TIVVY ARCHIVE

The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club


Tiverton Town 0 - 2 Farnborough

Saturday 23/08/2008   Southern League Premier Division
Tivvy Archive

Once-upon-a-time it was Crawley Town that held an Indian Sign over Tiverton; no matter what we did we couldn’t get the better of the north Sussex team, and there are early signs that Farnborough are ready to take over this mantle, particularly here at Ladysmead. Boro have now visited three times without defeat, and although our only trip to Cherrywood Road, back in 1994, resulted in victory to Tivvy, the odds would seemingly be against a repeat in the new year. Farnborough negotiated the heavy weekend traffic on the A303, arrived 25 minutes from kick-off but didn’t look at all jaded. They passed, moved, created, scored and went home with a 2-0 victory, a comfortable 2-0 victory for their troubles.

But like a greyhound out of the traps they weren’t; the early explorations from both sides were cautious and even, and Boro’s Rob Saunders had to be on his game to dispossess Matt Groves at the end of a mazy run inside the first couple of minutes, while at the Swimming Pool end Adam Faux needed all his guile to poke the ball away from the useful Michael Charles as the Farnborough forward exchanged passes with Mark Gamble and advanced into the penalty area. Charles caused no end of problems to the Yellows’ defensive line, but even he was quiet compared to his teammate Darren Wheeler out on the left flank. Having skipped a sliding challenge just seven minutes into proceedings Wheeler sliced his cross but had shown enough to indicate the threat his pace and skill would have, and another half chance went begging when he latched onto a lazy misplaced pass from Bobby Hopkinson only to drag a shot well wide of the target.

Tiverton were becoming overrun, they were second best by this stage, and only a weak header from Arran Pugh that went directly into the arms of Lyall Beazley, and a curling effort from Tom Knighton that sailed harmlessly past the post gave Boro any cause for concern. Tow minutes after Mark Saunders had sliced a shot two yards forward and fifteen yards upwards the visitors took the lead, with Charles once again at the centre of the action. A neat 1-2 with Nic Ciardini helped him shake off the attentions of Scott Hiley and Tom Gardner, and a deep cross towards the far post was too high for Steve Book, leaving Leigh Rumbold with an easy task of nodding the ball inside the far post from six yards out.

Ryan Scott and then Gamble both missed the target, both having benefited from more fine link up play involving Charles, and Rob Saunders sent in an audacious effort from well out that Book gathered comfortably. Meanwhile Tivvy finally forced Beazley into action ten minutes before the break, Groves early shot heading towards the top corner only for the Farborough ‘keeper to launch himself to the left and pluck the ball from the air. It was the closest the home side would come to pulling level.

On the resumption the dominance of the visitors increased, and further sloppy passing, this time from Tom Knighton set Gamble away, but his shot was saved instinctively by Book’s feet. Pugh picked up a third yellow card in three games for a clumsy lunge on Scott, and two minutes lated the ball was once more in the Tivvy net, Ciardini slipping a through ball to Charles to slot home, only for the linesman to belatedly lift his flag.

Tiverton won their first corner of the game after 69 minutes but it, like everything before, amounted to nothing, and Pugh had a header deflected over the top as the hosts tried to force the issue. However, on the whole Farnborough were in control, and the win was secured in the first minute of stoppage time thanks to a powerful headed from substitute Marcus Richardson. The build up was moderately controversial - Rumbold had chopped down Alex Faux, much to the chagrin of elder brother Adam, and picked up a yellow card in the process. Minutes later the Boro man picked the ball up on the half way line, Alex came charging in, fire in his eyes, missed the ball, missed the player and slid out of bounds. Rumbold was away and fed the ball to David Ray to curl in the cross which was perfect for Richardson to bullet into the corner of the net. The goal was as much a result of petulance (or exuberance of youth if we are to be kind) as it was clinical passing and movement from Farnborough. We will learn…


Tiverton Town: Steve Book; Scott Hiley, Chris Vinnicombe (Alex Faux 75), Adam Faux, Nathan Rudge, Tom Gardner, Arran Pugh (Glenn Gould 75), Bobby Hopkinson, Tom Knighton, Mark Saunders, Matt Groves (Paul Wyatt 55)
Booked: Pugh 62, Vinnicombe 71
Sent Off: None

Farnborough: Lyall Beazley; David Ray, Nic Ciardini, David Woozley, Adam Doyle, Leigh Rumbold, Rob Saunders, Ryan Scott, Mark Gamble (Paul Harkness 72), Michael-Lee Charles (Marcus Richardson 79), Darren Wheeler
Goals: Rumbold 19, Richardson 90
Booked: Rumbold 87
Sent Off: None

Attendance: 436


This report ©2008 Tivvy Archive