Tuesday, January 14 . 7.45pm . Alfred Davis Memorial Ground
Marlow v Tiverton Town
Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South
THE Yellows have had many dress rehearsals for this game against bottom side Marlow. Three points either way here will deal the recipients of the loss a psychological blow; any other result than a win for Tivvy will confirm a relegation struggle for Rob Dray's side.
Our hosts on Tuesday evening will be viewing their next two fixtures, against us, followed by Plymouth Parkway – again on home territory – as a significant opportunity to close the gap on their fellow relegation candidates.
The arrivals at Ladysmead of new Exeter City loanee Charlie Cummins, fellow clubmate Gabe Billington, and Toby Down have been welcome and they will hopefully nullify the departures of Javan Wright, Tor Swann and Weston-super-Mare pair Bailey Kempster and Oli Jenkins. Individually, those players have all made good contributions and we thank them for their efforts and wish them well.
There has been lots of promise in the performances of late, but not adding the finishing touches, coupled with lapses of concentration, has meant that we are still languishing in the lower reaches of the table. Saturday’s postponed game allowed the team to train and work on a game-plan for this crucial encounter versus the Blues.
The Buckinghamshire side have rallied since the start of the season, when they only had two points to their name going into October. A win away at Gosport upset the form book towards the end of that month, and, as we know, this division is all about fine margins. A team being just slightly off, and every opponent is capable of taking full advantage.
Marlow are 154 years old, having been founded in 1870, entering every FA Cup competition since it began. First-team boss Mark Bartley oversaw promotion from the Isthmian Central South last term and, although it has been a baptism of fire to this point, he has assembled a squad for this division that contains players from the promotion side and others from the division they were playing in, with a few exceptions.
Right-back Elijah Olodunjoye has been an ever present during the current campaign and the talented player is home-grown, playing a part in the Blues’ elevation to this level.
Midfielder Mo Jallow began with Boreham Wood, playing a step higher. Additionally, he has represented Rushden & Diamonds, Redditch and Hartley Wintney. Fellow midfielder, the left-sided Harry Hoath, is highly thought of, was with Maidenhead as a youngster, and has an eye for a goal.
Also on the books is Mitchell Parker, who, although not involved in recent games, is a striker proven in this standard of football. The much-travelled frontman has an impressive cv; his football history includes Farnborough, Weymouth, Basingstoke and Hartley Wintney. On his day, Parker can be a real handful.
Powerful winger Naheer Nawaf has played in virtually every game for the Blues and has been an important component in the Marlow team for a number of seasons. Another regular wide man, Rhys Harper, is another dangerous outlet for the Buckinghamshire side.
The loyalty to the players that achieved promotion is to be admired and, if they can continue to adjust to this level, it is not implausible that they can survive.
For the Tiverton coaching team and their match-day squad, a much-needed win is the remit and all followers of the club will be hoping for the same.
The recent Merthyr display really enthused our fans and, if we can maintain those levels, then the side definitely has the ability to deliver.
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