JW Hunt Cup

Quarter Final

Wednesday 13th February 2019

Tividale 3-2 Brocton

Badgers beaten at the death

 
Tividale made there way into the Semi Final’s of this season’s JW Hunt Cup with victory over Midland League side Brocton and the win came deep into injury time with one of the most bizarre goals you will ever see.

Tividale had not played a competitive fixture for 18 days and felt that this game would set them up nicely for the league game against Malvern Town on Saturday. Before the game Tividale had some bad news, learning that young centre back Freddie Watts is now ruled out for most of the season with a meniscus tear in his knee. Also absent was Dan Smith who was serving the second of his two match ban and Jamal Fuller was ineligible as he had played for his previous club Black Country Rangers in an earlier round. On the other hand we was delighted to have Matt Hunt back in the starting line up after he had been out for 3 months due to his bowel operation.

Brocton had the first chance of the game when Jack Edwards drove a low cross across the Tividale box and it was just begging for a touch but it never got one. On 11 minutes Brocton skipper Jamie Lomas brought a wonderful flying save out of Tividale keeper Ryan Cheshire. Tividale’s first chance came in the 16th minute when Alex Cameron struck the base of the post with his shot from a Darragh Bustin cross. Demetri Brown was then foiled by Brocton keeper Mark Wiggins with a fine save. Brown then played in Cameron and his side foot volley was again saved by Wiggin and from resulting the corner Lee Smith headed over. Brown then had another shot turned over the bar by Wiggins on 37 minutes.

When you don’t cash in when you have the upper hand against good sides. There is always the chance that you will get punished and on 42 minutes Tividale nearly where when Cheshire again denied Lomas. But on 44 minutes Brocton did strike and it came from a Tividale attack. Cameron dragged his shot wide after going through one on one with Wiggins and from the resulting goal kick, Edwards was put through and his thunderbolt of a shot gave Cheshire no chance and the Badgers were ahead at half time

Half Time:- Tividale 0-1 Brocton

 
After the setback at the end of the half it was vital that Tividale got back into the game and in the 49th minute they were level. Brown was put through and made no mistake in his one on one with Wiggins. Brown then had a chance to put the home side ahead 5 minutes later but he steered this shot wide. Tividale were now again in the ascendency and on 57 minutes Wiggins again did brilliantly to push away a Cameron shot, the rebound flew out to Brown and he directed his header past Wiggins but it was blocked on the line and out to Cameron, who could only put the second rebound over the bar.

Just as it was in the first half Tividale were punished for not cashing in on their chances. In the 62nd minute they were again caught on the counter. Matt Kimmins broke free and he fired his shot across Cheshire and in via the far post. In the 72nd minute Bustin had a great chance to level the scores again after Curtis Cocking had put him through but he pulled his shot wide.

Tividale did make it 2-2 in the 75th minute when after a neat one-two between Bustin and substitute Brad Welding, the latter’s crisp drive beat Wiggins but unfortunately for the keeper came back off the post, hit him and went into the back of the net. The last 15 minutes saw the game stretched with both sides trying to find the winner. But with penalties looking almost certain came that bizarre goal. Now there has been many versions of what actually happened but I will tell it as I thought from my vantage point.

Deep into injury time the ball was lofted into the Brocton area. Bustin got his head to the ball under the challenge of two Brocton defenders. While some Tividale players were appealing for a penalty and some Brocton’s defenders claiming it was a dive, the rest of the players in and around the penalty area were looking to what decision referee Andy Ellis was going to give. And while all this was going on, the ball bounced merrily on it’s way over the Brocton goal line and sent Tividale into the semi final draw.
 

Full Time:- Tividale 3-2 Brocton

Tividale Supporters Man of the Match – Matt Hunt

 
Tividale:-1. Ryan Cheshire, 2. Bradley Welding, 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Ben Birch, 5. Dan Bryson. 6. Matt Hunt, 7. Lee Smith, 8. Liam Wilkinson (15. Reece Shilvock 72), 9. Alex Cameron (12. Bradley Welding 64), 10. Demetri Brown, 11. Curtis Cocking.

Unused Substitutes:-14. Karl Gardner, 16. Harvey Walker, 17. James Welch.