TIVVY ARCHIVE

The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club


Tiverton Town 2 - 2 Bashley

Tuesday 08/02/2011   Southern League Premier Division
Tivvy Archive

It is a mark of the improvement in performances and results over the past few weeks that there was a somewhat hollow feeling of disappointment at the end of Tuesday’s encounter against Bashley. Six weeks ago a point would have been seen as a step in the right direction, but on the back of three victories, and particularly the manner in which Tiverton surrendered two points, although another bright showing was delivered there was a few curses of luck around Ladysmead.

The Yellows did everything but win handsomely but they were forced to do it the hard way after a defensive lapse donated Bashley an early goal. But second half strikes from Joe Bushin and Kevin Hill put Tivvy in command, and it was a late, late equaliser from the visitors that ensured the points were eventually shared.

To their immense credit Bashley hung on when it looked like they could have been in for a pasting which allowed them to stay in touch, but they were also the first team to show willing at the start of the game, albeit only for the first five or six minutes. And by that time they had edged their noses in front thanks to midfielder Tom Hill capitalising on an understruck backpass to nip in and steer a shot past Ryan Draper.

Hill almost lucked into a second goal after quarter of an hour but even by this stage Tiverton were starting to press forward and Bash had the need to ensure they were well organised in defence as they started to also pack the midfield in an effort to stifle the home side and an increasingly nippy passing game.

Bushin sent a shot on the turn wide of Joe Prodomo’s left upright having connected with Ian Sampson’s pullback, and half-hearted claims for a penalty fell on justifiably deaf referee’s ears when Chris Mason simply didn’t handle in one of many goalmouth scrambles. Undeterred, on Tivvy pushed and Ryan Leonard proved he is able to strike a ball just as sweetly as his old man when he dipped in a shot from the edge of the area which Prodomo carelessly allowed to strike the base of the post before bundling the ball behind for a corner.

It was one-way traffic the likes of which Ladysmead hasn’t seen from Tivvy for some time – Bushin should have equalised when the ball fell to his as Michael Nardiello forced Prodomo to spill, Leonard against forced the Bashley goalkeeper into a save that lacked conviction but somehow got the job done, and just before the break Sampson diverted Liam Ellis’s deep cross from the left just a few inches the wrong side of the post. All the while Bashley didn’t do a great deal other than defend, a solitary teasing cross by Dave Allen that split the Tivvy penalty area, evaded everyone and went out for a goal kick was one of few forays forward the visitors were able to muster.

Half two started just like half one with Bashley refreshed and ready to attack. And for five minutes they did without creating anything. Soon, however, it was back to the old routine with Hill, Sampson and Russell Jee getting stuck in consistently and not allowing the visitors to settle in the central third. Tivvy’s equaliser came as a result of such perseverance when Sampson robbed Chris Ferrett on the right when he had no right. Having won a crunching tackle the Tivvy winger advanced down the flank and sent in a cross towards the back post that was agonisingly too high for Nardiello. But Bushin steamed in at the last moment and sent a header beyond Prodomo for a deserved leveller.

Sampson twice had half-chances from left-sided corners soon afterwards, and Tiverton’s determination and impressive build-up play continued to open up spaces in the Bashley defence. Just past the hour mark a second Yellows goal arrived and although it didn’t require a great deal of creativity in the build-up it did see a sublime low shot from Kevin Hill that had eyes only for the bottom corner. Prodomo had barely covered himself in glory to that point but he had no chance with this one.

And then somebody flipped the egg-timer. It is natural that the team leading won’t press forward without undue caution; it is natural that the team trailing will need to be more assertive in their attacking play. Tivvy had already put in a fine shift and the legs were hanging off by this stage; Bash needed to go for it and go for it they did, owning the last fifteen minutes of the game.

Chris Knowles could and should have tied things up on 77 minutes when he was given the space to direct a free header at goal. But Knowles directed Ryan Murray’s cross only onto the bar with Draper beaten. Tivvy’s luck was in, and although the visitors has lots more of the ball in the closing stages their sights were misaligned and only a sequence of high and wide shots brought Draper into action as a goal-kick taker.

Until the last minute. A little game if ping and pong in an around the Tivvy penalty area, a small bit of daylight for Knowles a shot every bit as well struck as Hill’s shot earlier, a goal after 89 minutes and 30 seconds. Added time, all three minutes of it produced nothing except a yellow card for Chris Mason for a foul on Sampson and honours were even after a pulsating game of football that would have been enjoyed more by Tivvy fans than Bashley fans. The Yellows had things their own way for 65 minutes of the game,could have scored half a dozen but didn’t. Bashley kept plugging away, kept in touch and capitalised.


Tiverton Town: Ryan Draper, Ian Sampson, Ryan Turner, Kevin Hill, Liam Ellis, Tom Gardner, Adam Faux, Russell Jee (David Steele 84), Michael Nardiello, Joe Bushin, Ryan Leonard
Goals: Bushin 52, Kevin Hill 64
Booked: Leonard 89
Sent off: None

Bashley: Joe Prodomo, Jack Smith, Chris Ferrett (Ryan Murray 71), Gary Middleton, Luke Whitley, Chris Knowles, Tom Hill (Joe Collins 75), Chris Mason, Dave Allen, Mark Gamble, Ian Oliver
Goals: Tom Hill 3, Knowles 90
Booked: Oliver 49, Middleton 74, Mason 90+3
Sent off: None

Attendance: 190


This report ©2011 Tivvy Archive