2009-10 Archive - Under 18s - More News & Reports

Bishops Sutton 1 v 5 Tiverton Town U18s -Somerset Floodlit League – April  2010

THE FANTASTIC TEN

The Under 18s squad, including the coaching staff, continued the trend of making life very difficult for themselves this season. The Thursday previous to this game we were short of six players who would have started the game against Elmore. Then to this game where only seven U18 players were available and the only coach available was dashing down the M4 from London to try and make the game. On the player front we were fortunate enough to have three Under 16 players signed earlier in the season who again stepped in to the breach, however this still left us with only 10 players and a very stressed Manager/Coach/Secretary/Physio - Colin who made the game with 20 minutes to spare.

Well from the first whistle you could tell that ten man Tivvy had decided that they would take the game to Bishops Sutton and immediatley put the home team on the back foot. The work rate of the whole team was like never seen before and it soon started to pay off. David Hood worked tirelessly up front by himself and seemed to be able to outwit and out pace the 3 defenders who attempted to mark him. Finally Hood found the chance he was waiting for and delightfully curled the ball around and over the keeper from the left hand side to give Tivvy the lead. Sutton did well to keep possession but they could not cope with the work rate of the Yellows. Ryan Turner was next to test the keeper when he skipped and turned his way in to a goal scoring postion only to be denied by a great stop by the keeper who turned the ball on to the woodwork. Captain Josh Pearce continued to encourage the team and lead by example in the middle chasing every ball and giving the oppossition no time on the ball. Tivvy continued to dictate the game and it was not long before Turner found the net to double the lead before half time.

Half time team talk was full of defending the lead and not taking any chances as Bishops Sutton were bound to come out all guns blazing. However at the restart the home team seemed to invite Tivvy to attack and Hood was driving the team forward from the front and grabbed his brace early in to the second period. Bishop Sutton hit a purple patch where they kept possession for large periods yet with no end product. Finally a Sutton forward drove forward and was judged to be upended in the box for a penalty. Kurtis Parkins in goal was untested to this point and nearly pulled off a great save, but the penalty kick squirmed under his body to give the home team a foot back in the game. However from then on it was all Tivvy and Ash Small scored a delightful goal to give Tivvy back the 3 goal cushion. Tiverton continued to work hard and showed no signs of being a man short. The final Tiverton goal came from some excellent individual skill from Turner beating two player on the right and crossing for Callum Old to poke in from close range. With ten minute to go Adam MacMartin came off worse with a clash with Parkins in goal and ended up with a nasty head injury which ended his game. With Tiverton now down to nine men it was a matter of defending the lead which the boys did very well.

This really was an amazing result considering we only travelled with ten players and the players should be very very proud of this result against a team that has only dropped points once this season. On papaer there was no way we should have won this game, but the effort of these ten players has put Tiverton in a great position to finish the season. A big thanks should also go to Steve MacMartin who organised the boys at Tiverton and got them and the kit to the game and was also conned in to being assistant manager for the night.

Team, Parkins, Hutter, Phillips, Skinner, MacMartin, Old, Small, Pearce, Turner, Hood

Bristol Manor Farm 1 v 3 Tiverton Town U18s -Somerset Floodlit League Cup FINAL – April  2010

With both teams having played and beaten some very strong opposition to get to the final, it was obvious it would be no easy ride for Tivvy and Bristol Manor Farm proved to be formidable opponents on the night.  That said, Tiverton did play the better football and scored the most goals making them the deserved winners!!!!!!

With the dry weather we’ve been having it made for a really good playing surface which suited both sides, as both teams were clearly footballing sides who liked to pass the ball around playing to feet.  The early moments saw David Hood come close with a shot that he sent high over the goal, after the ball was put through to him by Ash Small from mid-field, who for the first of many occasions on the night showed the strength and determination he has become renowned for this season.  The next chance of the game fell to Sam Box who fired the ball wide after being set up by Joe Byrne.  With the game going from end to end it was Bristol Manor Farm who had the next opportunity around the 25 minute mark from a free kick some 25 yards out; the ball was well placed over the Tivvy wall but went over the bar without dipping enough to trouble Kurtis Parkin in goal.  It took 30 minutes before the opening goal did come and it was Josh French who put the ball in from close range after a tremendous piece of determination saw him tip-toe through the BMF defence.  It was Richie Durrant who put the ball into the area from the right-hand side for French to pull back from the dead ball line.

