TIVVY ARCHIVE

Tiverton Town 2 - 2 Gosport Borough

Continuing a challenging section of the season, Tiverton hosted Gosport on a heavy Ladysmead pitch, with the visitors starting the day fourth in the standings. Having held high-flying Hayes & Yeading to a goalless draw, there was no need to trepidation amongst the Yellows players and supporters, and Tivvy started brightly as they overpowered their lofty opponents in the early explorations. Nevertheless, Gosport were able to ride the storm with relative comfort before coming into the own in a scrappy first half.

Owen Howe, returning to the club again, had the first sight of goal, but his shot was weak from a tight angle, which allowed Borough’s Bert White to gather easily at his near post. Elliot Wheeler clipped the crossbar for the visitors, then Harvey Rew saw his free kick deflected, then ultimately saved by Lewis Williams. A largely uneventful and attritional first half was punctuated by a fine opening goal from Gosport fullback Harry Kavanagh, who found space on the right, stepped forward, kept stepping forward, and eventually rammed a shot across Williams and into the far corner of the net. The Yellows, undaunted, were quick to level things up as a cross from the right was fumbled by White, and with Howe lurking the keeper clumsily tripped the Tivvy forward. Louis Morison converted from the penalty sport to bury the ghost of his previous spot kick effort a week earlier.

The second half largely belonged to Tiverton, but not before Gosport had nosed ahead again. A free kick into the box fell nicely for Dan Wooden to fire home from twelve yard, capitalising on Theo Lewis’s knock-down. However, all Gosport’s good work was undone when Mike Carter was shown a straight red card for dangerous play, and Tivvy saw the chance to take advantage. Carter has been Borough’s lynchpin to that stage, putting in a fine performance, and without him on the pitch the away side looked a shadow of the team they had been.. With the game heading only in one direction, it was no surprise when the equaliser finally arrived: White punched a cross away, but not away enough, and Dan Hayfield struck a tidy first-time volley right back from whence it came, with the goalkeeper out of action, and the covering defenders unable to react quickly enough.

Tivvy pressed on and on in search of a winner. Howe, having nodded wide moments earlier, found the net from Hayfield’s free kick, but his celebrations were stalled by a late offside flag, and in the last couple of minutes a stunning goal-line clearance from Kavanagh ensured that the spoils were shared.

Tiverton Town: Lewis Williams, Kyle Egan, Craig Woodman, Aaron Dawson (Chris Shephard 82), Gary Warren, Alfie Pond, Louis Morison, Dan Hayfield, Matt Wright, Owen Howe, Jordan Lam
Goals: Morison 40p, Hayfield 72

Gosport Borough: Bert White, Harry Kavanagh, Harvey Rew, Mike Carter, Ryan Woodford, Josh Huggins, Luke Hallett, Dan Wooden (Matt Patterson 90), Theo Lewis (Matt Casey 67), Elliot Wheeler, Bedsente Gomis (Brad Lethridge 58)
Goals: Kavanagh 34, Wooden 51
Sent off: Carter 60

Attendance 334