TIVVY ARCHIVE

Tiverton Town 2 - 1 Willand Rovers

Tiverton’s least convincing match so far in the pre-season schedule resulted in a win against Willand Rovers but seldom enthralled. Josh Concanen and Nick Rudge scored the goals for the Yellows, one in each half, separated by a Dan Western equaliser for the visitors, but the game as a whole was bitty with neither team really able to play at their best.

Tivvy started brightly enough – they won a corner after just six seconds – yet allowed Willand to press forward soon after, and Rovers looked particularly dangerous down their right flank as Jake Wannell, one of seven former Town players in the Willand starting line-up enjoyed a very bright opening twenty minutes. However, it was at the end of this spell of parity that Tiverton took the lead when Concanen headed home from Sam Malsom’s cross, and Chris Wright should have doubled the advantage but swept and sliced horribly when Marcus Martin had done the hard work and put the ball into the perfect area.

Willand levelled just before half time as Malsom failed to control a pass from Alex Faux and that allowed Western to nip in and fire an excellent shot beyond Jon Viscosi in the Tivvy goal. So it was all square at the interval, the poor Tom Scott already replaced at right-back for the Yellows having spent the opening half an hour doing little other than conceding possession.

The second period was largely forgettable as a spectacle, although John Clarkson will still have learned a few things about the squad of players he has assembled, not least their inability to exploit the supposed space behind the wingbacks of an opponent playing a 3-5-2 system once Malsom was off the pitch. Rudge’s goal came when Dan Smith chipped up a cross, Matt Villis headed the ball back and the lively midfielder’s shot was deflected past Grant Fisher, and after that there were chances for Alex Gray (blocked) and at the other end Jules Emati-Emati (wide) but no further goals.

Tiverton Town: Jonathan Viscosi, Tom Scott (Alex Gray 32), Alex Faux (Chris Long 46), John Heveran, Marcus Martin (Stephen Reed 46), Tom Gardner (Matt Villis 46), Chris Wright (Nick Rudge 46), Bertie Cozic (Steve Tully 46), Adam Carter (Matt Wright 46), Josh Concanen (Dan Smith 46), Sam Malsom (Josh Searle 46)
Goals: Concanen 18, Rudge 78
Booked: Carter 8
Sent off: None

Willand Rovers: Grant Fisher, Jake Wannell (Paul Dowling 70), Russell Jee, James Clampin (Mike Humphries 51), Simon Hill, Scott Rogers, Dan Western (Liam Raybould 60), Ian Patchett (Danny Bailey 60), Dean Stamp (Joey Hawes 46), Charlie Sulley (James Ansell 34), Jules Emati-Emati
Goal: Western 44
Booked: None
Sent off: None

Attendance: 218