The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club
Tiverton Town 4 - 4 Torquay UnitedTuesday 26/07/2005 Friendly | Sam Lear |
The authorities in football call these type of games “pre-season friendlies“ but any game with Devon teams certainly doesn´t match that criteria‚ and when the Gulls flew in to Ladysmead‚ it wasn´t to be any different. It was a game which saw a total of eight goals and three bookings‚ no one can complain about the entertainment value despite the cold‚ bleak weather that surrounded us as we watched Torqauy putting on pressure in the first ten minutes when crosses failed to get an end on them each time by Leon Constantine. However‚ Tiverton defended well and managed to stop Torquay have any serious goal attempts and slowly started to attack themselves. It was Tiverton who had the first attempt when a low ball was failed to cleared by the Torquay defence and Kevin Wills pounced and fired a shot from 20 yards and went over the crossbar. As time grew older a good passing build-up play resulted in a dipping shot by Moor that just crept over. It was Torquay who bounced back when a controversial decision to award an Indirect freekick after Mark Ovendale picked up a ball which in the referee´s eyes saw Nathan Rudge touch it. It was to be Leon Constantine to lay it off for Liam Coleman who blasted the ball into the goal-line wall and to rebound to Constantine who powered it in which saw the Torquay fans celebrate behind the goal after 24 minutes. Tiverton were the side dominating after the goal when two Hambly shots twice just missed the goal‚ the first being a 30 yard shot that was blasted over and the second being a cross by Moor which was volleyed over. A goal mouth scramble soon followed when a Rudge header was puched away by Marriott which landed to Hambly who´s shot was blocked which again rebounded to Hambly who´s shot was blocked and cleared. Torquay started to pile the pressure and their efforts were rewarded when a throughball by Constantine found Kuffour on the right who crossed in to the rushing Constantine who powered a header behind Ovendale which resulted in the Torquay fans delight after 40 minutes. The second half saw a change in tempo and just seconds after the whistle Sow had a crack from 30 yards to be gobbled up by Ovendale. The tempo still increased and after 52 minutes when a low cross from the left found Chris Bale 20 yards out who rocketed a shot into the bottom-left corner. Three minutes later saw a low cross by Leon Constantine to the far post to be slotted in by Joe Kuffour. It didn´t take long for another goal when another cross from the left was slotted in by Kurt Nogan from 12 yards after 56 minutes. Trying to catch our breaths had to wait when a free-kick 25 yards out was curled in by Mudge into the bottom-left corner after 58 minutes. If you have lost count it is 3-3. Then Torquay pushed for a winner and had a glorious chance when a three on one opportunity resulted in Kuffour being tackled from the incomprable Bale. Kuffour also had another chance when his effort saw the post saving Tiverton. The game wasn´t dead when Stewart Yetton out-jumped Marriott to head Tiverton into a 4-3 lead after 72 minutes which resulted in a loud roar behind the goal by the Tiverton supporters. Tiverton were unluckly to conceed an equaliser in the 73rd minute when a cross from Kuffour found Garner who´s shot from 18 yards was deflected past Ovendale to equalise to the relieved Torquay players and supporters. The game descended into the night with the tempo slowing although tensions bubbled when Rudge received a yellow card after a vicious tackle on Tony Bedeau earned him a yellow card in injury time and a foul by Woods saw himself booked. A game saw an impressive performance by Tiverton which gave their supporters hope for the long and hard-working season which hopes to see promotion to the Conference South. They host Dorchester‚ Yeovil and Weymouth before their opener against Evesham (who´s manager watched today´s game). TIVERTON: Ovendale‚ Booth (Winter‚ 60)‚ Walker‚ Milsom‚ Rudge‚ Croft (Hodge‚ 69)‚ Wills (Yetton‚ 60)‚ Bale (Kelly‚ 79)‚ Moor‚ Hambly (Booth‚ 79)‚ Nogan (Mudge‚ 60). Sub (not used): Nott. Goals: Bale (52)‚ Nogan (56)‚ Mudge (58)‚ Yetton (72). TORQUAY: Marriott‚ Hockley‚ Sharp‚ Hancox (McGlinchey‚ 55)‚ Villis (Woods‚ 26)‚ Skinner (Hill‚ 55)‚ Sako‚ Sow‚ Constantine (Garner‚ 55)‚ Kuffor‚ Coleman (Bedau‚ 55). Sub (not used): Bittner. Goals: Constantine (24)‚ Kuffour (40 & 55), Garner (73) Attendance: 484 |
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