Yellows Take Aim at Winchester

Tuesday, January 30

Pitching In Southern League, Premier Division South

Winchester City v Tiverton Town

The Simplyhealth City Ground . 7.45pm

THE games come thick and fast at this stage of the season, this being a re-arranged fixture after the original game was twice postponed, most recently on December 12.

Fresh from their best home display of the season, the Yellows travel to Hampshire intending to build on that success.

Tivvy's 4-2 win over Poole was their finest of the current campaign

Winchester, who themselves picked up a victory on Saturday, on the road at Basingstoke, know, like our weekend opponents Poole, that if they can put some results together, they could still feature in play-off picture.

They had fallen away since the turn of the year until Saturday’s 2-0 win, but will still present a stern challenge for Tivvy. The Yellows sit just above the relegation places, in 18th place and their opponents are 12th.

As well as doing well in the league, they also had a decent Emirates FA Cup run, losing 2-0 to giantkillers Maidstone who, of course, knocked out high flying Championship side Ipswich Town in recent days.

Goals shared around the team, as opposed to one main goalscorer, has been the story of the Cathedral City’s team’s season. Exciting teenage winger Trevor Caborn has received plenty of plaudits during this campaign and another member of Winchester’s squad, former Sutton United striker Tommy Wright, has excellent pedigree and knowhow.

Goalkeeper Luke Cairney proved time and time again in his Poole days to be one of the Southern League Division South’s finest glovemen. He became unsettled during the fallout of Tom Killick’s departure from the Dolphins and what an acquisition for the Citizens he is.

Defender Danny King has spent 15 seasons at the club and is immensely popular with the Winchester fans. In his formative years, he was on the books of both Chelsea and Southampton.

Manager Craig Davis is into his eighth campaign in the dugout and that mutual loyalty has paid off guiding the Citizens from the league below to promotion in the 2021-22 season before taking their place in this division and cementing their league status for this term with a 16th place finish.

Javan Wright is an injury concern

Early team news for Tivvy is that Javan Wright limped off at the weekend and we will have to wait and see on his fitness. River Allen also had to sit out the Poole win as he was carrying a knock.

However, Leigh Robinson appears to have added more squad depth, with the signing of Alefe Santos and the temporary signing of Joe Parker from Gloucester City, both enjoying notable debuts on Saturday. Aamir Daniels has also enjoyed a magnificent start to life at the Ian Moorcroft Stadium.

Against Poole, the team was playing to the top of their individual levels. If they can reproduce those levels in Hampshire, then Tiverton will be very competitive.

#YellowBlackArmy