The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club
Tiverton Town 0 - 1 Swindon SupermarineSaturday 26/11/2011 FA Trophy | Tivvy Archive |
Three years ago Tiverton bowed out of the FA Trophy on penalty kicks at Kettering despite not having trailed in all 210 minutes of the tie. That was galling beyond explanation, so it was strangely far less mortifying when the Yellows fell out of the same competition due to an own goal four minutes from the end of a match against Swindon Supermarine, a match that many loyal onlookers had believed Tivvy would be able to win without the need of a replay let alone a penalty shootout. Ultimately it wasn’t to be, and on balance Swindon edged the match, their reward for having the belief to attack so forcefully in the closing stages a trip to Conference high-flyers Luton Town. A brace of signings had given further optimism to the Ladysmead faithful on the back of a run of four consecutive victories, and both Danny Clay and Andy Taylor started the game as Mark Saunders and Harry Nodwell dropped to the bench. There were no other changes to the team and for fifteen minutes or so Tiverton had the better of things, but Supermarine goalkeeper Kent Kauppinen was untroubled when Taylor’s shot was deflected slowly into his hands off Gary Horgan, and then the stopper was placed perfectly to field a low shot lacking venom from Aaron Dawson. However, after a slow start Swindon began to take a stranglehold of the game and for most of the remainder of the first half it was the visitors on the front foot, Tivvy forced deeper and deeper and unable to feed the creative trio in the advanced midfield roles. Chris Wright was neat and tidy between the sticks for the Yellows and gathered in a number of teasing crosses, and was able to breathe easily as Bradley Gray scuffed wide from Ben Wells’ right-wing cross. But the assurance of the Tiverton ’keeper was placed in doubt on twenty-five minutes as he dashed from his goal to intercept a long ball only to lose out to Steve Cook. With Wright stranded Cook only had to slide the ball into an empty net but contrived, from a tight but far from impossible angle, to draw his final touch across the face of goal and wide. Chances had been at a premium in the first half and the final acts involved two Dannys - Allen of Swindon and Clay of Tiverton – and the referee’s notebook. Allen was cautioned as Mr. Hulme in the middle finally decided he had heard enough of the moaning, while Clay took out Nick Stanley to earn his dubious reward. There was more of that in the second half, but not before Michael Nardiello had looped a header over at one end and Sean Wood had slammed a volley wide at the other. The game finally arose from something of a slumber around the hour mark when Taylor fired wide, then immediately Swindon broke upfield and Wright pushed Wood’s header around the post. Moments later the game was stretched again and Horgan was booked for a foul on Nardiello just outside the area, Kauppinen spectacularly saving Kevin Hill’s free kick which followed. And a frantic five or six minutes culminated in another chance for Supermarine, but, having skinned Liam Ellis and left him in his wake, Stanley was unable to tune his radar sufficiently and shot low and wide. Again the game degenerated into midfield squalor and the referee was significantly busier than either goalkeeper, dishing out yellow cards to Dawson and Ellis ahead of a final onslaught apiece. Tivvy worked and wasted their chances first and both fell to Nardiello. The first was difficult and the striker could only lift his shot over after Kauppinen had fumbled Josh Searle’s grass-cutter of a shot, but a few minutes later he should have done better. Ellis aimed in a deep cross on a rare occasion when the full-back was able to get into an attacking position, Joe Bushin leapt and headed the ball down in the penalty area, and Nardiello blazed his shot over and onto the terrace behind the goal, an excellent chance and, it was to prove, a costly miss. Costly because two minutes later Swindon grabbed the all-important goal. Wells flicked on with his head midway inside the Tivvy half of the pitch and right of centre, encouraging substitute Ashley Edenborough to race forward. That he did, and once in range let fly with a powerful low shot which, had no Tiverton player been near would have drifted through to Max Etheridge. As it was, Wright was in the vicinity and threw himself down in an attempt to save just as Paul Kendall launched himself at the ball. The result was that Kendall could only help the ball past his own goalkeeper and into the net with Etheridge a gleeful onlooker at the far post. There was no final charge from the Yellows, the goal having knocked the stuffing out of the team and for four minutes and then a further four of added time Swindon kept control of their lead and reduced Tivvy to hopeful long punts forward as Tom Gardner advanced to add an aerial presence. The ball never broke kindly and good fortune eluded the hosts at the very time they needed it most. The FA Trophy campaign had ended for another season. Tiverton Town: Chris Wright, Liam Ellis, Alex Faux, Kevin Hill, Paul Kendall, Tom Gardner, Aaron Dawson, Danny Clay, Michael Nardiello, Andy Taylor (Joe Bushin 72), Josh Searle Swindon Supermarine: Kent Kauppinen, Kyle Lapham, Danny Allen, Rob Dean, Tom Cole, Gary Horgan, Ben Wells, Sean Wood, Steve Cook (Ashley Edenborough 71), Bradley Gray (Max Etheridge 77), Nick Stanley Attendance: 277 |
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