Tivvy continued to pile the pressure on looking for goal number 2 and after a goalmouth scramble in the 42nd minute Sam Box thought he had scored with a header that appeared to be over the line but the officials adjudged it not to have been.  All credit to BMF who for the remainder of the first half tried very hard to get the equalising goal, but the first half finished 1-0 to Tivvy.

The second half started with Alex Sanderson launching his own solo attack from midfield when he went on a great run, but unfortunately his finish didn’t hit the back of the net.  With 5 minutes of the second half played goal scorer turned provider when Josh French put the ball through the back line for Ash Small who seemed to take forever to let off the shot from just outside the 6 yard box, which he finally did hitting the back of the net to make it 2-0. 

It seemed that every time Tivvy scored it fired the Farm boys up to try and pull one back and with them trying hard it was leaving holes at the back for the Yellows to exploit.  Box was the next to have a goalscoring opportunity when he was put through and his one on one with the keeper ended up with him smashing the ball for it to ricochet off of the keeper into the path of French whose shot Jonny Wilkinson would have been proud of as he could not get it under control, and skied it with consummate ease. 

For the next 10 minutes or so BMF were totally under the cosh and the third goal for Tiverton came from a corner kick which as earned after continual pressure by the Tivvy forwards.  Joe Byrne took the corner and much to everybody’s delight and his surprise the ball went straight in off the keeper’s glove, making it 3-0. 

BMF made a double substitution at this point and decided it was time to throw everything bar the kitchen sink at Tiverton to try and get back into the game.  Around the 75 minute mark BMF pulled a goal back, which they very much deserved at this point after a great run their big forward fired in an equally good finish making it 3-1. 

BMF continued to test Tivvy’s back line for the majority of the remainder of the game and it took some great saves from Kurtis Parkin as well as missed opportunities by BMF to make sure Tivvy kept their 2 goal lead.  With the constant barrage of pressure BMF almost came unstuck when Box broke out from the Tivvy half making his way towards goal, before selflessly squaring the ball to Hood who lobbed the onrushing keeper, but very slightly misjudged the strength of his kick and the ball went just over the bar.

This was a great footballing spectacle from two very young and determined sides and a testament to the quality of football that has been nurtured in the Somerset Floodlight League.  Congratulations to all the Tivvy players, you should be proud of your achievements as should Tiverton Town Club be proud of you.

Goalscorers:       Josh French, Ash Small & Joe Byrne

Mangotsfield 1 v 4 Tiverton Town U18s -Somerset Floodlit League – March  2010

Tiverton travelled to the outskirts of Bristol to face Mangotsfield for the 2nd time in less than a week. Looking at the league table you may be forgiven for thinking this would be a routine trip for the young yellows. However it was clear from the previous game that Mangotsfield league position does not represent them correctly.

Tiverton turned out a very young squad, in fact only 2 players who travelled were 2nd year members the rest were made up of 1st years and three under 16s who were making the step up to floodlit football. In the early stages of the match Mangotsfield bossed the game and didn’t let Tiverton settle on the ball. The sharper Bristol side took the lead when again they hassled the youthful Tiverton defence until the ball broke kindly for their striker to slot neatly past Kurtis Parkin in Goal. Midway through the first half Tivvy started to get a foothold in the match and the two central midfielders of Oli Nott and Ash Small started to dictate the game. Late on in the the first half a Tiverton corner was expertly delivered by Nott. This caused confusion in the Mangotsfield box and the ball finally came off Jessie Howe to nestle in to the net.

As the second half restarted you immediately got the impression that Tiverton had upped their game. This was lead by the two senior players in the squad, Captain David Hood and winger Josh French. Both players were instrumental in the teams turnaround and the younger players around them responded excellently. Within 3 minutes of the second half Sam Stapleton delivered an excellent cross from the right which was met by Hood. Hood's header was perfectly guided in to the top right hand corner of the goal to give Tivvy the lead. Within minutes French was the next on the goal sheet. With the ball at his feet he drove in to the penalty box and fired a sweet strike in off the post to put daylight between the two teams. Mangotsfield responded well but the back line of Alex Sanderson, Louis Hutter, Sam Phillips and James Skinner kept Parkins in goal untroubled. Hood claimed the 4th goal for Tiverton when he got behined the defence to unleash a trademark thunderbolt which gave the Mangotsfield keeper no chance. The introduction of Callum Old and Adam MacMartin gave the team some fresh legs and they also tested the Mangotsfield keeper. One final attack from the home team resulted in Parkins making a great challenge on the edge of his box, however the ball went skywards and was goal bound. The quick thinking Skinner managed to get back on his goal line and head the ball clear to keep the final score 4 v 1 to Tiverton.

