West Midland Regional League

Premier Division

Tuesday 25th September 2018

Wolverhampton Casuals 2-3 Tividale

Dale’s double delight

After the Battle of the Beeches came the Battle of Brinsford Lane as these two WMRL Premier heavyweights slugged it out for the second time in 5 weeks and this game as did the first clash, completely lived up to the hype.

Tividale came into the game on the back of two very good performances which had produced two wins against two very good sides and this match up was going to be another toughie. Tividale welcomed back centre back Ben Birch after he missed  Saturday’s win. But top goalscorer Demetri Brown went down ill on the afternoon and was deemed not fit enough to play. The changes meant Karl Gardner dropped to the bench and Tyree Clarke partnered Dan Smith in attack

It was Casuals that started the game on the front foot and had Tividale keeper Ryan Cheshire scrambling across his line to get behind a first minute deflected shot. Tividale were soon on the attack and their wing backs teamed up to give the visitors their first chance. Darragh Bustin broke down the left and his deep cross found Tom Hurdman on the right but he shot wide. Birch then saw his shot cleared off the line from a Bustin corner in the 11th minute and Hurdman sent Dan Smith down the right flank a minute later but his shot was saved by Tom Whitehouse.

On 17 minutes Cheshire was brought into action again when he saved a very good Scott Sandland effort. Then the Tividale defence threw their bodies on the line to block a Kieron Miller drive in the 28th minute.

Tividale took the lead in the 29th minute when Bustin laid the ball off to Curtis Cocking and his inch perfect cross found Dan Smith at the back post and he planted his header into the back of the net giving Whitehouse no chance. They nearly increased their lead in the 39th minute when a Hurdman free kick was headed on by Clarke and Bustin met it on the volley but he could not find the target and it flew wide. Dan Smith then did well to find Bustin on the stroke of half time but this time he blazed his shot over the bar.

Half Time:- Wolves Casuals 0-1 Tividale

Casuals again started the half the better and possibly will feel they should have been level on 49 minutes when Ben Podmore headed over a Reece Mason cross. On 55 minutes the home side were level. A Sandland shot was blocked and the rebound dropped to Miller but his shot came back off the bar. Casuals recovered the loose ball and it was put back into the danger zone were Miller  was on hand to turn the ball home.  Three minutes later Casuals had a great chance to go ahead. A mistake in defence by Hurdman left Miller in a one on one position with Cheshire, but the Tividale keeper did well to close him down and smother his shot. Sandland then shot wide of the Tividale post on 70 minutes.

Casuals got the goal their their second half display deserved on 75 minutes when another poor clearance this time from Cheshire fell nicely to Casuals sub Ben Tilbury and he found an unmarked Sandland who tapped the ball home.

The home side were now looking bankers to take all the three points but on 77 minutes they literally gave Tividale a free pass back into the game, albeit they still had to cash it in. Because with Bustin seemingly going nowhere a rash challenge from Alex Foreshaw brought him down in the box and Mr Watkiss pointed immediately to the spot. With Tividale missing their last two spot kicks this was not going to be a gimme. But Bustin as cool as you like lofted the ball into the roof of the net and Tividale were back level.

The goal spurred Tividale on and with the momentum with them they now felt that they could go on and win the game and Cocking must have thought he had won it in the 81st minute but Whitehouse palmed away his shot with a terrific save. The ball then landed at the feet of Hurdman but he put the rebound wide. Tividale did get the winner in the 85th minute. Tividale substitute Bradley Welding sent on to chase anything and close down defenders in possession, put the ball into the box but it was cleared. Bustin kept the ball alive by hooking the ball back into the Casuals 6 yard box and Dan Smith reacted the quickest, sweeping the ball home from 4 yards. to take the points home.

Casuals played their part in a cracking game and as in the first game were very unlucky to get nothing from it. The last game they suffered a harsh sending off and this time round they may have felt that at 2-1 up the home side was the only side likely to go on and win the game.

Full Time:- Wolves Casuals 2-3 Tividale

Tividale:-1. Ryan Cheshire, 2. Tom Hurdman, 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Ben Birch, 5. Dan Bryson, 6. Freddie Watts (14. Karl Gardner 88), 7. Lee Smith, 8. Liam Wilkinson, 9. Tyree Clarke (16. Brad Welding 84), 10. Dan Smith. Jake Brigdale 67), 11. Curtis Cocking

Unused Subs:-12. Matt Hunt, 13. Luke Kiskinans, 17. Jake Brigdale.