Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South
Tiverton Town 1 (Jarvis 20)
Wimborne Town 0
Saturday, January 25 . 3pm . Ian Moorcroft Stadium, Ladysmead
SO far, it has been a difficult season for all concerned with the Yellows and, for that reason, it is important that we savour the good days. This was one of those.
Although we are still deep in the woods, for the first time in a while, we are able to see a little clearing through the trees.
Anything other than a victory would have seen us adrift and in a perilous position.
With this win, we are a little more in touch with those a little further up the table than us. However, the contrasting effects of winning and losing - with a congestion of teams in and around the relegation picture - are much more immediately felt this season, compared to the previous one.
For Saturday’s fixture, Rob Dray welcomed back Dylan Jones, who took a starting place, and there were places on the bench for Marcus Day, Dan Koita, Charlie Cummins and Under-18 player Kamil Wojtowicz. Lower mid-table Wimborne had twice comfortably beaten Tiverton earlier in the campaign.
In the lively opening exchanges, Matt Britton’s powerfully driven shot in the seventh minute deflected out for a corner, and sweeping moves from both sides made for an entertaining start to the match, the Yellows and the Magpies each looking threatening in the final third.
Billy Walker just failed to turn home at the back post for the visitors and Nat Jarvis had the ball in the back of the net – that attempt was correctly ruled out for offside – in a busy first 15 minutes.
On 20 minutes, the Yellows got their noses in front. Jarvis, with his first goal for the club, was the beneficiary of a superb piece of individual play from a rejuvenated Joe Parker, who had stretched the Magpies on three or four occasions before this moment.
Turning back into the area on the right side of it, Parker spotted goalkeeper Ross Flitney slightly of his line and his deft curling lob appeared to be heading over the line. To make sure, the onrushing Jarvis fired home from just before the goal line to open his account.
Asa Hall then almost doubled Tivvy’s lead four minutes later, but ex EFL and Eastleigh goalkeeper Flitney expertly parried his well-drilled shot to safety. Wimborne responded almost immediately but, when the prolific Toby Holmes was played through, Joe Duncan came out on top in a one-on-one, with a vital, agile, smothering save.
At the core of Tiverton’s good first-half showing going forward were the dual wide threat of Niall Thompson and Dylan Jones; the ball-playing Exeter loanee Gabe Billington; and the knowhow and the combative qualities of captain Matt Britton.
A solid and defensive backbone was always going to be needed, though, on the day against a slick football-playing unit such as our visitors. With midfield schemer Josh Carmichael pulling the strings and Matty Burrows, the Magpies’ number 11 who replicated his threat in the earlier FA Cup tie to contend with, Josh Jones, Toby Down, Sam Gleeson and Thompson had to remain focused and stick to the task in hand, and did.
They stood strong and dealt with a number of dangerous set-pieces, and, further forward, encouraging onfield chemistry between Dylan Jones and Billington, plus the movement and quality of Parker meant we were just about worth our half-time lead.
Before the break, the all-action Jones let fly from range and, despite his strong effort missing the target, it once more signalled a positive intent in that first half. So we reached the break holding a slender lead, but just deserving being in front, I feel.
We were a lot more circumspect when the game resumed, but I guess understandably so when, quite a few times this season, we have allowed teams to get back into it, either drawing or losing games from winning positions.
Wimborne upped their tempo and forced a number of corners in the first ten minutes of the half, pressure on the ball preventing two presentable headed chances for Wimborne’s captain Sam Jackson being denied – determined Yellows clearing the first off the line and the second just missing the top corner.
Back came Tivvy and, following an expansive break, the ball came to Jarvis following Hall’s blocked volley, but his snap shot from point-blank range was smartly saved by Flitney. Owen Roundell then headed over for the Magpies.
Dan Koita made his home debut, replacing Jarvis in the 58th minute. The ever alert Joe Duncan then raced from his goal to dive on the ball ahead of two Wimborne forwards. Marcus Day then joined proceedings, coming on for Thompson in the 70th minute.
A minute later, a cross found the head of Hall, whose strong performance was deserving of a goal, but, despite good contact being made, it narrowly missed the target. A moment of alarm for the Yellows happened when some good football from the visitors left Duncan exposed, but Josh Jones quickly got back to clear off the line and stop an equaliser.
Duncan then showed fine temperament and calmness under pressure when coming out on top in another one-on situation, and making himself big, plus speed of thought, kept us ahead.
In the 77th minute, it looked like a stonewall penalty for the visitors, but I have since been told by two Yellows that Duncan miraculously got the faintest of touches on the ball before Holmes appeared to be brought down.
It was a very tense finale, with Wimborne, the dominant side in the second half, coming up against a very resilient Tiverton and it was that spirit that saw us get over the line.
Burrows, who was the Magpies’ biggest danger on the day, had one last chance from a well-positioned free-kick at the death, but it arrowed marginally over.
The final whistle blew and was met with a combination of relief and satisfaction. Josh Jones, who made his 100th appearance away at Hanwell, was as good as candidate as any for man of the match, which he won, but this was an impressive team performance difficult choice.
It i not a time to get carried away, although we have made a step forward in breaking a cycle of draws and losses that, but for this result, would have been a winless two months.
Sholing away is our next port of call in the league, but, ahead of that, on Tuesday, it is the Devon St Luke’s Bowl quarter-final against Okehampton Argyle with Under-18s sure to be involved,
So let us savour this win and hopefully it will be a case of onwards and upwards from now on.
Let us support the lads on Tuesday as they aim to progress in the cup.
Yellows: Duncan, Thompson, J Jones, Down, Gleeson, Britton, Hall, Billington, D Jones, Jarvis, Parker. Substitutes: Day, Koita, Cummins, Wojtowicz. .
Attendance: 280.
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