A game of two halves is an easy quote that describes this match and credit should go to the players for responding to the managers half time team talk. The younger players understandably took a while to settle, but once they did Tiverton were the stronger side on the night and deserved the 3 points

Goalscorers: David Hood (2), Jessie Howe, Josh French

Tiverton Town U18s 2 v 0 Mangotsfield Somerset Floodlit League – March  2010

With Tivvy due to meet the Mangoes away next Wednesday in the League it was important that they put in a good home display.  For much of the game they did so and if it wasn’t for some great shot stopping from the Mangoes goalkeeper the final score would have been much higher. Right from the outset the Yellows were pressurising the young backline for Mangotsfield, and Sam Box came close in the opening minutes when his pace saw him go through for a one on one with the keeper who managed a great save with his feet.  After the first 10 minutes of constant pressure the Mangoes settled down and they had their first attack on the Tivvy goal which forced a great save from Kurtis Parkin.  Moments later they had the ball in the back of the net, but the goal was adjudged to be offside. 

Twenty minutes in to the first half it was Oli Nott who opened the scoring after the ball was sent long for Sam Box to flick on to the feet of Nott , who made no mistake of slotting the ball calmly past the keeper.  Seven minutes later Tivvy’s lead had increased to 2-0 when Box forced in a shot that started from a midfield manoeuvre that was sent out wide to the left to Josh French who switched the play to Box who was running in from the right-hand flank.  Half-time came and the score remained 2-0.  Tivvy did deserve to be in front but didn’t really look like they were on top of their game for some parts of the half.

The second half was a fairly uneventful affair but substitute David Hood came on and had several chances, none of which were converted.  Tivvy had a further 2 goals disallowed for offside, and 2-0 was how the game ended.

Tivvy travel to Mangotsfield on Wednesday 17th March, where they will need to up their game to get the 3 points from, what will no doubt be, a difficult away fixture.

Goalscorers: Oli Nott, Sam Box

LarkHall Athletic 0 – 2 Tiverton Town U18s League Cup – Semi Final – 2nd March  2010

Hoody Saves the Day

There was a nervous tension prior to the kick off as Tivvy travelled without a goal keeper, the duty of going between the sticks fell to David Hood who on any other night is one of the teams influential strikers and what a great job he made of it.

The early moments saw Tivvy a little shaky and Larkhall almost capitalised on this when a goal mouth scramble saw Hood fixed to his line watching the ball bobble about before it was eventually cleared away.  It looked like the early wake up call was heard as the yellows started to pile forward exerting enormous pressure on a nervous looking Larkhall keeper. Josh French missed the first of several chances in front of goal after he made a darting run and beat the back line, he somehow managed to fire the ball high into the trees (“it was the nasty bobble on the pitch”). Tivvy continued to push for the opening goal and when it came in the 22nd minute, it was well worth waiting for. The ball was played out from the back, before falling at the feet of Josh Pearce who took the ball on from a midfield area to slot it wide of the penalty box into the path of Richie Durante who struck the ball sweetly across the keeper and into the far bottom corner. Larkhall were right back at Tivvy from the restart and they might have equalised had it not been for the stout defending of the back line, who at times were drawn out of position but on the whole worked well as a unit to protect the stand in keeper.

40 minutes into the game and it was the prolific Sam Box who extended the lead for Tivvy with a carbon copy effort of Durantes first goal.

Larkhall came out for the second half with a second wind and it was their turn to push forward trying to pull a goal back but Hoody was clearly now getting a taste for the goal keeping lark, when he made the first of several tremendous saves to prevent Tivvys lead from slipping away.

Although Larkhall made a very spirited attempt at getting back into the game and they did play very well, Tivvy were always in control and never looked like losing the victory they very much deserved for a great team effort.

Tiverton Town U18s 4 – 0 Sherborne 28th January 2010

Somerset Floodlit League Cup Quarter finals

Tivvy made hard work of this game for the first half against a big and determined Sherborne team who looked well organised and clearly with the news that both Bishops Sutton and Elmore had been beaten in the cup the night before, they had come to Ladysmead with the intention of removing the last premier division team from the competition.

