TIVVY ARCHIVE

Tiverton Town 2 - 1 Metropolitan Police

You have to go back to the 19th October and a two nil win over Swindon Supermarine to find the last time the Yellows managed to register a victory, granted only three matches were played between then and now and two of them were the three-all draws with Yate in the FA Trophy, but a sense of welcome relief at full time as the Yellows managed to get back to winning ways with a two-one win over Met. Police.

Jared Lewington headed the home side in front two minutes before the interval with his ninth league goal of the season and Jordan Bastin doubled the lead just two minutes after the re-start with his fifth before the visitors set up a tense final few minutes as Oliver Robinson headed home in the first of four minutes injury time but the Yellows stood firm.

Steve Colwell and Noah Smerdon replaced Luke Mortimore and Jordan Bentley, both of whom were named amongst the substitutes, in the starting line-up for the only changes to those that had began the FA Trophy replay ten days earlier while the visitors, who hadn’t had a league fixture since winning two-one at Harrow Borough on the 22nd October, were without their top scorer and previous thorn in the Yellows side Jack Mazzone.

Had Mazzone started the final score might have had a different look to it as the visitors, who had won their two previous league matches, created some decent chances early on and his replacement Tom Cursons was denied superbly on two occasions by Man of the Match Lewis Williams, who also did well to deny Tyrique Clarke before fifteen minutes had been played before the Yellows first meaningful effort on goal of the afternoon saw them open the scoring two minutes before the interval. George Nancekivell swung over a delightful cross from the right byline and Jared Lewington glanced his header into the far corner past the thus far largely untroubled Police `keeper Rhys Forster.

Forster was the busier of the two goalkeepers at the start of the second half though. Straight from the re-start he did well to deny Shephard and his finger-tip save pushed another Shephard effort on to his near post moments later, unfortunately though from Forsters point of view, the ball fell perfectly for Jordan Bastin and the winger smashed home his fifth goal in five matches from close range to double the Yellows lead just two minutes after the second half had started. More chances came and went for the Yellows to extend their lead further, most notably when a George Nancekivell header from a River Allen free kick late on crashed down off the crossbar and despite the home sides protests, the ball was deemed not to have crossed the line.

Four minutes of added time were signalled at the end of the match and almost instantly the visitors set up a grand-stand finale as Police captain Oliver Robinson headed home. With their tails up the visitors pushed high for a late, late equaliser but the Yellows backline held firm to record a second successive two-one win over the Imber Court residents.

Tiverton Town: Lewis Williams, Josh Key, Noah Smerdon, George Nancekivell, Michael Landricombe, Jordan Dyer, Steve Colwell, River Allen, Jared Lewington, Jordan Bastin (Luke Mortimore 82), Chris Shephard (Tyler Elliott 82).
Goals: Jared Lewington 43 Jordan Bastin 47

Attendance: 275.