Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South
Swindon Supermarine 4 (Fernandes 29, 35, 41, Dworzak 78)
Tiverton Town 0
Saturday, October 12 . Webbswood Stadium . 3pm
INJURIES and the bedding in of new loan signings were bound to inconvenience the Yellows in the build-up to this one.
However, with our precarious league position before the start of play, all concerned would have been very aware that anything less than victory could well have seen us drop into the league’s bottom four and so this loss proved.
Dylan Jones, Niall Thompson and Mike Baker were all not fit enough to be included in the match-day squad and captain Matt Britton was deemed not fit enough to start. Bailey Kempster, Oli Jenkins (Weston-super-Mare loanees) and Josh Bernard (Plymouth Argyle loanee) all went straight into the starting 11, Asa Hall slotting in at centre-back and Jay Murray maintaining the right-back position he played to good effect against Dorchester.
Tiverton started with a spring in their step, forcing an early free-kick that was in decent range. Weston were heavily represented in this game and their ex-long serving keeper Luke Purnell was at full stretch to keep out the Yellows’ attempt.
It was an action-packed opening, as both sides wrestled for an early advantage.
Harry Williams netted for Marine after five minutes, but it was an obvious offside, and Liban Ibrahim blasted over from the edge of our box. Then it was Tiverton’s turn to have the ball in the net, only to see the headed goal disallowed owing to a foul in the build-up. A penalty shout was waved away for the hosts and then, in the 16th minute, Jeff Forkuo's effort from distance produced a smart stop from Purnell.
The game was open and the Yellows were giving as good as they got. An uncharacteristic fumble from Zak Baker almost allowed Williams in and, a short while after that, in the 26th minute, Purnell once again saved well from a testing Tivvy shot.
However, a 1- minute hat-trick from Michael Fernandes was about to deal the visitors a series of crushing blows.
His first arrived with 29 minutes on the clock. A quick throw-in unsettled Tiverton and saw him played through. The finish was cool and decisive.
Six minutes later. he was at it again, breaking down our right and then applying a low finish to beat Baker.
Inquests had already started in the team when Fernandes was pushed over in the box, in the 41st minute, those players’ disagreements grew louder when the former Farnborough and Hayes & Yeading man completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
Dave Sims-Burgess then had two opportunities to extend Marine’s lead further before we headed for the interval. Fortunately for the shell-shocked Yellows, he dragged both attempts wide when well positioned to score. We reached half-time three in arrears and with plenty to discuss prior to returning for the second half.
Britton appeared following the break as manager Leigh Robinson leaned on experience to improve matters on the pitch.The concluding half of the game was much less incident filled and was played out for long periods away from both goal areas. The hosts, though, were comfortably in control.
Swindon Town loanee Anton Dworzak prompted a high-class save from Baker in the 52nd minute and, with almost an hour played, the Plymouth loanee foiled Williams. Sims-Burgess’s follow-up went over and, during that frantic bit of play, Williams went down, the Referee brandishing a Yellow card to book him for simulation.
Williams was then withdrawn for Jose Marquez and Robinson made his second change with Theo Jeremy replacing Kai Churchley. Then a neat bit of close control and shot from Fernandes resulted in him firing above the crossbar.
Forest Green loanee Marquez’s afternoon was a short one as injury forced him off within ten minutes of his introduction.
In the 76th minute, hat-trick hero Fernandes departed and, two minutes later, the Yellows conceded a fourth goal, Dworzak completing Tiverton’s misery as he met a ball across our box and slotted home.
Baker thwarted the hosts one final timebas he blocked with his feet to deny substitute Jake Lee.
The full-time whistle could not come soon enough for Tiverton and there will be lots to ponder for the management team before Tuesday night’s away game at Wimborne, contemplating solutions in order to achieve a positive result against a side who convincingly ended our participation in the Emirates FA Cup.
We have to keep believing.
Yellows: Z Baker, Murray, Hall, J Jones(c), Kempster, Forkuo, Bernard, Jenkins, Wright, Churchley, Parker. Substitutes: Britton, Jeremy, Gerring, Swann.
Comments