The early opportunities fell to Sherborne as the Yellows started slowly but it was only a matter of 15 minutes or so before Ryan turner was knocking on the door after a great pass into the penalty box from Josh French out wide met the feet of Turner who’s 1 on 1 with the keeper ended up with the keeper coming out on top, moments later Sherborne were back at Tivvy and a powerful strike from one of the forwards glanced over the bar. The first half continued to ebb and flow and French came close again shortly before the whistle but his shot went skywards – first half ended 0 – 0 and Sherborne for much of the half looked the better team.

Tivvy started the second half at a much higher tempo and it was to prove decisive in the 55th minute with a great finish at short range from Oli Nott after Turner had slide the ball through the back line for Nott to run onto. Sherborne were still looking dangerous on the counter and the feeling was that Tivvy needed another goal to quell the spirits of the Sherborne lads, the combination of Turner and Nott almost made the goal, the pair linking up well in front of goal for Turner to unleash a shot that went wide. It was Sam box who made the breakthrough to get the all important 2nd goal, the ball was played to his feet, with his back to goal he held up well before spinning on the spot and rifling in a superb shot that went low and hard into the bottom right corner giving the keeper no chance.

The second goal was the real turning point in the game, with Sherborne heads dropping Tivvy started to dominate the game and it took some superb saves from the Sherborne keeper to keep Tivvy out, but in the 85th minute it was Box who got his brace with another powerful strike that the keeper could not hold onto to make it 3 – 0.  Into time-added on and Ryan Turner got the goal he so richly deserved after another through ball saw him 1 on 1 with the keeper again and on this occasion he coolly stepped around the keeper to tap the ball in the net to make the final score 4 – 0 to Tivvy who have now booked their 2nd semi final spot in 4 days.

Another great team performance and deserved victory for the U18s

Goal Scorers: Sam Box (2), Oli Nott, Ryan Turner

 

Tiverton Town U18s 6 v 0 Morley Rangers - Devon County Cup Q Final - Jan 2010

Tivvy started this game looking a little rusty and for the opening moments gave Morley far too much time and space to play the ball.  It didn’t last long though once the cobwebs had been blown away and they got back into their stride. 

Seven minutes in David Hood had a great opportunity to open the scoring when he was put through to unleash a shot which forced a great save from the Morley keeper.  Tivvy continued to look lively and it seemed it was only going to be a matter of time before the first goal came.  It was in the 12th minute when Sam Box made it 1-0 when Tivvy caught Morley on the break and Sam Box slid the ball past the keeper. It took a while longer for goal number 2, but on reaching 25 minutes Box made it 2-0 after Oli Nott put the ball over the top and from 25-30 yards out Box took full advantage with the keeper running out to meet him and lobbed him with a brilliantly weighted shot.  Most of the first period was spent in the Morley half, however their keeper managed to keep it to 2-0 at half-time. 

The second half again saw Tivvy struggle to find their form in the opening moments but it was provider turn scorer in the 60th minute when Box sent in a cross that David Hood allowed to bypass him for Oli Nott to fire in making it 3-0.  Two minutes later the lead was extended to 4-0 after Josh Pearce fired in a free-kick from the left hand side that resulted in Josh French, who ran in totally unmarked, finishing with a great header. The Morley lads were clearly tired and the difference in fitness was showing now and in the 70th minute David Hood got his first of the game after latching onto Kurtis Parkin’s long range kick from goal when he slotted it past the keeper with a very cool finish.  Not long after this Sam Box again provided a great pass to the feet of Hood for him to put in his second to make it 6-0, which was how the game finished.

Goal scorers: Sam Box (2), David Hood (2), Oli Nott (1), Josh French (1)

Tiverton Town U18s 5 v 0 Paulton Rovers - Somerset Floodlit Youth League - Dec 2009

Tivvy ran out comfortable winners in a game that following Paulton’s upsurge in form should have proved a tough challenge. After such a long lay off from football the Yellows were well up for this game and commanded the pitch right from the outset. The first 40 minutes or so of the game saw Tivvy have numerous chances to open the scoring with Josh French coming close on the 15 minute mark, from a 25yd wicked free kick that rebounded off the bar, Alex Sanderson and Correy Couch linked up well to send in a great cross that forced the Paulton keeper to make the first of many great saves that stopped the scoreline getting even greater come the end of the game. It was in the 43rd minute when Tivvy finally hit the back of the net with a well taken finish from Ryan Turner who took advantage of the keeper only being able to parry the venomous strike at goal by Richie Durant on his debut game for the Yellows. Everybody on the Tivvy bench were thinking what a great time to score just before half time, but it got better when David Hood slammed in goal number two in added time.

