TIVVY ARCHIVE

The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club


Chippenham Town 4 - 2 Tiverton Town

Tuesday 16/03/2010   Southern League Premier Division
Tivvy Archive

Tiverton Town’s record at Hardenhuish Park is frankly woeful over the past few years. Since Richard Pears scored the only goal of the game in April 2006 Tiverton have travelled to Chippenham four times and lost on each occasion. Last week’s 4-2 defeat was the third time on the trot that the Bluebirds had come out on top against Tivvy, and despite the Yellows twice leading the game there can be few complaints about the result as Chippenham were stronger in all departments.

There can be plenty of complaints about the officiating of the game and both sets of supporters were perplexed as to how Referee Matthews came about some of his decisions as he proved to be close to totally inept from the first whistle to the last. He wasn’t helped by his assistants on a number of occasions and there were a host of incorrect offside decisions to go along with the hopelessly officious whistle-happy man in the middle, but that shouldn’t detract from what was otherwise in fact a rather entertaining game.

Liam Head marked his Tiverton debut in style when after just three minutes he nodded home Colin Marshall’s free kick from the right but soon enough it was the home side on the attack. Former Tiverton forward Lewis Powell flicked on a Scott Lye free kick which Steve Book gathered and Ben Highmore headed straight at the Tivvy ’keeper inside the first twenty minutes. At the other end Elliott Frear cut in from the right (he was drifting from side to side throughout the evening) and sent in a low shot which Ian Gill fumbled and then gathered at the second attempt.

Powell then beat Book from a free kick but Nathan Rudge headed off the line and Ross Adams missed the target when well placed as Chippenham pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Alex Kite should have levelled but missed an open goal at the far post from just a yard and a bit out, but the pressure from the home side eventually paid off when Rudge was ruled to have tugged Powell in the box and Powell himself smashed the resultant penalty into the net.

Book excelled to keep out Lye ten minutes into the second half, a superb save by any standards, and one that was rewarded when Tiverton went back in front. Tom Gardner’s long throw from the left was only partially cleared, Jamie Hatch found just enough space to drill in a low cross that was supposed to be a shot, and at the back post Sam Allison diverted the ball into his own net under pressure from Head.

However, the lead didn’t last and Alan Griffin stepped off the bench to tie the game with his first touch, a free header at the back post. With the momentum in their favour once again Chippenham quickly turned the game on its head with Luke Gullick setting up Lye to cleverly poke the ball past Book and just beyond the recovering Mike Booth.

So from a goal down Chippenham had taken just six minutes to take the lead and thereafter managed to stifle the game somewhat. Richard Pears’ introduction did little for Tiverton up front and with five minutes remaining Powell scored his second of the evening, a fine low shot from the edge of the area that found the net via the foot of Book’s right goalpost. Greg Tindle saw to it that the scoring was done when he cleared a Head flick off the line with Hatch looking to pick up the pieces, and Tiverton’s league position fell by one as Evesham managed to take a point from high-flying Bashley.

Chippenham: Ian Gill, Ross Adams, Greg Tindle, Alex Kite, Steve Casey, James Martin (Ashley Williams 75), Scott Lye, Luke Gullick, Lewis Powell, Ben Highmore (Alan Griffin 62), Sam Allison
Goals: Powell 43 (pen), 85, Griffin 64, Lye 68
Booked: Highmore 60
Sent off: None

Tiverton: Steve Book, Adam Faux (Tom Kington 90), Alex Faux (Richard Groves 86), Mike Booth, Nathan Rudge, Tom Gardner, Jamie Hatch, Colin Marshall, Joe Bushin, Liam Head, Elliot Frear (Richard Pears 70)
Goals: Head 3, Allison (own goal) 62
Booked: Rudge 43, Adam Faux 81
Sent off: None

Attendance: 387

This report ©2010 Tivvy Archive