West Midland Regional League
Premier Division
Saturday 5th January 2018
Dudley Town 1-1 Tividale

Dudley derby ends in deadlock

 
Tividale failed to put an end to their winless streak in competitive games on 3G pitches as they came from behind to earn a point against Dudley Town in what ended up a thrilling game at The Asprey Arena.

Tividale went into this game on the back of two very good results. But this one was always going to be the sternest test of their upturn in recent form. With this game only arranged two weeks ago, Tividale had striker Dan Smith absent along with manager Dave KIng. Assistant manager Keiron Bustin thought he was able to recall Ben Birch and Karl Gardner into the heart of the Tividale defence after injuries. That was until Gardner broke down again in the warm up. This meant Lee Smith filling in again at centre back and the ill Dan Bryson going onto the bench.

In a first half that lacked any real quality it was Dudley that had the first sniff of goal in the 3rd minute when Rabone blazed over when through. Darragh Bustin then had Tividale’s first chance 2 minutes later but his shot was parried by Town keeper Shane Maydew and cleared by Ryan Bridgewater before Demetri Brown could get to the rebound.  Brad Welding sent Brown away in the 12th minute but he failed to find the target. The Dudley offensive unit then caused the visitors more problems in the 20th minute when a Rabone free kick fell to Jordan Davies but he also cleared the cross bar with his shot. The rest of the half was a mixture of goalmouth scrambles and half chances as neither side could get a grip of the game.

The half ended with Dudley having two great chances to open the scoring. First and not for the first time Dudley forward Emil Fedotov was able to work himself some space in the Tividale area but fired wide and from a corner in the dying seconds of the half Owen Massey was unable to keep his shot down as the ball fell nicely for him.

Half Time:- Dudley Town 0-0 Tividale

 
The half was just a minute old when on the balance of play Dudley deservedly went ahead. Rabone played in Fedotov who attacked the Tividale defence with Birch already on a yellow card he was possibly a little indecisive whether to try and put in a tackle or hold him up. But before the decision was made, the striker turned him and when one on one with Cheshire calmly stroked the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net.

Davies then tried his luck from distance on 55 minutes but again it sailed over Cheshire’s bar. On 62 minutes Tividale were level. Brown did well down the Tividale right and despite the attention of Craig Love found Bustin at the back post and his downward header beat Maydew.

The game now was stretched as both teams had chances to win the game. With the best of them being on 76 minutes Bustin beat two Dudley players and put the ball into Liam Wilkinson but he could not beat Maydew with his shot. Dudley substitute Owen Buchanan then put an effort over the bar and Tividale’s sub Jamel Fuller forced Maydew into an excellent save with 5 minutes to go. In injury time Cheshire had to get down smartish to turn a Fedotov shot around the post.

Full Time:- Dudley Town 1-1 Tividale

Tividale Supporters Man of the Match – Curtis Cocking

 
Tividale:-1. Ryan Cheshire, 2. Bradley Welding (14. Jamel Fuller 82), 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Ben Birch, 5. Freddie Watts, 6. Lee Smith, 7. Reece Shilvock (16. Dan Bryson 64), 8. Liam Wilkinson, 9. Alex Cameron (15. Jake Brigdale 72), 10. Demetri Brown, 11. Curtis Cocking

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