The yellows came out for the second half looking supremely confident against a Paulton side who on the night simply had no reply and it was only 5 minutes into the 2nd half before two became 3 when Josh French tucked away another goal that was the result of some great passing that lead to his opportunity. Ryan Turner was denied a second goal after he was put through 1 – on – 1 with the keeper and a tremendous stop by Paulton’s number one kept it at 3 – 0. Tivvy continued to press and played some great passing football to create the chances and with 75 minutes played French got his second goal of the game with a great strike which claimed the best goal of the game award (self awarded in the changing rooms after the game), making it 4 – 0. With time running out Paulton continued to try and get their game together but it was not going to be their night as was evident when Ash Small made it 5 – 0 in time added on in the 2nd half.

A big performance by the Yellows which was a great way to see out their last game of the decade. A huge thanks to Gordon for preparing the pitch so well and making sure we could get the game on.

Goal Scorers: Josh French (2), David Hood, Ryan Turner, Ash Small

Plymstock United 1 v 4 Tiverton Town - Devon County Cup 2nd Round - November 2009

With the last two weeks’ weather hitting games throughout Devon, there was a concern this game wouldn’t go ahead either, but on arrival at Plymstock the sun was shining and the pitch was looking good to play.

Tivvy started the game brightly with some great passing to feet and Sam Box up front was held the ball up well, which he continued to do throughout the game. Five minutes in saw the first chance of the game which was put behind by the Plymstock keeper with a great save which prevented them going behind at such an early stage. With Tivvy making all the play it was only a matter of time before they would score and in the 15th minute David Hood should probably have opened the scoring but he waited a little too long to release his shot which was duly blocked. Two more minutes on the clock Tivvy broke the deadlock when Ryan Turner floated in a great free-kick into the penalty box for Sam Box to head in passed the keeper. It was pretty much all one way traffic for most of the first half and in the 38th minute Box made it 2-0 with his second of the game with a close-range tap in that was the result of continued pressure from David Hood and Ryan Turner in the Box. Coming up to the half-time whistle Plymstock almost pulled a goal back and if it weren’t for the brilliant defending of Alex Sanderson they would have done.

The second half started very much as the first had ended with Tivvy looking to extend their lead and both Hood and Box came close with several shots, but the Plymstock keeper, who had to be their man of the match, repelled their shots. It was Correy Couch who made it 3-0 with a bit of good fortune with a long range shot that went through the crowd which the keeper managed to get to, but couldn’t hold on to it allowing it to go in the back of the net. Deep into time added on Ryan Turner got his name on the score sheet after Jesse Howe made a great run forcing the keeper to come off his line to meet him, when he selflessly put the ball across an open net for Turner to tap in. With 56 minutes of the second half (!) played (according to both dug-outs’ watches) Plymstock were awarded a penalty which they duly put away to end the game 4-1. Credit to the Plymstock lads for making a game of it and for the spirit in which they played, but from the whistle went to start the game it was clear there was only going to be one team winning. A great team effort and now we can look forward to entertaining Morely Rangers at home in January.

Goalscorers: Box (2), Turner, Couch

Bitton 3 v 2 Tiverton Town - Somerset Floodlit Youth League October 2009

Tivvy started well in this game and for the opening 40 minutes or so they were in control and only side looked like winning.

Bitton actually came close to opening the scoring in the first minute, whilst the Yellows were still waking up, but they soon pulled themselves together and with some good interlinking play saw David Hood fire a venomous strike at the keeper, who managed to hold it well. Tivvy continued to press and a left footed strike from Josh French tested the keeper again. With 15 minutes gone the pairing of Hood and French forced the opening after Hood fired at the keeper who, on this occasion, could only parry it out to land at the feet of French who calmly placed it in the back of the net.The game continued to go from end to end and it felt at this time that Bitton were receiving more of a hand from the referee than Tiverton and an unsighted two footed challenge left Chris Hawkins with a serious mid-drift injury. Right on the half-time whistle Bitton were put back into the game with an own goal by Michael Broom, that clearly lifted Bitton’s spirits for when they came out in the second half.

