TIVVY ARCHIVE

Tiverton Town 2 - 1 Paulton Rovers

There appears to be an element of positive predictability about the Tiverton team as we edge closer to the resumption of competitive football. Positive as it could be suggested that the management are comfortable with the strongest line-up from the players available, and it would take some very strong performances from the bench for anyone to force themselves into the reckoning to start the opening league match against Wimborne in a couple of weeks. The Yellows continued with the 4-2-3-1 system and starting eleven which served them well against Exeter City a week earlier, so the intrigue here was how the team would be able to play from a stylistic point of view, and how they would be able to impose themselves on lesser opposition than the Grecians.

The answer to this great unknown was well enough, at least after the initial frantic surges from both sides in the opening ten minutes. Of particular note (and it will remain to be seen how significant) was the advanced positions taken up by the fullbacks, particularly Craig Woodman, and also the fact that Jordan Bastin and Andy Watkins switched flanks less than midway through the first half; not for the purpose of variety: they stayed pretty much on their respective new sides through to the reshuffling in the second half.

The first raft of substitutions saw a brief switch to 4-4-2: Watkins now up front alongside Levi Landricombe who was on in place of Jared Lewington. Ed Butcher took up position on the left, Jordan Lam on the right, and Bastin moved into the central berth vacated by the departed Dan Hayfield (Chris Shephard the other player to leave the game). This experiment lasted only a short time before Watkins left the field and Billy Craske came on to play in the Number 10 role as Town reverted to their original shape, albeit with the wingers playing slightly deeper, an effect of Paulton pressing forward more than they had done early in the match.

In terms of the action, Tiverton had much the better of the first half and took a single-goal advantage with them into the break thanks to Lewington’s fourth goal of the summer. The striker had battled well in the early stages, using his physical presence to link up play, and was rewarded with a relatively simple finish from Watkins’ cross. Bastin and Lewington had already seen efforts comfortably saved, while Paulton goalkeeper Aaron Sainsbury had to extend himself to deny Watkins just a couple of minutes after the opening goal. Elsewhere, Shephard’s effort was deflected wide, Aaron Dawson suffered a similar fate, and Lewington lifted a shot onto the crossbar as Tivvy remained in command. At the other end there was little threat, only Dave O’Hare twice missing the target, the second a skidding shot from outside the area which wasn’t too far wide.

Paulton showed more verve in the second half without being able to make it pay, so they could consider themselves slightly unlucky to drop further behind when Shephard clipped the ball over Sainsbury from the left side of the penalty area just past the hour mark. But Rovers were not overwhelmed and came back with some purpose. Their reward was a goal back through Craig Allan as the defender forced home the last in a series of corners the visitors had earned. That was it for goals, with Paulton not threatening further, while Tiverton’s Landricombe smashed in a powerful shot which was palmed away. The game became rather disjointed, and both Landricombe and Butcher seemed to give up the option of shooting in favour of each other, allowing Rovers to clear their lines for one final time.

Tiverton may have already settled on a team to a greater degree, and there were decent performances from an assured-looking Michael Peck in central defence, Kyle Egan as an attacking right-back, and the “8/10 every week” Shephard, who was this writers pick of the bunch. Hayfield’s presence was most notable once he had been taken out of the action: this coincided with a loss of balance in the midfield, although it may be that he could prove more effective slightly further forward, and it will be interesting to see if he and Dawson see their roles reversed at some stage. Butcher was feisty on the left in the final half-hour but unable to offer a telling final ball, bar one drilled cross which flashed across the face of goal with nobody yellow-clad quite in place to capitalise on. Craske showed flashes, but by the time of his introduction the match had reached an unnecessarily fast pace making it difficult for him or anyone else to play with intricacy. And finally, Lam on the right wing late on seemed something of a passenger, too deep to affect what attacking momentum Town had, and (maybe or maybe not tactically related) not showing for the ball from Egan’s throw-ins in Paulton territory.

A second game against Bideford awaits. Is there space for further players? Are there the thoughts or desires to bring in another defender to add depth and competition for places in this area of the pitch? Will the obvious promise of the squad translate itself into results when points and prizes are up for grabs?

Tiverton Town: Lewis Williams, Kyle Egan, Craig Woodman, Aaron Dawson, Michael Peck, Neil Martin, Andy Watkins (Billy Craske 75), Dan Hayfield (Jordan Lam 63), Jared Lewington (Levi Landricombe 63), Jordan Bastin, Chris Shephard (Ed Butcher 63)
Goals: Lewington 18, Shephard 61

Attendance: 135