West Midland Regional League

JW Hunt Cup

Semi Final

Tuesday 30th April 2018

Sporting Khalsa 2-1 Tividale

Khalsa put Tividale out of the hunt

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For the second time in a week Tividale came up short in their attempt to add more silverware to the West Midland Regional League Shield that they won 10 days previously.

Just as it was in the FA Cup tie way back in August of last year the score was a 2-1 win to Khalsa. But although we felt unfortunate not to get at least get a replay in the first game. There can be no complaints with this result as the better side on the night won. Boss Dave King made just the one change from the side that lost on penalties against Atherstone Town, bringing in Goalkeeper Niall Maher for Ryan Cheshire.

Tividale had the first threat on goal on 4 minutes but Leon Miles stopped Dan Smith with a great tackle. From the resulting corner Matt Hunt headed over.  On 7 minutes Tom Hurdman did well to stop Jay Holdcroft before he could get his shot off and on 17 minutes Maher did well to save a Mensah Kinch shot. Khalsa’s Liam Armstrong then slalomed his way through the Tividale defence in the 20th minute before finding Holdcoft but the forward fired his shot over the bar. Khalsa’s keeper Sam Arnold then beat Demetri Brown to a through ball due to the forward’s heavy first touch saw the ball run away from him.

On 27 minutes Khalsa were ahead. Mykel Beckley’s low cross after a run down the left was clipped home at the front post by Kinch.  The rest of the half was pretty even with neither team able to create a decent chance. That was until the 42nd minute when Lee Smith played in a neat through ball to Bustin. The wing back took it down well but his chip lacked the height and Arnold took it comfortably.
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Half-Time:- Sporting Khalsa 1-0 Tividale

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At the start of the second period, Tividale again had the first decent threat on goal when a Tom Hurdman cross flashed across the Khalsa box but no Tividale player could get a touch on it. On the hour mark Dave Meese had a shot on goal after Tividale failed to clear their lines but it went wide. Then Armstrong saw his effort also dragged wide. But on 63 minutes they doubled their lead. Carlo Franco looked offside when he took the ball down but with the linesman’s flag down he attacked the Tividale box played the ball into Beckley and he slotted home from 6 yards.

A Khalsa corner was headed wide by Sean Williams on 68 minutes and 5 minutes later a Williams freekick was pushed onto the bar by Maher. Bustin had a great chance to pull a goal back on 75 minutes when from a Reece Shilvock corner he put his shot over the bar. Then the same player again had a chance on goal in the 84th minute but again he missed the target.

With the game moving into injury time Armstrong had another chance with a shot that was beaten away by Maher. Then shortly after Dan Smith cut the arrears when he cashed in on a uncharacteristic mistake in the Khalsa back line and he was left to stroke the ball into an empty net.

Tividale did cause some nervy moments in the dying seconds of the game but in the end Khalsa held out and deserved their place in the final at The Molineux against Highgate United.
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Full Time:- Sporting Khalsa 2-1 Tividale

Tividale Supporters Man of the Match – Dan Smith

Tividale:-1. Niall Maher, 2. Tom Hurdman (14. Karl Gardener 80) , 3. Darragh Bustin, 4. Ben Birch, 5. Dan Bryson, 6. Matt Hunt, 7. Lee Smith (12. Reece Shilvock 67), 8. Liam Wilkinson ( 15. Alex Cameron 75), 9. Dan Smith, 10. Demetri Brown, 11. Curtis Cocking

Unused Subs:- 16. Niall Clarke