TIVVY ARCHIVE

Evesham United 2 - 0 Tiverton Town

The curtain came down on Tiverton’s road trips for the season in a manner all too familiar as the Yellows lost 2-0 at Evesham United with Luke Corbett scoring a goal in each half. The two strikes both had an element of sloppy defending about them, but otherwise Tivvy were reasonably solid at the back, and the defeat was as much about the lack of incisiveness at the other end of the pitch where Town created a number of chances but were unable to truly extend United goalkeeper Ben McNamara until late in the game, y which time it was too late to make much of a difference.

Individually there were no particularly poor performances but on the other hand no-one in yellow shone brightly either so it would be unfair to pin the blame at anybody’s feet. True, a breakdown in communication between Chris McGrath and Chris Wright gifted Corbett the chance to open the scoring in the eighteenth minute, and some sleepy positional play early in the second half was also punished; beyond that it was all rather solid yet uninspiring: Tiverton have played better in defeat and worse in victory.

In the first half McNamara made four saves yet never had to move his feet as a header from Kyle Bassett and then shots from Jesse Howe, Chris McGrath and Michael Nardiello were all fielded easily. Only once was the United goalkeeper forced into a degree of panic – when Nardiello changed down his clearance – but having received the ball from Jared Wilson McNamara was relieved and a bit lucky as he watched his blocked punt cannon off the Tivvy striker and roll a few feet wide of the post. The Yellows had battled diligently and perhaps shaded the first half in terms of the balance of play, but Wright was nonetheless still called upon to save from Wilson early in the game, a save he made, fumbled and then saw cleared upfield. The situation was repeated in time added at the end of the half due to an injury to Nathan Hands which had seen the Evesham winger replaced: Chris Jackson dipped a free kick over the defensive wall, Wright parried and Josh Concanen was on hand to belt the ball away from danger. The first goal was simple and gifted – a long ball forward fell out of the air with Wright shouting as if to indicate he would take responsibility. McGrath still attempted but missed a headed clearance and Cornett was alive to the opportunity, nipped in between the par, took the ball around Wright and rolled it into the net from a tight but manageable angle. Tiverton responded well but were either unlucky or lacked judgement. Nardiello had a shot deflected behind, Tom Gardner met the corner that followed but his header was cleared off the line by Leigh Downing, and Bassett volleyed over from close range as he met a fine cross from Tasker.

Although there were signs of hope throughout the second half seldom was there a genuine threat on McNamara’s goal and the game took on a similar pattern to the first half with Evesham scoring early and then Tivvy trying hard but not quite showing the knowhow to fully break down the home defence. It left the Yellows having to attempt to beat McNamara from distance, something which Howe came nowhere near to achieving when he sliced a dozen yards wide from the edge of the area. After Corbett had converted James Blake’s cross to double Evesham’s lead there seemed little hope for Tiverton, and clearly luck had taken a holiday as Tasker’s skimming shot narrowly evaded the target. Nardiello saw a header tipped over the bar and a shot easily saved, Jules Emati-Emati did the hard work to cut inside and beyond Richard Mansell but then dragged his shot into the side netting, and only after the introduction of Max Bristow did the Yellows look as if they could stretch the Evesham defence to breaking point. Bristow had two shots well saved by McNamara as he injected a bit of pace and directness into the front line, but otherwise was a little too deliberate and lacked instinctiveness: it was largely a bit too easy for United to hold onto their advantage. That was an advantage that could have been greater had Corbett not been a bit too keen to grab a hat-trick – he was shooting from all sorts of silly places on occasions when teammates were better positioned, and Wilson too went for the spectacular from way out when it may have been a better option to move the ball on.

For Evesham this readiness to shoot on sight in the second half had no negative consequences as the points were in the bag anyway. For Tivvy the contemplation of another defeat further sours what has been a very demanding four or five months. One test remains, and against a team in sublime form. Sholing will play their last Southern League match at Ladysmead next weekend; one must wonder how many of Tiverton’s players will be doing the same.

Evesham United: Ben McNamara, Jared Wilson, Richard Mansell, Matt Sysum, Chris Jackson, James Blake, Leigh Downing, Jamal Clarke, Luke Corbett, Leon Kandekore (Josh Gould 89), Nathan Hands (Aaron Daniels 45)
Goals: Cornett 18, 54
Booked: None
Sent off: None

Tiverton Town: Chris Wright, Josh Concanen, Lewis Tasker, Jimmy Hinds (Max Bristow 73), Chris McGrath, Tom Gardner, Josh Searle, Kevin Hill, Michael Nardiello, Kyle Bassett (Jules Emati-Emati 57), Jesse Howe
Booked: None
Sent off: None

Attendance: 297