With Chris Hawkins unable to continue Rob Fellingham came on for the second half and they started brightly again with Ryan Turner coming close. Five minutes in Tivvy fell behind for the first time in the game from a well placed header that was flicked in from a corner kick. The 55 minute mark saw Tivvy fall further behind after a free-kick was awarded on the half-way line!! The ball was sent to the edge of the box and the looping header went over the top of Kurtis Parkin. Bitton were now in the ascendency and looked very much in control of the game up until the dying moments when Tivvy seemed to come to life again and David Hood fired in Tivvy’s second of the night making it 3-2. That was how the game ended but in reality a fair result would have been a draw after Tivvy were denied on three occasions by the woodwork. That’s taking nothing away from Bitton who played well but I am sure all the lads will be keen to amend that result when Bitton visit Ladysmead in the New Year.

Weston Super Mare 3 v 2 Tiverton Town - Somerset Floodlit Youth League October 2009

For the first time in a few weeks both Weston and Tivvy were able to field their strongest teams. Two evenly matched and very strong sides started this game which was decided by unforced errors and lady luck. Tivvy started well and Josh French looked like he would open the scoring early on in the game. It was WSM though who made the first break through Sam Box was caught at the back spending too much time on the ball, the ball was switched and the tackle resulted in the ball being switched to the right side of the pitch and with a lightning fast run down the right wing WSM crossed the ball in for a well taken finish to make it 1 – 0 (29 mins) to the hosts. Tivvy came tearing back from the goal and were exerting great pressure on the WSM back line and a great ball in from Chris Hawkins was met by French who’s shot was just off target, 2 minutes later French got the equaliser after a great build up saw him place the ball past the keeper 1 – 1 (40 mins). Moments later hawkins sent another great ball in for Box who fired off his shot which somehow the keeper managed to smoother.

6 minutes into the second WSM went in front again after an uncharacteristic slip up by Parkin allowed the WSM forward to poke the ball in. Tivvy were playing some great passing football for large parts of the second half and for the most part had the game under control with the occasion break away from Westons front men who were kept well at bay by Alex Sanderson who made several great challenges to prevent WSM from shooting. Around the 70 minute mark Rob Fellingham was on his bike and hit a tremendous long range shot that had the WSM keeper completely beaten to make it 2 -2. It was Tivvy who were looking the more likely to go on and win the game with their attacking play, but the patience of WSM saw them catch Tivvy on the break with 4 minutes remaining to make it 3 – 2, which is how the game ended.

Apart from a couple of mistakes that were harshly punished Tivvy played by far the better football in this game and were desperately unlucky not to come away with at least a share of the points.

Tiverton Town 10 v 0 Woodford Colts - Devon County Cup October 2009

A wet Sunday morning saw Tivvy welcome a very young Woodford side to Ladysmead in a game that everybody expected Tiverton to win. The conditions made it quite tricky for the players of both sides to keep the ball under control, but Tivvy dominated the game throughout. Jesse Howe came close to opening the scoring in the 2nd minute of the game but the attack was snuffed out by some good defending, Howe was in again less than a minute later but managed to sky the ball from 6 yards out with only the keeper to beat. It was in the 6th minute that the scoring was opened with a well taking shot across the keeper from David Hood, 4 minutes later Hood got his second after Howe passed the ball to feet across the box. It looked like the floodgates were going to open when two minutes later Correy Couch got his name on the score sheet to make it 3 – 0 with a powerful strike that the keeper could not hold onto. Everybody was lining up now and Oli Nott almost got his 1st goal of the season with a great pass across goal from Howe, but he somehow managed to put it wide. 25 minutes saw Tivvy 4 nil up with a great finish from Chris Hawkins. Right from the restart Tivvy were back in the Woodford penalty with Hoody trying to chip the keeper but not getting enough purchase on the ball. Oli Nott got the goal he deserved to make it 5 – 0 moments later when he slammed in a shot after the keeper parried the ball out into his path. Celebration of the game and a definite nomination for shirt of the season must go to Alex Sanderson who made it 6 – 0 with a great individual run that saw him take the ball from the half way line, down the line before cutting into the box to fire low and hard to score a cracking goal. With moments of the 1st half remaining Jesse Howe made it 7 – 0, the ball was sent in from a corner kick which he chested down to volley in leaving the keeper to watch it hit the net.

