TIVVY ARCHIVE

Harrow Borough 2 - 2 Tiverton Town

Probably not too many of you will remember the name Hafed Al-Droubi but he will remember Tiverton Town for some time to come. Wind the clock back as near as makes no difference twelve months and the then Chesham United goalkeeper was helpless to prevent Jamie Short spectacularly equalising in second half stoppage time for a just about deserved share of the spoils. Al-Droubi was the on the wrong end of similar treatment once again, this time as the Harrow Borough `keeper when a Nick Hurst back post header rescued a point for the Yellows (played in white) in the dying embers of, without being too cliché, a game of two halves.

An unchanged starting eleven for the fourth game in a row, with the mantra of “why change a winning line-up” ringing true, certainly seemed a sensible decision until half time anyway. River Allen had had a shot from the edge of the area blocked early on, eventual Man of the Match Josh Key ghosted past several defenders before dragging a left foot shot narrowly wide of Al-Droubi`s left hand post and a Levi Landricombe free kick went high and wide before the mercurial marksman opened the scoring on eleven minutes for goal number ninety-eight on his 128th Tiverton appearance. Harry Evans` flick on landed at Landricombes feet with his back to goal, some 25 yards out, he turned and left footed smashed an unstoppable drive in to the corner. Harrow Borough had yet to really get started but full back George Moore stung the palms of Armstrong with a rasping drive on twenty minutes, a combination of Michael Landricombe and Armstrong thwarted midfielder Frank Keita on the half hour and flying winger Anthony O`Connor was getting the better of Mammola, who had spent the early part of the previous week nursing an upset stomach, Keita then cautioned for a crude, from behind, challenge on Levi Landricombe before the break and the resulting free kick was inches away from doubling the visitors advantage.

An end to end beginning of the second period resulted in chances for both sides, Lewis Cole for the hosts and Bath for the Yellows both drew decent saves from their opposing `keepers before `Boro drew level, Anthony O`Connor given the freedom of the aptly named Rogers Family Stadium to fire past Armstrong on 57 minutes and O`Connor was heavily involved again when the hosts, somewhat deservedly, took the lead fourteen minutes from time when George Moore got on the end of O`Connors` delivery to side foot home after Mammola had been caught for pace again.

Levi Landricombe thought he had restored parity ten minutes from time after Jordan Rogers had sent him through, his celebrations cut short though by a correctly called offside decision and when Hurst drilled wide of the far post after cutting in off the left wing with time running out, all in sundry would have been forgiven for thinking that was that. Josh Key and Jamie Price had other ideas though, when they combined down the right hand side to allow the latter to deliver to the back post and Nick Hurst crept in un-noticed to head home his seventh goal for Tivvy to maintain the Yellows unbeaten start to the season.

Tiverton Town: Liam Armstrong, Josh Key, Nick Hurst, Jamie Price, Ben Mammola (Ethan Phillips 78), Tom Gardner, Harry Evans (Harrison Davis 68), River Allen, Tom Bath (Jordan Rogers 68), Levi Landricombe, Michael Landricombe
Goals: Levi Landricombe 11, Nick Hurst 90+2

Attendance: 150