TIVVY ARCHIVE

The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club


Weston-super-Mare 1 - 3 Tiverton Town

Tuesday 14/11/2000   Southern League Cup
Nigel Davis

This‚ by any standards‚ was one of the better games between Weston and Tivvy. It rivalled last season´s league encounter at Ladysmead but was not as one-sided; although it threatened to be embarrassingly so after a quarter of the game had passed. Tivvy started as if they all had a belated November 5th rocket shot up their posteriors and mounted attacks aplenty‚ reaping their first corner as early as the fourth minute. With Steve Ovens suffering from a calf injury (surely that would be more likely for Kevin Nancekivell???) and Pete Varley looking to be sidelined for many a month‚ Rob Speakman was drafted in from Exeter City on a one month´s loan. So‚ he partnered Dave Toomey up front. Jason Rees returned from suspension at the expense of Pete Conning to complete the line-up changes and the whole team seemed to revel in the sticky conditions.

On a pitch that is not normally conducive to the passing game‚ Tivvy conjured up a wonderful opening goal from just that vogue of football. It was a five-man move involving crisp first-time passing‚ finished off with aplomb by Steve Daly who hit a looping shot over Ray Johnston to open the scoring in the 18th minute. Four minutes later‚ after almost constant Tivvy domination‚ Jason Rees´ cross was converted by Nick Marker´s trusted head and‚ within 60 seconds‚ it was 3-0 as Stuart Smith´s cross to the back stick was neatly headed back across the six-yard box by Phil Everett for Scott Rogers to nod home. It looked as if it would be a riot but Weston defended stoutly to keep themselves in the game.

Within two minutes of the start of the second half‚ Weston´s debutant Ryan King (signed from Backwell and formerly with Tivvy) crashed home an amazing rising drive to make it 3-1 and it was game on once more. There then ensued an end-to-end encounter with Weston pulling out all the stops to deny Tivvy a further goal. Occasionally these went over the boundaries of legitimacy and‚ consequently‚ they received three bookings; Andrew Smith (63)‚ Dave Watts (68) and Lee Relish (72). Watts was a tad lucky to stay on the park as his foul was on Steadman who was through on goal‚ Watts being the last man. However it is possible that the referee took the view that he had let Paul Tatterton off with a 56th minute booking when‚ maybe‚ he could have sent the former Weston man in for an early bath (if the crowd are to be believed).

Pete Conning replaced Rees with 15 minutes remaining and the nearest Tivvy came to adding to their tally was when Stuart Smith came steaming in after 79 minutes‚ got his foot to a cross‚ but saw the ball fly inches over. Up the other end‚ Paul Edwards had a couple of shots to deal with but Weston´s forwards were kept at bay by a solid defensive performance. The busiest man was probably their keeper‚ Johnston‚ who not only had to make a string of saves‚ he also had to act as sweeper‚ haring out of his box to hack the ball clear off the toes of a visiting forager on half a dozen occasions.


Tiverton Town: Paul Edwards‚ Stuart Smith‚ Neil Saunders‚ Paul Tatterton‚ Nick Marker‚ Scott Rogers‚ Jason Rees (Pete Conning 75)‚ Dave Toomey‚ Phil Everett‚ Steve Daly‚ Rob Speakman
Goals: Daly 18, Marker 22, Rogers 23

Weston-super-Mare: Ray Johnston‚ Norman Parselle (Justion Pritchard 46)‚ Micky Copeman‚ Sean Wharton‚ Alan Bird‚ Dave Watts, Jody Bevan, Andrew Smith, Barry McConnell, Ryan King, Lee Relish
Goal: King 47

Attendance: 205


This report ©2000 Nigel Davis