The 2nd half saw Woodford come out looking to play and with their heads still high, but they were simply outclassed by the quality and fitness of the Tivvy lads. Josh French was the next player to get his name on the sheet after a defensive error gave him the opportunity to tap the ball in the corner to make it 8 – 0. To their credit Woodford stopped more goals going in with some good defensive play, but at times it seemed Tivvy started to forget they were there to play football and began shooting from all over the field instead of playing the ball to feet (which they do well). Sam Stapleton had a few half chances in the second half and with less than 10 minutes remaining he made it 9 – 0 , this was closely followed by an OG finishing the game at 10 – 0.

Winning through this round sets up a second round clash against the Plymouth Colts the team Tivvy beat in last years final at Home Park.

Goal Scorers : Hood (2), Couch, Hawkins, Nott, Sanderson, Howe, French, Stapleton

Paulton Rovers 3 v 6 Tiverton Town - Floodlit Youth League Cup September 2009

At the second time of asking in this cup competition Tivvy came out on top. With the first attempt at playing the game halted due to a serious injury to one of the Paulton players, Tivvy went into this game high in confidence as the 20 minutes they had played in the previous game was an outstanding performance. However, with less than a minute played that confidence was severely dented when Paulton took the lead after a powerful shot could only be partially stopped by Kurtis Parkyn and the ball trickled over the line. From the re-start Tivvy came right back at Paulton with Josh Tunstall’s pace and determination almost undoing Paulton’s defence twice within the next 6 minutes. Unfortunately, the well delivered crosses he put in were intercepted by the defence. Just before the 10 minute mark Tivvy’s backline were undone again when they were caught on the break and a powerful strike into the corner of the net gave Kurtis little chance and saw Tivvy 2-0 down. Tivvy continued to press in an attempt to get a goal back and spent a great deal of the next 10 minutes in the Paulton half. Chris Hawkins came close to pulling a goal back after a great flick on by Sam Box that saw Hawkins take on the keeper for a 50:50 ball, but the keeper came out on top. Several more chances came with Sam Box coming close, and Sam Stapleton firing the ball over the bar after a great ball from Tunstall sent Matt Coombes flying through before he crossed the ball to Stapleton’s feet. The 27th minute almost saw Tivvy go 3-0 down when Paulton’s skipper fired a great shot in that took every inch of Kurtis’ height for him to reach the ball to tip it behind for a corner. Finally, in the 32nd minute, Sam Box pulled a goal back for Tivvy with a great finish that was the result of Tivvy’s persistence and playing the ball to feet. Less than 5 minutes later Paulton regained their 2 goal lead after some poor defending by Tivvy allowed them another close range strike that gave Kurtis no chance. Half-time 3-1 to Paulton.

With a truly inspirational half-time talk, and 2 sets of fresh legs with David Hood and Josh French coming on, the Tivvy lads finally started to stoke the fire, and it only took 4 minutes of the second half before the partnership of Box and Hood paid off when David Hood hit a screamer into the top left corner, making it 3-2. Not to be outdone, Paulton came back at Tiverton and another fantastic save was required from Kurtis to tip the ball over the bar. The scores were levelled in the 57th minute when David Hood fired a shot through a crowed penalty box after the Paulton keeper fumbled the ball allowing it to be pushed out to him. With Tivvy getting the equaliser and Paulton looking like they were tiring, you could sense that the Tivvy lads smelt victory. Hawkins continued to be a menace down the left wing, pumping in some great crosses for David Hood. It was now pretty much one way traffic but it took until the 75th minute before Tiverton actually took the lead; it was another great ball from midfield to the feet of Box in the area, that saw him turn on a sixpence before firing in low to beat the keeper making it 3-4 with his second of the game, and putting Tivvy in the lead for the first time in the game. With less than 5 minutes of normal time remaining David Hood got his hat-trick and put the game beyond doubt when Josh French slid the ball through the gap and across the penalty area for Hood to fire into the corner, making it 3-5. Moving into time added on, provider turned into goal scorer when Josh French headed the ball in to make it 3-6 from an Oli Nott corner that saw the ball go to French with an exocet type precision. The result was a great testament to the fitness and determination of the Tivvy lads, but take nothing away from the Paulton lads who battled hard and played some great football, but on the night couldn’t get the result.

