TIVERTON TOWN 0
FROME TOWN 0
Att: 355
Saturday 8th March
The Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium
You could have cut the tension with a knife during what took place, between these two sides on Saturday. Because of the precarious positions of the respective teams this was never going to be a game of free-flowing football. Infact as accepted by those involved and those who watched, this was a difficult spectacle and not one for the purists.
There was a debut for Truro loanee Jamil Roberts at left back and Jeff Forkuo missing because of a family emergency, meant that Asa Hall and Steve Orchard reshuffled the pack and in came Marcus Day against his old side, in a wide right berth with Niall Thompson behind him.
Available again Matt Britton and Gabe Billington provided options from the bench, as Tiverton were fully aware that anything less than three points from this game would make life extremely difficult for the Yellows going forward.
When we did get underway, there was a contentious penalty shout for Tivvy, as Joe Beardwell went down under pressure in the eighth minute. However, the match officials allowed play to continue.
Despite enjoying more possession than their fellow strugglers in the first half, The Yellows were far from fluent in their build up play and stray passes and crosses often ended promising attacking moves. The team have tightened up at the back though and a fine defensive display from Toby Down was at the core of that, throughout.
After a series of speculative efforts and half chances, the first real opportunity of the half fell to Frome’s James Ollis who athletically volleyed over from inside Tiverton’s box in the 25th minute.
A flurry of action saw Marcus Day, despite the close attention of Two Robins’ defenders dig a cross out, but keeper Kyle Phillip’s comfortably held the ball in, at his near post. Then the visitor’s midfielder Albie Hopkin’s played Rex Mannings in, but he screwed his shot wide.
Joe Parker then ran beyond his marker, though coming from behind when the ball was played and not even on the shoulder of the Frome player couldn’t deter the linesman from raising the offside flag.
That busy period of play lasting all of Three minutes. The next 10 minutes though were pretty forgettable, as the game got scrappier and the importance of the occasion seemed to spark a succession of wayward passes and basic mistakes, in an error strewn passage of play.
In the 38th minute Phillips got to Day’s cross ahead of Beardwell, to avert a threatening situation and then provider, almost turned scorer. However Jamil Robert’s long pass was read by the alert Phillips, who smothered just before Day could get there.
With Half time beckoning, The Robins Albie Phillips turned and shot. His effort though didn’t trouble Joe Duncan and he caught the ball in the middle of his goal. A game that was short on quality, but high on tension reached the halfway point goalless.
A fair summary of that half would be, we were slightly the better side, but Frome had slightly the better chances. One change was made at the break, with Beardwell who seemed to be struggling with the shoulder injury he picked up in midweek being replaced by Dan Koita.
When we returned, the sides traded corners and as Frome recycled the ball from their one, in the 48th minute, Hopkins quickly shifted the ball out of his feet. His stinging shot though was well blocked by a combination of Down and Josh Jones.
Frome continued to threaten in a dangerous ten-minute spell for Tiverton and Ollis was close to opening the scoring, but he couldn’t quite bend his low effort into the bottom corner.
Just beyond the hour mark, Marcus Day made way for Gabe Billington. Shortly after that Dylan Jones and Thompson combined in the area, but former Yellow Joe O’Loughlin was on hand to block.
Then in the 72nd minute Cummins who had put a real shift in, had a clear sight of goal on the edge of the box, following good work from Jones. However, he couldn’t keep his shot down and it cleared the crossbar. At the other end From 20 yards out Vaughan fired goalwards, but Duncan was down smartly.
Dan Koita came close to opening his Tiverton account, although despite crafting a chance for himself with some good footwork, another block saw his shot thwarted. Skipper Matt Britton then made his return, with Charlie Cummins coming off.
Parker took the ball nicely into his stride and a desperate lunging tackle forced a corner. Down rose highest from it, but couldn't quite find the target. Then the first of the best Two chances to win the game happened.
An incisive break meant that Ollis was in the clear with Duncan to beat and inside the Tiverton box. The Bristol City loanee though, added to his catalogue of one-on-one saves with another incredible stop.
Both sides then frantically sought a winner with time running out and much like Ollis being expertly denied by Duncan, Josh Jones found himself at point blank range with only Phillips to beat. Frome’s keeper reacted superbly to keep out the centre backs rifled effort at the death and that’s how it finished.
A second clean sheet in consecutive games was heartening, but a Fourth game in a row without troubling the scorers is not easing the lingering relegation worries. The Yellows looked a bit leggy after their physical exertions in midweek.
Results didn’t go our way yesterday, although we are still in control of our own destiny. While there are 24 points still available, there is still a chance. Asa Hall and Steve Orchard have done well since stepping up, but we will need to step up on the field in order for us to stay up.
A winning mentality needs to be rediscovered quickly and that starts at Winchester next Saturday.
Tiverton: Joe Duncan, Niall Thompson, Dylan Jones, Toby Down, Josh Jones, Jamil Roberts, Charlie Cummins, Marcus Day, Asa Hall, Joe Beardwell, Joe Parker.
Subs: Matt Britton, Dan Koita, Gabe Billington, Sam Gleeson.
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