TIVVY ARCHIVE

Tiverton Town 1 - 1 Cheshunt

Cheshunt came to Ladysmead looking for a point‚ for a while thought they might go home with nothing‚ but then discovered too late that all three might have been on offer as they achieved their aim with this 1-1 draw. For once Tivvy had only to make one change with Milsom missing‚ but it was Cheshunt who started the brighter without really threatening.

The advantage soon swung in Tivvy´s favour with Mudge executing a drag back and shot from the edge of the area that the keeper only held at the second attempt. Then it was Pears receiving a cross on the left of the area and shooting into the side netting. Mudge then broke on goal with A Fenton in pursuit. The tackle had to be spot on and it was‚ the first of several the No 5 was to make. Davies and Pears worked a slick triangular move down the left‚ which delivered a cross onto the head of Bale‚ but he failed to hit the target. Pears then received a throw on the Cheshunt goal line‚ turned his defender and fired in a fierce shot that the keeper did well to save with his legs.

By now Cheshunt were playing with eleven men back in their half‚ only mounting the occasional breakaway‚ but try as they might Tivvy could not achieve the breakthrough. Encouragingly more shots were on target than in recent games but a Cheshunt boot‚ body or whatever always seemed to intervene. Typical of their luck was a corner played to the far post where Pears executed an overhead kick which happened to pick out the keeper on his line‚ swiftly followed by a Mudge shot that was going wide but was deflected goal bound by a defender. Unfortunately the keeper happened to be standing in the right place and the danger passed.

Mudge took the perfect corner‚ which flashed across the six-yard box without anyone getting a touch. Bale then fed Mudge with a pull back but again the shot was blocked. Pears picked up the rebound‚ wriggled through defenders and passed back to Mudge and this time his shot was tipped over the bar. Mudge and Pears executed a neat headed interchange that put Mudge away but A Fenton was there again with another good tackle. The half finished with Pears missing a free header from a corner but almost redeeming himself with a powerful run down the left finishing with a fierce shot that once again was blocked.

If the 521 crowd wondered where a goal was going to come from they didn´t have to wait long after the restart. Within a couple of minutes Hutchinson had played Booth down the right. His whipped cross arrived at the far post where it was met by Davies´ low diving header and the breakthrough had been achieved. So Cheshunt would now have to come forward‚ Tivvy would have more space and a comfortable win was in prospect. Unfortunately not so.

With no pressure on them up until now the home defence had not been stretched‚ but the absence of the likes of Milsom began to be felt as Cheshunt quickly discovered that a more attacking strategy could pay dividends‚ and within five minutes of going behind they were level. Tivvy were left exposed on their left flank and D Fenton homed in on goal firing in a fierce shot that Ovendale could only deflect away for a corner. Over came the corner to the near post where it was flicked onto Bernard who headed it in.

From this point on the only team that looked likely to win the game was the visitors. Gregorio put Opara in but his cross shot went wide whilst the home players confidence deserted them as they reverted to hopeful long balls forward and the defence offered too much space to their opponents. Frustration grew as Ampadu saw yellow for a rash tackle and Pears‚ who had failed with an optimistic penalty appeal‚ followed suit.

A Tivvy mix up on the half way line let Gregorio free but luckily his shot was wayward. Then Opara and Ovendale were involved in a race for a through ball fifteen yards out of the area. Ovendale made the tackle and the game subsided to a conclusion.

Hard game to summarise. Second half was a worry. Hopefully all it needs is a couple of the experienced injured players to return.