Tiverton Town 5 v 1 Keynsham Town - Floodlit Youth League September 2009

The Under 18s first league game of the 2009/10 season against Keynsham was that they were expected to win and in the end they do so convincingly. For large spells of the game Tivvy were camped out in the Keynsham half and right from the off they started to create chances. Fifteen minutes into the game Josh Pearce was the first to come close with a long range speculative lob that saw Keynsham’s keeper left stranded but the ball sailed over the bar. With the continued Tiverton pressure, it was only going to be a matter of time before they broke down the Keynsham defence. On the rare occasion in the first half that Keynsham managed to launch an attack and reach the Tivvy penalty area, they almost came unstuck with Pearce running the ball out from defence delivering it to Sam Box who was on the half-way line who sliced the defence wide open before unleashing a powerful shot that forced Keynsham’s keeper to make a great save. In the 26th minute David Hood almost made the opening goal, after the ball was slid across the penalty area to him, and with his back to goal on the 6 yard line his quick turn outwitted the goalkeeper but the ball went wide of the upright. It was in the 30th minute when Tivvy finally breeched the defences of Keynsham from a corner kick that was flicked in by the hardworking Ryan Turner. With just over 5 minutes of the first half remaining David Hood got his first of the night when Ash Small’s ambitious attempt at lobbing the keeper from close by the halfway line saw the keeper catch but drop the ball only to be confronted by the predatory David Hood, who tapped in to make it 2-0 to make the half-time talk an easy one for Vinnie.

Tivvy came out for the second half looking like a side who were determined to score more goals, and within 2 minutes Hood again came close when a venomous strike from the inside the penalty area was only stopped by the bravery of the Keynsham defender throwing his body in front of the ball. Keynsham must have been disappointed when after only another minute Turner got his second of the game after some fantastic battling down the right wing afforded him the opportunity to fire in on goal, making it 3-0. With around an hour of the game played, Keynsham had their purple patch and they caught Tivvy sleeping at the back when they slipped through the defence making it 3-1, and for the next five minutes or so Keynsham’s tails were well up and they were looking a time who thought they could get something out of the game. Credit for their spell of good play must in some part go to the substitution when they brought on their number 12, a 15 year old lad who looked like Willo-the-wisp but ran like Willy the whippet! Tivvy regained control of the game and killed it off in the 75th minute when a deft little pass from Ash Small to the feet of Hood allowed him to once again lob the keeper, making it 4-1. Five minutes later the final goal of the game came when Hood got his third from a scrappy encounter on the goal line.

Great credit must go to all the Keynsham lads and the management for the way in which they continued to play football for the whole 90 minutes and although it was clear that Tivvy would run out winners, they never let their heads drop.

Weston Super Mare 4 v 1 Tiverton Town FA YOUTH Cup September 2009

Both teams started this game looking to play an attacking game and it wasn’t long before chances started to come for both teams. It was Tivvy’s David Hood who had the first chance to open the scoring from a free kick 10 yards outside the box after the ref decided not to play the advantage, but the resultant free kick went high over the bar. Weston were breaking well and keeping hold of the ball creating chances but were unable to make them count. The 20 minute mark saw Hoody in on goal again and his attempt to lob the keeper was in vain as the ball went over the bar again. 25 minutes saw the first goal of the game when the WSM winger sent in a cross that was put away with pin point precision, their second goal came 3 minutes later after a wicked deflection off of one of the Tivvy defenders landed the ball right at the feet of the WSM full-back who slammed in a well finished goal. Tivvy pulled a goal back within 5 minutes after Josh Pearce broke out from defence to go on a mazy run up to the midfield before passing it to Boxy so he could slide the ball through for Hoody who made no mistake to finishing this time (2 – 1). WSM regained the lead right on the stroke of half-time when they were awarded a penalty for a clumsy challenge.

The second half started with Tivvy attempting to take control and get back into the game, but Weston shut up shop and defended well keeping everybody back and stifling the play, with 10 minutes of the 2nd half gone Tivvy were caught out when pressing forward allowing WSM to go 4 – 1 up which was how the game ended. The scoreline flatters WSM who played well but were equally matched for most of the game by Tivvy and with it being their first competitive game together after such a long wait for a game they look like they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.