TIVVY ARCHIVE

Tiverton Town 0 - 0 Swindon Supermarine

Those who just see the results and don’t watch the games could be forgiven for thinking Tiverton are a dull football team. Goalless draws have been ground out with alarming regularity in recent times, and on the whole the armchair critic will be right – Tivvy have not been setting too many pulses racing, particularly in the stalemates with Cambridge City and Hemel Hempstead Town. But the fourth 0-0 draw in six home games was anything but dull fare, and the Yellows were genuinely unlucky to come out of Monday evening’s game against Swindon Supermarine with just a single point.

From the outset Tivvy pressed high up the field, hurried and harried the Wiltshire side, and enjoyed much the better of the play for almost the entire first half. Within three minutes Joe Bushin went close and he latched onto a through ball from Liam head but dragged his shot across the face of goal and just wide of the mark. The move was instigated by Tom Gardner who was playing in his normal position in a curious formation that saw Adam Faux deployed in a holding midfield role and both wingbacks well advanced up their respective flanks.

It was a plan, a tactic and a formation that worked well as Swindon’s primary outlets in wide positions were forced deep, so seldom did Ashley Edenborough on the ’Marine right or Steve Cook on the left get into dangerous positions, and lone centre forward Luke Hopper was left to feed of scraps. Midfielder and captain Chris Taylor tried to force the issue for the visitors but could only shoot with intent but without conviction at Steve Book, and soon enough Tiverton were back in the driving seat.

Head was proving to be a handful and almost started and finished a goalscoring move, only to eventually head Alex Faux’s cross wide of the target, and ten minutes before half time Colin Marshall went on a mazy dribble from deep inside his own half before rattling in a shot that crashed against the top of the crossbar and fell safely on the terrace behind Matt Bulman’s goal.

But such is the story of Tiverton’s season that they were unable to find the breakthrough, and Bushin missed a glorious opportunity just before the interval when Gardner again pierced the Swindon defence, Alex Faux’s cross left Bulman grasping at thin air, and Bushin needed to just tap into an open net. However, the tap went upwards and over from no more than five yards out, Bushin swung agonisingly on the crossbar and the chance had gone.

If the first half belonged to Tiverton then things were more even after the break, although still it was the Yellows that were carving out the openings. Bushin managed to meet Marshall’s free kick but under pressure was unable to get enough on his header to cause Bulman too much concern, and then the same Tivvy player stabbed in a low shot that Bulman held to save the blushes of Gary Horgan who had made a mess of clearing Liam Head’s cross from the left.

Supermarine reshuffled up front, the same shape but in a different order as the ineffective Hopper was replaced by Nick Stanley. This meant that Edenborough was now in the centre of the three-pronged attack and twice he had a sight at goal, firstly side-footing wide from Cook’s cross, and moments later getting a good contact on a volley but aiming his shot straight into Book’s reliable hands.

Time was running out and Tiverton desperately needed a goal. Enter stage left Phil Everett, Tiverton’s record goalscorer. 378 goals to his name and 379 would be the most popular one yet should he find it. A minute after coming on in place of Elliott Frear the chance was there; Marshall pumped another free kick into the area from wide on the right, Everett threw himself head first at the ball, beat his marker, made contact and sent the ball in the right direction. Well, almost the right direction, for Bulman, in a rare moment where he had stopped whining at the linesman, was perfectly placed to gather up and fall to ground with the ball safely tucked in his midriff.

There was nothing left in the Tivvy tank. Marshall had two more free kicks to try and find a way through – the first was crossed in and then cleared, the second cannoned against the top of the Swindon defensive wall and hacked upfield. And so it ended goalless again, although this time it wasn’t a dour bore-draw but rather a pulsating and energetic display from the home side that lacked only the killer instinct.

Tiverton Town: Steve Book, Jake Wannell, Alex Faux, Mike Booth, Adam Faux, Tom Gardner, Jamie Hatch, Colin Marshall, Joe Bushin, Liam Head, Elliott Frear (Phil Everett 86)
Booked: Hatch 90+4
Sent off: None

Swindon Supermarine: Matt Bulman, Kyle Lapham, Matt Robinson, Chris Allen, Leigh Henry, Gary Horgan, Ashley Edenborough (Sam Collier 83), Sam Morris, Luke Hopper (Nick Stanley 75), Chris Taylor, Steve Cook
Booked: Henry 90+3, Lapham 90+4
Sent off: None

Attendance: 152