Match Report
West Midland Regional League
Premier Division
Saturday 6th October 2018
Tividale 3-0 Dudley Town
Dudley defeated but defiant
Tividale came into this game, their 7th in the space of 22 days against visitors who although currently in the bottom half of the league are better than their position shows. Plus locals will tell you Dudley Town need no motivation when they are up against Tividale. So a tough afternoon was expected and that was how it turned out.
Once again Tividale made changes to the side that beat Bewdley Town on Tuesday night. Into the back three came Ben Birch and Freddie Watts replacing Karl Gardner and Matt Hunt. TJ Munthali recalled from his spell at Wolverhampton Sporting came in to replace Tom Hurdman at right wing back. Tom will be spending the next 4 to 6 weeks on the side lines after his knee operation. And Tyree Clarke came in for Dan Smith to partner Demetri Brown up front.
It was Dudley who made the early running as Tividale started unusually slowly and Dudley’s Owen Massey had the first shot of the game in the 5th minute but he dragged his effort wide. Dudley continued to press and had another chance to open the scoring on 9 minutes when after some neat link up play, ex Tividale front man Jake Brigdale fired over.
When you are down there it just seems that nothing goes your way. Even after Dudley’s great start they still found themselves a goal down after 14 minutes. Liam Wilkinson playing a delightful ball into Brown and the striker lifting the ball beyond Dudley keeper Shane Maydew and into the back of the net.
The goal must have been a sickener for the visitors, but they did not let it get them down and they carried on taking the game to the home side. Dudley’s problem was that they just did not have that cutting edge and when they did hit the target their chances were either blocked by defenders or saved by Ryan Cheshire. Their best chance of the half came in the 34th minute when a Todd Perry free kick found Brigdale at the far post and his header back into the centre of the goal was met on the volley by another ex Tividale man Chris Rabone but he could only watch as his screamer was beaten away by Cheshire.
On 40 minutes Dudley again let a great chance pass as Jordan Davies ghosted in from the back post to meet a right wing cross but again he was denied by Cheshire.
With just a couple of minutes to half time Tividale struck again. With Dudley pressing, they were caught on the counter attack. Darragh Bustin swept the ball out to Dan Smith (who had replaced an injured Clarke on 29 minutes) and his cross was headed home by Wilkinson
Half Time: Tividale 2-0 Dudley Town
Dudley may have been down at half time but they were definitely not out and they again squandered a chance on 47 minutes when Cheshire again had to save an effort following a Dudley corner. Unfortunately for the visitors it was game over on 56 minutes. Curtis Cocking found Dan Smith with a through ball and the substitute made no mistake stroking the ball across Maydew and into the back of his net.
The goal finally ended the Dudley resistance and Smith was unlucky not to get his second on the hour when his header from a Bustin corner came back off the cross bar. Brown then attacked the Dudley area on 68 minutes but his cross was just out of reach of Cocking flying in at the far post.
Dudley had a good chance to get on the score sheet when Bustin gave away a free kick on the edge of his box but Ryan Bridgewater’s free kick was comfortably saved by Cheshire. At the other end Bustin headed an Elliott Hartley cross wide with 4 minutes to go. Just to sum up the afternoon for Dudley Town they had the final chance of the game but it went begging as the others did when deep into injury time Massey fired a shot wide.
In a fierce game between local rivals the game seemed to be going along without any major incident or lack of discipline. That was until late in the second half when Tividale’s Wilkinson and Dudley’s Mark Ganderton were involved a bit of what’s known in the game as “handbags” It ended with both teams reduced to 10 men. Ganderton receiving a second yellow as he had been booked earlier in the game. But the Tividale player received what we think is a harsh straight red for violent conduct.
Full Time:-Tividale 3-0 Dudley Town
Tividale:-1. Ryan Cheshire, 2. TJ Munthali, 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Ben Birch, 5. Dan Bryson, 6. Freddie Watts, 7. Lee Smith, 8. Liam Wilkinson, 9. Tyree Clarke (15. Dan Smith 29)(17. Elliott Hartley 69), 10. Demetri Brown, 11. Curtis Cocking (16. Reece Shilvock 73)
Unused Subs:-12. Harvey Walker, 14. Karl Gardner
Lineup
10. Demetri Brown | Goal |
5. Frederick Watts | |
3. Darragh Bustin | |
8. Liam Wilkinson | Goal |
11. Curtis Cocking | |
4. Daniel Bryson | |
10. Tyree Clarke | |
17. TJ Munthali | |
7. Lee Smith | |
4. Benjamin Birch | |
1. Ryan Cheshire |
Subs
9. Daniel Smith | GoalSub10 |
14. Elliott Hartley | Sub9 |
18. Reece Shilvock | Sub11 |