TIVVY ARCHIVE

Tiverton Town 4 - 1 Basingstoke Town

With both sides level on points and an identical won, drew and lost record before kick-off and goal difference not a million miles apart either, it would have been taken a brave soul to predict the final score of a home win by four to one but come the final whistle, nothing more than the Yellows deserved. They had, however, to come from behind to secure the latest victory as Dean Stow fired Basingstoke ahead on twenty-seven minutes from the penalty spot, Jordan Rogers heading home from a corner three minutes later to send the sides in level at the interval before second half goals from the Landricombe brothers either side of a Tom Bath strike to cap an excellent performance and send the Yellows joint top of the league.

Manager Martyn Rogers stuck with the same starting XI that had beaten Dorchester Town last time out to seal progress in to the Third Qualifying round of the FA cup, which meant only a place on the bench for defender Tom Gardner as he closes in on his 600th appearance while the visitors made two changes after bowing out of the FA cup to Bristol Manor Farm, which included a return to the starting line up for Sam Argent, who scored five out of the six goals the Yellows conceded at Basingstoke last season. Early Tiverton corners brought about no reward before Argent struck the first meaningful shot of the afternoon, Armstrong, though, dived to his left and saved well and at the other end `Stoke keeper McAdden saved comfortably from Levi Landricombe. Referee Martin Underhay then decided to award the visiting side a penalty at the swimming pool end of the ground for the second time this season, twenty-seven minutes in, to give the visitors the opportunity to take the lead and Dean Stow duly obliged, sending Armstrong the wrong way from twelve yards. That was about as good as it got for the visitors though, the Yellows quickly back on terms as a Jordan Rogers near post header from a River Allen corner restored parity just three minutes later and only some last ditch defending and brave blocks from Argent and James Orvis prevented the Yellows going into the interval ahead.

Levi Landricombe had lobbed narrowly over the crossbar in the first half, latching onto a Davis through ball and at the start of the second half another attempt to lob McAdden drifted wide after Rogers had released him before his brother Michael showed him where the back of the net was, when he emphatically headed home another River Allen corner with fifty-five on the clock and only five minutes later two became three. This time Michael Landricombe turned provider, his forward pass left defenders stood with arms raised waiting for an offside flag, much to the disgust of the visitors dugout, that was never coming and Tom Bath fired home at the second attempt after McAdden had saved his first and with sixteen of the scheduled ninety minutes remaining, Levi Landricombe lobbed home number four of the afternoon after he latched on to a delicious through ball from sponsors Man of the Match River Allen.

Tiverton Town: Liam Armstrong, Josh Key, Nick Hurst (Callum Hall 90), Jamie Price, Ben Mammola, Michael Landricombe, Harrison Davis (Ethan Phillips 78), River Allen, Tom Bath, Levi Landricombe, Jordan Rogers (Joel Randall 81)
Goals: Jordan Rogers 30, Michael Landricombe 55, Tom Bath 60, Levi Landricombe 74

Attendance: 253