TIVVY ARCHIVE

The unofficial archives of Tiverton Town Football Club


Grays Athletic 3 - 1 Tiverton Town

Saturday 30/11/2002   FA Trophy
John Reidy

My position with regard to Tiverton Town Football Club has always been‚ is‚ and always will be primarily as a fan and supporter. As such I give what I can‚ albeit it is not much‚ to Tivvy. I have a commitment to the club‚ it´s players‚ and through these reports on this site‚ to my fellow fans. Were my degree of passion‚ commitment and endeavour in writing this report of the FA Trophy 2nd Round tie at Grays Athletic to reflect that shown on the field then I could switch off my computer now. I will not. Self inflicted it may be‚ but I feel I have a duty to do what is expected of me. I´ll make no attempt at eloquent prose as a preamble to the game; none is justified. on this occasion there was nothing worthy of ´eloquence´ to report.

The opening exchanges were what might have been expected from two sides that knew little or nothing about each other. A low key exploration of each others abilities that provided little excitement for spectators‚ and even when the initial fumblings were over‚ deeper exploration was tentative. The only notable happening in the first ten minutes was when Grays frontman Danny Hayzeleden appeared to catch his foot in a divot as he sped away from Steve Winter‚ continuing after treatment but pulling up again almost immediately and limping off to be replaced by substitute Sammy Cooper. It was the Ryman League side that first found and activated a game plan. After 13 minutes they were awarded a free kick‚ whipped in long and high by Jeff Woolsey. The ball beat the Tiverton defence and fell to Mark Stimson whose effort flew high over the crossbar but at least the action had began. Within a couple of minutes hopes were rising that there was going to be an overall picking up in the pace of the game as the Yellows attacked and Phil Everett won a corner on the right. I am not totally against the concept of ´short corners´ as long as they are taken as this one was. Laid in by Rees towards the corner of the penalty area‚ it had the Grays defence moving out and the Town forwards mobile in the area‚ rather than involved in the normal push‚ shove and tug that goes on at these set pieces. Swiftly returned to the taker the ball was then crossed hard into the box where Kevin Nancekivell connected with a glancing header that flew across the face of the goal and past the upright. Three minutes further on and Grays - who were also The Blues - created the best multi player move of the game so far. Flowing from one side of the field to the other it was completed with another shot that rose to safety above the woodwork‚ this time by Andy Douglas who was to prove to be a handful for the Tiverton defence all afternoon. Nancekivell then provided Town´s contribution to matters by splitting the home defence with a ball through the middle to the feet of Everett‚ but Phil was unable to balance himself as he came under pressure and his subsequent shot‚ though on target‚ had little more power than a back pass. It had taken time‚ but there were signs that we might be about to witness a contest.

We were wrong. Grays took control. Having discovered the way to get close to the Yellows goal they exploited it and proceeded to hoist high balls into the penalty area. They were having the majority of possession in midfield‚ aided by the erratic passing of the Tiverton contingent in that region. They had a debutante in the No. 9 shirt in the substantial shape of Paul Leaburn and his strength and power as the ball dropped anywhere within two yards of him was always going to be a threat. Spot on the midway mark of the first period Adam Miller was closed down as he made his way down the left flank. With nowhere to go‚ Miller laid the ball back into the path of Jason Broom who swung in the regulation cross‚ inch perfect to the head of Wayne Burnett who had pushed forward unchecked from midfield. Burnett had only to nod his head as if in agreement to see the ball in the net and his side in the lead. So Tivvy were going to have to fight back from behind again. But there was no fight. The lead could have been extended five minutes later were it not for Rob Cousins making a speedy 20 yard cross field dash to poke the ball of Douglas´s toe as he bore down on Paul Edwards´ goal. Richard Pears and Everett continued to make what they could of the scraps that came their way but the nearest they came to even a snack‚ was on the half hour when Pears escaped from two defenders near the left hand corner flag and looped in a cross to the far post that Phil could only force into the side netting under the close attention of the Grays defence. For the remainder of the half it was the home side laying siege to the visitors goal. Leaburn headed over. Edwards deflected a Cooper shot for a corner. Douglas flicked a ball through to Leaburn that the big frontman hit first time from the edge of the area‚ only to see the ball thunder vertically off the crossbar. Chris Holloway‚ who did his standing no harm what-so-ever throughout‚ touched a Cooper shot away for another corner following a neat back heel by Leaburn. Steve Winter did manage to get into position for an injury time shot but it was easily scooped up by Capleton at the foot of his left hand upright. The half time whistle came as a relief to the travelling fans.

