West Midland Regional League
Premier Division
Saturday 24th November 2018
AFC Bridgnorth 0-1 Tividale

Bridge fail to breach Tivi’s defence

For the second game in a week Tividale will feel that the score line flattered them. Against Dudley Town in the week we deserved the win but maybe not the margin. With this game, AFC Bridgnorth will be gutted especially as on the balance of play they didn’t deserve to lose.

Apart from possibly the first 15 minutes Bridgnorth were without doubt the better side but they will not need telling that while you are on top you must take your chances or you just may get burnt and a piece of Darragh Bustin inspiration from the make shift striker was what got Tividale out of jail.

Tividale not only made the usual raft of changes for this game bringing in regular league goalkeeper Ryan Cheshire. Defenders Karl Gardner and Bradley Welding and in midfield came Lee Smith and Curtis Cocking, but to counter act the famous Bridgnorth slope they also started with a 4-4-2 formation and played a more compact “diamond” midfield as they attacked up the hill in the first half.

For the first 15 minutes the visitors were comfortable stroking the ball around and Reece Shilvock had the first shot on goal after 10 minutes but his effort was deflected wide for a corner. On 16 minutes ex Tividale front man Luke Morris had Bridgnorth’s first sight of goal but he was swamped by the sheer number of Tividale defender’s and could not get his shot off.

Some great work by Cocking freed up Shilvock and his cross was headed wide by Bustin on 25 minutes. But back came Bridgnorth and left back Charlie Swingwood let rip with a shot that Cheshire did well to turn away. 6 minutes later it was the right back Matthew Dean’s turn to test Cheshire from distance but the keeper was well positioned to field the shot comfortably. Bridgnorth were now the side in control as the visitors seemed to struggle with the change in formation but the home side could not break the deadlock but must have been the happier team at half time.

Half Time:- AFC Bridgnorth 0-0 Tividale

The well marshalled Demetri Brown’s first run at goal came on 53 minutes when he was sent through by Shilvock but he was foiled by a brilliant tackle by Dean. Then 5 minutes later Bustin produced his touch of quality. Shilvock found him wide on the left of the penalty area in the 58th minute and with Bridgnorth keeper Chris Crook off his line he chipped the ball over the keeper and the ball ran agonisingly down the slope with the keeper trying in vain to stop it from finding the back of the net.

From then on it was mostly defensive duties for Tividale as Bridgnorth went in search of an equaliser. Callum Whittaker will feel he should have done better when from an unmarked position he headed Jason Pikes cross wide on the hour. Then Liam Kirton could not find the target with his 63rd minute shot. On 72 minutes Kirton then tested Cheshire with an effort that the keeper did well to keep out after it took a deflection and then in the same move Tom Hurdman blocked a shot on the line before completing the clearance.

On 77 minutes the game got a whole lot tougher for the visitors. With Tividale having a bit of a respite in the Bridgnorth area Ben Birch took offence to a bit of afters from a Bridgnorth player and he retaliated leaving referee Alan Robinson with no real choice but to show him a straight red card.

Tividale were literally completely on the defensive and on 85 minutes Kirton wanted to much time on the ball in the Tividale area and again Tividale’s defence got the block in. With the last attack of the game Swingwood again had Cheshire at full stretch turning away his effort. Tividale closed out the last few seconds with a couple of very short corners and were relived when the final whistle blew.

Full Time:- AFC Bridgnorth 0-1 Tividale

Tividale:-1. Ryan Cheshire, 2. Tom Hurdman, 3. Bradley Welding (16. Rion Francis-Mills 70), 4. Ben Birch, 5. Karl Gardner, 6. Reece Shilvock (14. Freddie Watts 70), 7. Lee Smith, 8. Liam Wilkinson, 9. Demetri Brown, 10, Darragh Bustin, 11. Curtis Cocking.

Unused Subs:- 12. Elliott Hartley, 15. Harvey Walker, 17. Jake Brigdale