Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South
Basingstoke Town (Warre 66)
Tiverton Town 3 (Britton 22, Parker 81, Churchley 90+6)
Saturday, November 23 . Winklebury Sports Complex . 3pm
TIVERTON knew, before taking to the pitch on Saturday, that, if they did not deliver a favourable result from this game, that pressure would be mounting on them in their bid to pull away from trouble.
This was one of those occasions in football when a side does not have just their opponents to contend with, but also the conditions.
Two changes were made to the line-up from the previous Wednesday’s loss at Havant & Waterlooville, one enforced - Josh Jones’s injury prompting a reshuffle as we welcomed back Dylan Jones from his one-game suspension, Matt Britton moving into the Yellows’ defensive formation - and Tor Swann starting, with Kai Churchley on the bench.
With Storm Bert a heavy influence on team talks and behind Tiverton in the first half, this seemed destined to be a challenging afternoon for both sets of players. If you also threw into the line of fire Tiverton’s fragile league position and a six-game winless run for Basingstoke, you can imagine how massive this game was.
It was never going to be a match for the purists and, when we did get underway, Tiverton with the advantage of the wind behind them gained an early corner. Swann took but the Stoke cleared their lines.
Becoming quickly evident that playing short across the pitch was a huge risk with the ball travelling unpredictably in the blustery conditions, the Yellows played long up to Nat Jarvis or long down the channels as they attempted to turn Basingstoke round, a tactic that worked well and one that enabled us to utilise Dylan Jones‘ long throw.
The hosts did, however, carve out an early half-chance, but a good block closed the door on the dangerous Liam Ferdinand. Another effort landed on the roof of Joe Duncan’s net.
Some good link-up play from Tivvy in the final third with 14 minutes gone forced Stoke into conceding a corner. Swann’s ball in caused a bit of panic, with Simon Grant, in the home side’s goal, being heavily pressured by Yellows’ players although they were able to clear to safety.
Tiverton were having a fair bit of success down the flanks and with Jarvis, in particular, flicking the ball on. Three times within a couple of minutes, the visitors gained throw-ins into their hosts’ territory.
In the 22nd minute, Dylan Jones’ third throw paid dividends when good contact was made at the front post and it was headed on to Britton, who slid the ball into the net, Yellows ahead in this war of attrition and Storm Bert showing no signs of letting up.
Two stoppages in play then made the game further disjointed, with a player from either side requiring treatment.
Our player was Jeff Forkuo, who was unable to continue and Josh Bernard was his replacement. The hosts did get themselves in a few dangerous positions, but found Tivvy in a determined mood as some no-nonsense defending from our backline stopped what threat there was.
The visitors almost doubled our lead in the 38th minute, but a last-ditch block in the six-yard box denied us. Finishing the half by adding to their long throw count and getting bodies into their hosts’ area, we went in ahead.
The players, though, were fully aware that the first-half advantage that we had courtesy of the adverse weather conditions would be Basingstoke’s after the half-time team-talk.
For long periods in the second half, Tivvy had to be at their most resolute and the whole team gave a character-building display epitomised by a real captain’s performance from makeshift centre-back Britton.
However, the first chance of the half fell to the Yellows and Grant's point-blank save from a Tiverton forward kept the score to one. Stoke pressed for an equaliser and a vital header behind from a Tivvy defender prevented that from happening.
Javan Wright made way for new signing, attacking midfielder Marcus Day, as the Yellows’ goal came under serious pressure. A crucial intervention from Britton resulted in a goal-kick for Tiverton but, in the 66th minute, Stoke found an equaliser. It was substitute Dan Warre who prodded there ball home.
The hosts, with a spring in their step after levelling, then saw an effort from a corner land on top of Duncan’s net for the second time.
When Tivvy’s goalkeeper was called into action, he was very assured and decisive, but it was our rearguard that denied Rudy Allen next, with a goal-saving barrier of defenders blocking his attempt. Churchley replaced Swann in the 72nd minute.
With the conditions firmly in the favour of the hosts, they continued to ask questions, although there was some respite for us in a bright spell that saw the Yellows force three consecutive corners.
Tivvy recycled the ball well from the third corner and an emphatic strike from Joe Parker rocketed the Yellows in front with just over 80 minutes played.
Basingstoke were pressing hard to try and even things up, but the Yellows were holding firm. A nerve-jangling eight minutes of added time saw the home side go for broke and they piled forward. Duncan adjusted himself magnificently to claim the ball on his goal-line after a big deflection initially wrong-footed him.
Moments earlier, Tivvy had almost caught Basingstoke on the break with the home side committing men forward.
This time they delivered the decisive blow. When in space out wide, instead of running into the corner, Nat Jarvis picked out the run of Churchley and his good vision saw the Bristol City loanee put the game beyond our hosts’ reach, the goal being scored with two minutes of added time remaining.
It was a brilliant effort from the Yellows in securing a vital three points and giving Rob Dray a deserved first win. Great spirit was shown and let us hope that this can continue into next weekend when we welcome Walton & Hersham.
Storm Bert was a big factor in their game on Saturday. After racing into a four-goal lead at the break against second-placed Gloucester City, they finished all square in an hour eight-goal thriller.
For now, let us savour a fine victory.
Yellows: Duncan, Thompson, Britton (c), Hall, Kempster, Forkuo, D.Jones, Wright, Swann, Jarvis, Parker.
Substitutes: Churchley, Day, Jenkins, Bernard, Harmer.
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