West Midland Regional League

Premier Division

Saturday 20th April 2018

Tividale 9-0 AFC Bridgnorth

Tividale find form on last day

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Tividale lifted the West Midland League Premiership at the end of this emphatic victory over a sorry AFC Bridgnorth side.

You felt that the visitors were in no mood to upset the party atmosphere on a beautiful Easter Saturday as they turned up about 40 minutes before the kick off and could only name two substitutes.

Tividale went into this game on the back of their own horror show in midweek, when they crashed out of the league cup. But Dave Kings decision to rest Demetri Brown for that game as his niggling back injury made it difficult for him to play two games in a week, paid of with quadruple dividends.

With both goalkeepers Lewis Handley and Ryan Cheshire unavailable. The Gaffer brought in ex Tividale junior Niall Maher who is now at Stourbridge. Also returning were Lee Smith, Curtis Cocking plus the now available Brown and in a change from his regular 3 centre backs, 2 wing backs in a 5-3-2 system. The Boss went for a 4-4-2 system, starting with Matt Hunt and Ben Birch at centre back’s with Tom Hurdman and Jamal Fuller as the full backs. Cocking, Lee Smith, Liam Wilkinson and Darragh Bustin across the middle with Brown and Dan Smith leading the line.

With a lot of nervous tension around the 238 spectators. A goal after just 3 minutes was just what was required and Brown provided it outpacing the Bridgnorth defence, rounded the keeper and slides the ball home. On 12 minutes Tividale made it two. After some good work from Bustin on the right the ball found itself at the feet of Dan Smith and he smashes the ball into the corner.

On 20 minutes it was 3-0 Brown gets through again and scores. In what looked offside to everyone apart from the officials including Brown who hesitated he again rounded Bristow and scored. In the 25th minute it was 4-0. This time Brown is away down the left with another turn of pace he then lays the ball back to Fuller who fires home from the edge of the box.

Maher saw his first piece of action on 27 minutes when a James Chetter free kick had to be punched clear. And 3 minutes later Karl Griffiths had a go from distant that went wide of Maher’s post.

With those two missed chances to drag them into the game Brown soon punished them again with his hat trick and Tividale’s 5th on 32 minutes when again he is away from the Bridgnorth defence and chips over the stranded Bristow. He then tried an ambitious overhead kick from the edge of the box that went wide. On 41 minutes Brown again was allowed to run at the Bridgnorth defence but although he got a shot off, play was called back as he did it whilst being dragged back by defender Callum Hill and Hill was shown a straight red card. From the resulting free kick, Bustin bent the ball around the wall but although Bristow got his hand to it, it squirmed under him and into the net.
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Half-Time:-Tividale 6-0 AFC Bridgnorth

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With the game and title decided in the first 45 minutes and the news that Dudley Town were ahead against title challenger’s Haughmond. The second half was played with a charity game atmosphere in the sunshine. On 52 minutes a neat move between Cocking and Dan Smith was ended with great challenge on Smith by Bridgnorth defender Matt Dudley. But normal service was soon resumed when Bustin rolled in Brown and he lashed home his 4th and Tividale’s 7th.

With them being 7-0 down and with only 10 men Bridgnorth were now in survival mode and were determined to keep the score line from reaching double figures and on 62 minutes Matt Dean did well in blocking a Dan Smith header from a Bustin corner. Bustin then bent another free kick just over the bar.

Tividale then made their three substitution’s in the space of 7 minutes with Karl Gardner, Harvey Walker and Brad Welding replacing Birch, Lee Smith and four goal man Brown. A minute later on 72 minutes Bridgnorth had their first chance of the half when substitute Torin Hegley shot wide.

On 75 minutes a Welding corner was powered home by Hunt to make it 8-0 and with the home side striving for double figures Bridgnorth’s Elliott Lee broke on the counter played the ball into Dean but Maher saved his shot and on 84 minutes Hegley broke away again for Bridgnorth found Lee with his pass but the winger shot wide.

Tividale finished the game in the 86th minute with their 9th goal when the ball broke to Walker 12 yards out and he passed the ball into the back of Bristow’s net.

The final whistle came with the normal title winning celebrations on The Beeches pitch. It was a fitting way to end the league campaign scoring plenty and keeping a clean sheet. Because for much of the season although the goals were flying in at one end being the leagues highest scorers with 133 goals at an average of 3.5 goals a game. Our defence was just as awesome. Conceding less than any other team in the league with just 32 goals against us. Less than a goal a game on average

Full-Time:-Tividale 9-0 AFC Bridgnorth

Tividale Supporters Man of the Match – Demetri Brown

Tividale:-1. Niall Maher, 2. Tom Hurdman, 3, Jamal Fuller, 4. Ben Birch (14. Karl Gardner 70), 5. Matt Hunt, 6. Lee Smith (12. Harvey Walker 70), 7. Darragh Bustin, 8. Liam Wilkinson, 9. Dan Smith, 10. Demetri Brown (16. Brad Welding 63), 11.Curtis Cocking.

Unused Subs:-15. Alex Cameron, 17. Reece Shilvock