TIVVY ARCHIVE

The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club


Tiverton Town 6 - 2 Shepshed Dynamo

Saturday 03/03/2001   Southern League First Division
Rael Matthews

After the last three disappointing results‚ Tivvy bounced back to form in style‚ and performed in the manner that we know that they can. Shepshed can have few complaints about the result as Tivvy could have scored twice as many and probably would have done so if it wasn´t for the pesky cross-bar or some excellent goal keeping. Indeed‚ Phil Everett hit the bar on no less than three occasions and can count himself very unlucky not to have his name on the scoresheet. However‚ it´s always reassuring to know that if your forwards aren´t scoring‚ the goals will come from elsewhere. That´s what happened today‚ five from midfield and one from left back.
Tivvy started in rampant mood‚ wave after wave of attack. Particularly down the right flank where Steve Ovens and Steve Winter were finding acres of space in behind the ´Ginola-esque´ Sierra Leone international player‚ Ibrahim Bah. He added much to Shepshed´s attack but didn´t seem quite so keen to move towards his own goal when not with the ball. Steve Ovens could have scored three in the opening twenty minutes but for some wayward finishing. One of these efforts hit a small boy behind the goal‚ but it was nice to see Steve take the time to make sure the boy was alright. Upon being asked‚ the lad responded with "just make sure you hit the bl***y target next time". It set the mood for the afternoon in a game in which the players looked as though they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Kevin Nancekivell opened the scoring after 24 minutes with an easy tap-in at the far post following a Steve Winter corner. If only we had his quality of delivery from set pieces last week. It really does make such a difference. Only three minutes later Tivvy found themselves further in front. Steve Winter collected the ball deep inside his own half and ran fifty yards‚ before picking out Scott Rogers on the edge of the area to side foot a well placed shot around the ´keepers out-streched hand. With Shepshed still not recovered from this blow‚ Tivvy looked to have made the game safe on 32 minutes. Some neat interplay and one-touch football around the Shepshed box gave Scott Rogers the time and space to shoot low and hard under the goal keeper into the far corner. Then‚ two minutes later‚ Phil Everett engineered some space twenty yards out and sent in a viciously dipping shot which cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar and just out of the reach off the on-rushing Kevin Nancekivell. Minutes later Phil hit the bar again‚ this time with a header from a Steve Ovens cross. It just wasn´t going to be his day.
Shepshed then found a way back into the game. As the half was coming to a close‚ they won a free kick midway inside the Tivvy half. Andy Commander placed the ball deep to the far post where Steve Wilkinson rose unchallenged to loop a header over Paul Edwards and into the net. With Shepshed still perhaps celebrating the goal‚ Nicky Marker played a long ball over the defence for Kevin Nancekivell to control neatly with his head before shooting powerfully to make the game safe.
Shepshed came out for the second half and (as expected) took the game to Tivvy but without really causing any real trouble. Tivvy gradually got back on top and on 58 minutes Stuart Smith scored his annual goal‚ when another corner was looped across by Steve Winter. Nicky Marker knocked it down for Stuart Smnith who‚ with his back to goal‚ let the ball run across his body before spinning and lashing in from three yards. Five minutes later Steve Daly scored the goal of the game when Steve Winter and Scott Rogers worked an opening and from 25 yards Steve Daly unleashed an unstoppable pile driver. The ´keeper got a hand to it but there was just too much power on the shot.
This was the signal for Tivvy to slow it down. With a potentially tricky game against in-form Bideford on Tuesday night‚ players were rested. Nicky Marker‚ Neil Saunders and Phil Everett all made way for Luke Vinnicombe‚ Pete Conning and Dave Toomey (now recovered from his eye injury). Chances were still being created though‚ as Dave Toomey‚ Scott Rogers and Steve Ovens all went tantalisingly close. However it was Shepshed who were next to score in the 83 minute when after a fine flowing move down the right wing‚ Jay Holden rose to nod in a superb cross past the helpless Paul Edwards.
For the final ten minutes Tivvy then played keep-ball to see the game out. The only disappointment being the announcement that the leading four clubs in the division all won. Still‚ if we can continue to perform like this it can only be a matter of time before we are up amongst them.

Line up: 1 Paul Edwards‚ 2 Steve Winter‚ 3 Neil Saunders‚ 4 Paul Tatterton‚ 5 Nick Marker‚ 6 Scott Rogers‚ 7 Kevin Nancekivell‚ 8 Steve Ovens‚ 9 Phil Everett‚ 10 Steve Daly‚ 11 Stuart Smith.

Subs: 12 Pete Conning (Nicky Marker 71)‚ 14 Dave Toomey (Phil Everett 75)‚ 15 Luke Vinnicombe (Neil Saunders 77).

Shepshed Dynamo: Dean Thomas‚ John Folwell‚ Andy Commander‚ Darren Manning, Lee Saunders, (Chris Gray 35), Danny McDermot, Lee Quincey (Lee Miveld 71), Jay Holtom, Steve Wilkinson (Kevin Budge 83), Lee McGlinchey, Ibrahim Bah.

Referee: Tim Curtis - Bath

This report ©2001 Rael Matthews