The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club
Bedford Town 2 - 0 Tiverton TownSaturday 24/04/2010 Southern League Premier Division | Tivvy Archive |
Tiverton Town’s miserable season came to a disappointing conclusion on Saturday as they went down 2-0 against Bedford Town and suffered only the second relegation in the history of the club. Needing a point to guarantee safety Tiverton delivered one of their poorest performances of the campaign, and conceded two second half goals to slip into the drop zone. The unfortunate Mike Booth bundled the ball into his own net on 66 minutes to give Tivvy a mountain to climb, and Craig Daniel added a second for the hosts five minutes from time to seal the Yellows’ fate. And despite the need to press forward in an attempt to rescue a point, seldom did Tiverton threaten to break through against a team that had conceded 88 goals in their previous 41 games. From the outset it was Bedford that handled the pressure of the relegation battle better, and they could have been comfortably out of reach by half time with a bit more composure in front of goal. Callum Lewis and Derwayne Stupple dominated in midfield as Bedford peppered Steve Book’s goal, and the Tivvy goalkeeper did well to save from Lewis following a fluent move involving Daniel and Ian Draycott after just 10 minutes. Daniel fired just over when well placed shortly afterwards, and two openings for Stupple went begging as Book deflected the first away for a corner, and then the Bedford midfielder crashed a shot against the outside of the post. Tiverton were unable to string any threatening moves together and were lucky to go in at the interval all square. Ron Miller was denied when his piledriver from 30 yards was expertly tipped around the upright by Book, and the same player then fired in another long range effort but the ball sailed a foot over the bar. The second half followed the same pattern as the first, with Bedford well in command. Josh Sozzon was unable to convert two chances in quick succession soon after the restart, Phil Draycott saw a free kick helped over the top by Book, and Tom Gardner was in the perfect position to hack clear a corner that seemed goalbound. But the pressure from the home side finally paid off when Lewis escaped down the right and his near post cross was deflected past Book at the near post by the luckless Booth. Tiverton tried to respond as Richard Pears took over up front from Adam Mortimer, but the former Exeter City striker had little affect on the match. In a rare attack Colin Marshall shot over for Tiverton after Jamie Hatch’s quick free kick, but Ian Draycott should have put the game out of reach on 71 minutes only to drag a low shot wide of the target. But as the tension of the occasion began to set in for the home side the game became bogged down in midfield and chances at both ends dried up. Elliott Frear added an attacking threat for Tiverton but was comprehensively marshalled out of the game by the experienced Eddie Lawley, and with time running out Bedford struck their second to seal their own safety and consign Tiverton to relegation. Miller instigated a counter attack from deep and released Daniel on the half way line, wide on the right flank. The Bedford winger raced clear and blasted a low shot beneath Book, leaving the majority of the 406 in attendance overjoyed as the Tiverton players sank to the ground in disappointment. There was one final chance for the Yellows, but Adam Faux volleyed over Mike Armitt’s goal, and despite more than five minutes of added time there was few signs that a fightback was on the cards. Bedford Town: Mike Armitt, Rob Miller, Eddie Lawley, Jon Darby, Stuart Wall, Callum Lewis, Craig Daniel (Jamie Cole 90), Derwayne Stupple, Josh Sozzo (Junior McDougald 70), Ian Draycott, Phil Draycott (Craig Rydeheard 82) Goals: Booth (own goal) 66, Daniel 86 Booked: Sozzo 30, Wall 79, Daniel 86, McDougald 91 Sent off: None Tiverton Town: Steve Book, Jake Wannell (Tom Kington 43 (Elliott Frear 80)), Alex Faux, Mike Booth, Adam Faux, Tom Gardner, Jamie Hatch, Colin Marshall, Joe Bushin, Liam Head, Adam Mortimer (Richard Pears 68) Booked: Kington 74 Sent off: None Attendance: 406 |
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