The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club
Shepshed Dynamo 3 - 3 Tiverton TownSaturday 26/08/2000 Southern League First Division | Nigel Davis |
Well‚ we knew we would be in for a treat as Shepshed know how to play football - and they didn´t disappoint. Tivvy‚ without Steve Daly who cried off on Friday‚ started with Steve Ovens in his place‚ which was a surprise as the safe option was to play Pete Conning there. It was uncharacteristic of Martyn Rogers to take a gamble and‚ unfortunately‚ on the day it backfired. Saying that‚ Ovens was not at fault for any of the goals but our midfield never got the chance to dominate and Shesphed caught us cold. The game was a great advert for the Dr Martens League and it was played in excellent spirits with hardly a bad challenge all afternoon. Certainly there was no sign of the terrible time-wasting that Solihull preferred or the cynical challenges and swearing that were Cinderford´s trademark on Tuesday. No‚ on a day when teams up and down the land were found whistling ‘The Great Escape´ come a quarter to five‚ we were treated to the sort of game to savour. It was attack‚ attack‚ attack all the way - from both sides - but‚ at least at the beginning‚ the defences were at their best. After six minutes‚ Richard Pears had a snap shot which flew just wide then‚ seven minutes later Steve Ovens got in our first shot on target - but straight at keeper Dean Thomas. Shepshed took the lead in the 17th minute when centre-forward Kevin Budge let one rip. Within three minutes‚ Nick Marker was the width of the cross-bar away from heading the equaliser and then‚ two minutes later‚ Lee Quincey was put clear through to strike home Shepshed´s second. A well taken goal. Tivvy came close to reducing the deficit within a couple of minutes through Scott Rogers who screwed his shot wide but they found the net on the half hour with the goal of the game. It was a superb move involving one-touch passing and a sublime back heel from Phil Everett that gave Scott Rogers (who had started the move) the chance to slide the ball leftwards into Dave Leonard´s path. He hit a peach of a rising drive into the roof of the net that lifted all the Tivvy hearts. Brilliant stuff. But Shepshed had other ideas and it came from their ramping up the pressure. Jason Rees lost the ball on the half-way line down Tivvy´s left wing. Neil Saunders was put under pressure with a delicate lob that he had to clear with his face to goal by scooping the ball back over his head. The ball landed back in the path of a home player and it was quickly passed to the unmarked Lee McGlinchey who chipped the ball over Paul Edwards. Some of the home camp thought it was a bit of a fluke but it was what Shepshed deserved and‚ being in the 42nd minute‚ could have killed off the game. But we are talking Tivvy here and the Yellows are made of sterner stuff. Indeed‚ just before half-time‚ Richard Pears came close when he crashed the ball just over from a tight angle. At the start of the second half‚ Luke Vinnicombe replaced Dominic Richardson and Tivvy certainly enjoyed more of the possession down the right. After 59 minutes‚ Tivvy pulled it back to 3-2 when Scott Rogers touched the ball home and we sniffed the whiff of victory. Four minutes later‚ Pete Conning replaced Steve Ovens and in the 68th minute‚ Dave Leonard was fouled in the box - penalty! It was left to Nick Marker to step up to the spot. Stuart Smith‚ warming up in front of me‚ couldn´t watch... But Marker made no mistake and we were level. Tivvy had so much possession in the final quarter of the game‚ they could and should have won it. It was strange that‚ despite having Pete Conning on the park‚ all the corners were still being taken by Scott Rogers. It would have been nice to have varied it a bit and Conning has showed how deadly he can be. Remember up at RC Warwick and Bilston? But he never got the chance. A great shame. At the death‚ it looked as if Tivvy might even be denied a point. Nick Marker looked to have put in a rather too robust challenge in and the assistant referee on the far side flagged. The referee scampered over to him and adjudged that it should be a corner to Shepshed‚ when some thought it could have been a penalty. Whew! So‚ for the second Saturday‚ Tivvy have come from behind to grab a point. Now they need to tighten up that defence and‚ maybe‚ just maybe‚ the partnership of Marker and Smith that did so well against Plymouth Argyle should be given another chance. Roll on Monday´s game at home to Weston. Goals are guaranteed... Line up: 1. Paul Edwards‚ 2. Dominic Richardson‚ 3. Neil Saunders‚ 4. Paul Tatterton‚ 5. Nick Marker, 6. Scott Rogers, 7. Jason Rees, 8. Richard Pears, 9. Phil Everett, 10. Steve Ovens, 11. Dave Leonard, Subs: 12. Pete Conning (Steve Ovens 85), 14. Stuart Smith, 15. Pete Conning, Luke Vinnicombe (for Dom Richardson, h/t). SHEPSHED DYNAMO 1 Dean Thomas, 2 Ashley Brown, 3 Andy Green, 4 Michael Cox, 5 Lee Saunders, 6 Lee Quincey, 7 Mark Simpson, 8 Michael McLarnon, 9 Kevin Budge, 10 Lee McGlinchey, 11 Ibrahim Bah, 12, Chris Hubbard, 14 Jermaine Rainford (for Ibrahim Bah, 62m), 15 Jon Brailsford (for Mark Simson, 73m). |
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