West Midland Regional League

Premier Division

Tuesday 18th September 2018

Haughmond 3-2 Tividale

Dale battle through the Haughmond storm

After Saturday’s defeat, possibly the last thing Tividale wanted was a midweek trip to Shrewsbury to play a team that had put seven past Bilston in their last game an on a night that put the summers heatwave and drought firmly in the memory bank. But Tividale bounced back from Saturday’s defeat with a hard working performance against a very good side that at times had the visitors under severe pressure.

Tividale welcomed back Tom Hurdman and Lee Smith to the starting line up and considering Tom had been abroad for a wedding and Lee had only got back from his stag weekend less than 24 hours before it was a monumental effort from the pair of them. Demetri Brown was also installed up front after coming off the bench to score our consolation goal at the weekend. The men to miss out was Karl Gardner, Bradley Welding and Tyree Clarke. It was also Darragh Bustin’s 100th appearance in a Tividale shirt.

In a complete turn round to Saturday it was Tividale who got of to the flyer. From a quick Darragh Bustin throw in the second minute the Haughmond back line left Dan Smith with a clear run on goal and he slid the ball past the home keeper Sam jones to put the visitors 1-0 up. The home side hit back immediately and a minute later Tividale keeper Ryan Cheshire did well to turn away a Joe Parry effort. On 18 minutes Haughmond were again denied an equaliser by Cheshire when he saved well from a Scott Ryan shot.

Completely against the run of play Tividale increased their lead on 24 minutes Bustin found Brown with a ball down the left flank and the forward hammered the ball across Jones and into the bottom right hand corner of the net. the goal completely stunned the home side and they could have been further behind on 40 minutes when Ben Birch failed to find the target with his header from a right wing corner. Then on 41 minutes Jones denied Brown with two great saves. First he spread himself well to block Brown’s initial shot and then lashed the rebound goal wards and Jones was again equal to it with a flying save pushing the shot away.

Haughmond were again a threat and on 44 minutes Parry was unlucky when his shot came back off the inside of the post and clear. But on 45 minutes they got their deserved goal. Tividale failed to clear a long throw and Adam Davies forced the ball over the line

Half Time:- Haughmond 1-2 Tividale

The little drizzle that was about in the first half turned into an absolute downpour for the whole of the second half as storm Ali hit Shrewsbury with a vengeance.

Haughmond started the half on the front foot and literally laid siege to the Tividale goal with the best chance of this dominant period falling to Ryan who actually put the ball into the back of the net, but was ruled offside. Tividale’s defence held firm and again after holding off the initial onslaught they slowly got back into the game and extended their lead on 73 minutes. Brown again broke away on a counter attack and although he was dragged down the referee played a great advantage as the ball broke to Dan Smith and he made no mistake planting the ball past Jones and into the back of the net.

Fair play to Haughmond they never stopped coming forward and with the assistance of the wind at their backs were still a threat as even Cheshire’s goal kicks were swirling in the wind and just about clearing his own penalty area. On 80 minutes the home side were back in the game when after a couple of crunching tackles, Steve Hole’s snap shot left Cheshire well beaten as it hit the back of the net.

Due to the torrential rain the last 10 minutes was like the final rounds of a heavyweight boxing match with two tired sides trying to land the knockout punch but the visitors held out and I doubt they will earn a tougher three points this season

Full Time:- Haughmond 2-3 Tividale

Tividale:-1. Ryan Cheshire, 2. Tom Hurdman, 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Ben Birch,5. Dan Bryson, 6. Freddie Watts, 7. Lee smith, 8. Liam Wilkinson, 9. Dan Smith (16. Tyree Clarke 78), 10. Demetri Brown, 11. Curtis Cocking

Unused Subs:-12. Bradley Welding, 14. Karl Gardner, 15. Jake Brigdale.