TIVVY ARCHIVE

Tiverton Town 2 - 3 St Ives Town

The Yellows slumped to their fourth defeat in five matches after throwing away a two-goal lead, given to them by Levi Landricombe’s nineteenth league goal and a Jamie Price header, before a second half three goal salvo, a Danny Watson penalty, a goal for Ollie Snaith and the last-minute winner from second half substitute Declan Rogers ensured the visitors from Cambridgeshire would enjoy their two hundred plus miles cross country trek home. Tivvy made two changes in personnel from those who had comfortably seen off Gosport Borough last time out, River Allen, signed on a one-month loan from Truro City, made his debut in place of Ollie Knowles who dropped to the bench while Owen Irish deputised for the unwell Ben Mammola.

Neither goalkeeper had been unduly troubled in the first quarter of an hour, Ives keeper Tim Trebes (not the same from the Jordan Rogers incident for those of you wondering) comfortably dealt with a Callum Hall effort and Martin Rice similarly saved from Watson before arguably the save of the day and one of the strangest decisions of the season so far, Landricombe’s free-kick clearly handled on its way toward goal, Rogan McGeorge with the kind of block that both Rice and Trebes would have been proud of, only for referee Pearson to award a corner rather than the spot-kick that should have followed. The decision, or lack of, seemed not to matter though as Landricombe put the Yellows ahead on twenty-one minutes, his simple finish for league goal number nineteen after brother Michael had found him in space inside the area and the chances that followed for Jared Lewington, fresh from his first goal at Gosport, but was denied from adding to the lead on three occasions, two decent saves from Trebes and when he was beaten, Dan Moyes was on hand to clear off the line would surely only mean one outcome, whilst at the other end Ives Man of the Match Tom Knowles sent a vicious free kick that deflected just wide in what was their only other notable first half effort on goal.

The second period was only just sixty seconds old though when goal number two did arrive, Price headed home with the help of the crossbar at the back post after debutant and Allen had needed two attempts to cross and from a Tivvy point of view, or so they thought, game over. The visitors though had other ideas and were handed a lifeline ten minutes later, Price going from hero to villain as his header back towards Rice fell short and stuck on the fast deteriorating pitch and was then left with no option but to foul Tom Knowles and this time Pearson did point to the spot, with no further punishment for Price and Watson duly obliged from twelve yards, sending Rice the wrong way and two one became two each with fifteen minutes remaining, again the impressive Knowles involved when he beat Rice to a through ball which squirmed loose and left Snaith the simple task of tapping in the equaliser.

Jamie Short then blazed over with other forwards better placed as the Yellows looked to restore their advantage instantly, Bath missed out on connecting with a Price header by inches soon after and then Trebes was caught out by Bath, and only cautioned, when trying to dribble his way out of trouble, but the impressive Allen blazed the free kick high and wide before arguably one the best visiting goals of the season in the dying minutes of the match. Rogers had replaced McGeorge just before the Ives equaliser and had hardly been involved, that until the ball fell to him all of twenty-five yards from goal and after a touch to steady himself he sent an effort that curled away from Rice in to the top corner that sparked delirious scenes from the visiting dug-out and the small army of travelling fans to celebrate their surprise victory.

Tiverton Town: Martin Rice, Nick Hurst (Tom Bath 72), Callum Hall, Jamie Price, Owen Irish (Jordan Rogers 78), Tom Gardner, Jamie Short, River Allen, Jared Lewington (Scott Rogers 78), Levi Landricombe, Michael Landricombe
Goals: Levi Landricombe 21, Jamie Price 46

Attendance: 312