The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club
Barnstaple Town 1 - 2 Tiverton TownTuesday 08/02/2000 Devon St Luke's Cup | Nigel Davis |
This was not a game for purists and certainly was not enjoyed by many of the 276 paying public as Mill Road was ravaged by gales and squally showers. Poor weather seems to be dogging Tivvy´s progress in the St Lukes this season - the previous round was played in freezing conditions down at Exmouth. The opening 90 minutes saw two freakish goals and the fear that extra time would loom. And it did. Barnstaple broke the deadlock from a first half corner‚ a few minutes from the interval. The ball was curled in and then blown back before hitting the near post and‚ before anyone could react‚ it had been bundled over the line. Such was the scramble that no-one seemed to know who had the final touch. It might even have been an own goal. With Tivvy mustering little as they battled into the wind‚ hopes were high that the second half would see some goalmouth action. Meanwhile Barnstaple were hampered by the loss of forwards Robert Gough and Richard Hill who both had to be substituted. After 69 minutes‚ Tivvy won a corner and it was swerved in by Pete Conning - just as he had done at Bilston. This time the ball was flighted about a foot lower so that‚ instead of hitting the bar as had happened up in the Midlands‚ it sailed into the far corner. A classic goal - albeit wind-assisted. Extra time proved necessary and after 25 minutes there seemed to be no breaking the deadlock. Most of the travelling fans were‚ no doubt‚ trying to work out who might be able to score from the looming penalty shoot-out. Then the game changed as we witnessed one of the brightest moves of the evening. Stuart Smith took a throw-in near the edge of the penalty box. The ball was deftly controlled by Richard Pears who turned it into Scott Rogers´ path. He rode two tackles in the six-yard box before clipping the ball back to Phil Everett and the club´s leading goalscorer needed no encouragement to knock home the winner‚ so setting up a semi-final tie at Ladysmead against the forthcoming winners of the Dawlish/Ilfracombe Second Round tie. Line up: Edwards‚ Vinnicombe‚ Saunders‚ Tatterton‚ Marker‚ Conning‚ Pears‚ Richardson‚ Everett‚ S Rogers‚ Smith. Subs: Bater (Vinnicombe 49) Nancekivell‚ M Rogers. |
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