West Midland Regional League

Premier Division

Saturday 18th August 2018

Bilston Town CFC 1 – 7 Tividale

Bilston Blitzed

Tividale followed up Wednesday night’s hard fought win against Wolves Casuals with an emphatic win away at Bilston. But the result was not without a wake up call.

Once again Tividale were able to seamlessly change the personnel without weakening or even strengthening the side as Tividale Boss Dave King and his staff ensured it will always be a 16 man squad game. In came Dan Bryson, Liam Smith and Bradley Welding replacing Matt Hunt, Lee Smith and Tom Hurdman.

Unfortunately Lee Smith got injured in the warm up and with a man short on the bench, Elliott Hartley who had come over to Bilston to support the lads was asked if he could help out. Typical of the player he is, a spare pair of boots later and he donned the number 12 shirt for us.

Tividale controlled the early play but never threatened the Bilston goal and on Bilston’s first foray into the Tividale half after 5 minutes they scored. Bilston’s keeper Declan Haire pumped the ball upfield it was flicked on by Ryan Boothe down the line to Thabani D’Wayne Kihumalo and with Tividale’s wing backs pushed forward he got to the bye line and his cross found Bilston’s skipper Matt Barnett who placed the ball wide of Tividale keeper Ryan Cheshire and into the back of the net

Fortunately it took Tividale just 3 minutes to make amends. Curtis Cocking’s ball into the Bilston box found an unmarked Darragh Bustin and he headed the ball past the advancing Haire and into the net. Tividale were now settling down and were in complete control and on 24 minutes they took the lead. Forward Tyree Clarke dropped deep to collect the ball played it into Smith and his first time pass released Demetri Brown and one on one with Haire he lofted the ball over him and into the net.

Tividale continued to press an on 28 minutes Tividale were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Bilston area Bustin stepped up and his shot took a massive deflection off the Bilston wall sending it to Haire’s left as the hapless keeper dived to his right. 10 minutes later and Haire seemed to pick up an injury and he was replaced in goal by Tom James. James was immediately into the action turning away a Clarke shot as the visitors laid siege.

Half Time:-Bilston Town CFC 1 – 3 Tividale

The half was only 3 minutes old when Brown should have scored his second, a ball played into the box caught the striker undecided whether to head or kick it and in the end he did neither and the chance went. On 50 minutes Tividale had another great chance. This time a Welding free kick was met by Ben Birch but James was there to deny him with a smart save. Smith then found Brown with a pass and his first time lay off found Clarke but his shot was blocked by Bilston defender Jordan Hall. Smith then hit a first time screamer on 55 minutes that was heading for the back of the net before James pulled off an outstanding save.

In the end Bilston just could not stem the tide and on 58 minutes Brown made it 4-1 with a crisp finish across James after he was put through by Clarke. Tividale continued to press and substitute TJ Munthali went for goal of the day with an audacious 30 yard strike that just flew wide with James beaten.

On 80 minutes it was 5-1. Bustin’s free kick was headed back across goal by Bryson and sub Rion Francis-Mills was there to tap the ball home. Bustin completed his hat trick and hit Tividale’s 6th on 83 minutes when his run was picked out by Wilkinson and he was brought down by James when to be fair it looked like he was struggling to catch up with the ball. But he picked himself up and scored from the spot.

Tividale still had time for another in injury time as Francis-Mills brought down beautifully another searching cross field pass from  Cocking and fired home via a Bilston defender who tried to clear it off the line.

Full Time:-Bilston Town CFC 1 – 7 Tividale

Tividale:-1. Ryan Cheshire, 2. Bradley Welding, 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Karl Gardner, 5. Dan Bryson 6. Ben Birch (16. TJ Munthali 70), 7. Liam Smith, 8. Liam Wilkinson , 9. Tyree Clarke (17. Rion Francis-Mills 63), 10. Demetri Brown (12. Elliott Hartley 75) , 11. Curtis Cocking

Unused Subs:-14. Tom Hurdman, 15. Matthew Hunt.