At Crawley four days earlier the intermission had completely changed the performance. Not so in Essex. Grays continued to look as lively‚ Tiverton continued to look as lifeless. There were few redeeming features and when the second goal was conceded there could be little complaint from the Yellows. Another long ball from‚ this one from defender Allan McLeod was met by the towering Leaburn‚ whose flicked header was rifled past Edwards by striker Andy Douglas as he avoided the attentions of Nathan Rudge and Cousins. The double substitution of Winter and Nancekivell by Steele and Mudge did little to improve things for Tiverton. Indeed‚ David possibly wished he had remained on the bench as ten minutes after joining the fray he found his name on the scoresheet with the dreaded o.g. initials next to it. A bizarre incident led to the goal. A long ball from the Grays back line went into wide open space down their left and looked to be trickling out for a throw in. Two Tivvy men (Rogers & Rees?) closed on it and watched closely as it inched slowly onto and over the line‚ stooping to pick it up the moment it cleared the pitch. Looking along the line the referee´s assistant moved his flag. The ball was grabbed. The flag might have moved but it wasn´t raised. The whistle blew for hand ball! Miller took the free kick half way inside the Tivvy half. Steele ducked his head to the ball but only succeeded in glancing it into his own net.

At 3-0 Tiverton were dead and buried. They had no answer to the spirit‚ enthusiasm or pace of their hosts. They looked what they no doubt were. Tired‚ dispirited and wanting the final whistle. The introduction of Steve Ovens was as effective as the other substitutions had been‚ adding nothing to the overall shape of the team‚ nebulous though it might have been. The only relief from the gloom came from Jamie Mudge‚ who getting little support from his colleagues‚ embarked on a series of ´d.i.y´ exercises that at least made the Blues defenders break into a sweat‚ and give thanks to the upright on one occasion. With the patrons abandoning the terraces and edging towards the exits and the clubhouse‚ Jamie was rewarded for his effort with a solo goal. From just inside the Grays half‚ he swayed left and right and left again as he avoided four challenges before slotting the ball past Capleton from the edge of the penalty area for a ´consolation´ goal. Small consolation for an abject performance.

Tiverton Town: 1. Paul Edwards, 2. Steve Winter, 3. Danny Haines, 4. Chris Holloway, 5. Nathan Rudge, 6. Rob Cousins, 7. Kevin Nancekivell, 8. Jason Rees, 9. Phil Everett, 10. Scot Rogers, 11. Richard Pears.
Subs: 12. Steve Ovens (Haines,62), 14. Jamie Mudge (Nancekivell,52), 15. David Steele (Winter,52)., 16. Antony Lynch, 17. Paul Chenoweth.
Cards: Yellow: Rees(52).

Grays Athletic: 1. Melvin Capleton, 2. Allan McLeod, 3. Jason Broom, 4. Jeff Woolsey, 5. Alan Keeper, 6. Watne Burnett, 7. Adam Keeper, 8. Mark Stimson, 9. Paul Learn, 10. Danny Hayzeleden, 11. Andy Douglas.
Subs: 12. Sammy Cooper (Hayzeleden,11), 14. Jamie Lunan, 15. Ben Lewis, 16. Jason Dozzell, 17. Ryan Maxwell.
Cards: None.

This report ©2002 John Reidy