2-1
BCR    Lawley                  Scored     2-2
TIV     Hartley                 Missed     2-2
BCR    Vaughan              Scored      2-3
TIV     Welding                Scored     3-3
BCR    Taylor                   Scored     3-4
TIV     Bustin                   Saved       3-4

Black Country Rangers win 4-3 on penalties

Tividale:-1.Ryan Cheshire, 2.TJ Munthali (15. Chris Hill 70), 3.Bradley Welding, 4.Karl Gardner, 5.Freddie Watts, 6. Liam Smith (14. Chris Bladen 100), 7.Tyree Clarke, 8.Liam Wilkinson, 9.Dan Smith, 10. Demetri Brown, 11.Darragh Bustin.

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