Under 18`s for
2008/09
We are now making arrangements for our under 18`s squad for next
season. If you will be Under 18 but aged 16 or 17 on 1st September 2008
and are interested in playing for Tiverton Town FC then contact us by Email for further details.
FIRST TRIAL DATE IS MONDAY 19TH MAY MEET 6.30PM AT LADYSMEAD
New Coaching Staff for next season
Chris Vinnicombe - Manager
Colin Nation - Assistant Manager
Shane Kallaway - Coach
Russ Murch - Secretary
28th April 2008 Somerset Floodlit Youth
League
Tivvy U18`s 6 v 0 Bishop Sutton
The Under 18's cruised to a comfortable 6-0 hammering of Bishop Sutton at Ladysmead on Monday evening, in what turned out to be the final game of their season. It was a solid enough performance, although the lads never really had to get out of second gear with their Bristol opponents offering little. The home side couldn't have got off to a much better start, probably largely due to the warm-up they recieved, when inside the first five minutes a combination of Alex Faux and Glenn Gould threaded an inch perfect pass through the striker Sean Szabo who made no mistake in slotting the ball past the keeper. After a fairly non-eventful half hour, the Yellows had to wait till the last 10 minutes of the first period to double their advantage when Sam Strong's header found Faux on the left who again linked up with Gould, this time flicking the ball around the last defender into the path of "the bear" and he toe-poked past the on-rushing keeper to give Tivvy a cushion they deserved going into the break
The goal of the game came just moments into the second half when once again the outstanding double act of Faux and Gould linked up, with the former receiving the latters pass on the left wing and delivering a teasing cross along the six yard box where Richie Emmett was on hand to volley into the bottom corner. At this stage Sutton's heads had dropped and it was all one way traffic, with James Woodcock in the Tivvy goal largely a spectator. After a whole host of missed chances, including one where Szabo somehow failed to make contact with the ball two yards out after a perfect Cam Nott cross, substitute for Szabo, James MacMartin came on and showed his replacement how it's done firing home from close range following yet another spot on cross from Faux. The fifth came courtesy of captain Nott whose persistence paid off forcing the keeper into a rushed clearance and the winger unleashed a terrifying left footed effort which sailed into the top corner. The game was then complete in the dying moments when Gould was set clean through and he grabbed his second of the game and Tivvy's sixth.
As said above, unfortunately this turned out to be the Under 18's last game of the season due to not being able to raise a side for Wednesday nights league game away to Mangotsfield. Praise should go to all the players who have been involved this season, as to the parents who have solved the transportation problems on numerous occasions. So a big thank you must go to the management staff of Notty, Fids and the Haribo Man for all their hard work over the course of the season, as well as all the monumental work that Chris Davey does behind the scenes to even get these games organised. You'll be missed.
24th April 2008 Devon County Cup Final
Plymstock 1 v 2
Tivvy U18`s
The Young Yellows retained their Devon Youth Cup crown with a pulsating 2-1 victory over Plymstock in Thursday night's final played at Newton Abbott FC. The action packed game, which was a repeat of last years final, saw both sides have decent chances to open up the scoring in the first period but it wasn't until the 47th minute when Plymstock broke the deadlock with a long range effort. But Tivvy came back stronger and their extra quality and fitness told as they came from behind to take the tie with excellent goals from official man of the match Glenn Gould, a delightful 25 yard lob, and captain Brendan O'Boyle, a vicious 20 yard strike into the bottom the corner, sealing the trophy for Tivvy for the 3rd time in 4 years.
The game, as expected, began at a hectic pace and produced some superb end to end action with both sides having chances to gain an early advantage. Glenn Gould, saw his cross-come-shot tipped over the bar, whilst Tivvy keeper James Woodcock had to be alert to parry away a long range effort. The golden opportunity of the half fell to Plymstock's striker on 25 minutes when he rounded Woodcock and looked likely to score, but from nowhere Sam Tennant produced a truly magnificent block on the goal-line with his head, deflecting the powerful effort out for a corner. After Sean Szabo had looped a header just wide of the post, the striker twice put Gould through on goal with some short, sharp passing that Plymstock just couldn't handle but after breaking from midfield both of Gould's attempts were well saved by the opposing keeper.
The second half started in a similar fashion to the first, and the half was only two minutes old when the opposition broke the deadlock. Their forward was given too much time to turn and pick his spot on the edge of the area, and his good finish left Woodcock with little chance. The goal seemingly sparked Tivvy into life and ten minutes later Callum Hoare, who enjoyed a superb game alongside Steve Goss in engine room for the Yellows, picked out another one of Gould's marauding runs with a long ball over the top and this time the midfielder excellently lifted the ball over the advancing keeper for a fine goal and one that his performance richly deserved. Tivvy's tails were now up and for the next 20 minutes dominated proceedings, producing some highly attractive football that Plymstock simply couldn't cope with. Substitute Alex Faux, who replaced Aiden Harper-Penman, made a big difference when he came on and it was his storming run into the box that resulted in the ball squirming its way to captain Brendan O'Boyle on the edge of the box who unleashed a powerful drive and left the keeper with no chance, sending the Tivvy lads and supporters into raptures. The Young Yellows then saw out the remainder of the game with little trouble, as Plymstock's frustration got the better of them and a few nasty tackles started flying in, as the chances dried up.
So Tivvy can now breathe a sigh of relief that the season will certainly end with at least one bit of silverware in the trophy cabinet, and they must now win their two remaining league games to consolidate second position, although if Weston slip up at Keynsham on Monday evening the title could be back at Ladysmead. So please come down and support the lads and management on Monday evening at Ladysmead against Bishop Sutton (7.45) in what is for many of them their final ever home game they'll play together. The final match is on Wednesday evening, away to the team who beat Tivvy last week in the league cup final, Mangotsfield.
17th April 2008 Somerset Floodlit Youth
League Cup Final
Mangotsfield 2 v 1
Tivvy U18`s
Thursday evening saw Tivvy throw away their third opportunity of winning something this season out of four when they suffered their forth defeat in five games by going down 2-1 against Mangotsfield in the League Cup Final at Clevedon Town. The Yellows were made to rue missed chances in the second half, whilst at the stage of being a goal to the good, and if these golden opportunities could have been converted it would have certainly been a different story. But the Mango's battled their way back into the game and ultimately leave Tivvy reeling as they watch another piece of silverware slip from their grasp.
In a fairly drab first half, where the only winner seemed likely to be the howling wind which affected both teams, chances were few and far between with both teams struggling to get into their fluent passing football as it seemed as though the occasion got to both sets of lads. But as the game settled down Tivvy had the first real chance when Sean Szabo's goal bound attempt was blocked in the 20th minute. The Mango's then began to apply some pressure but the defensive made up of Sam Strong, Sam Tennant, Niall Martin and Luke Bryant all looked assured and highly competent in their duties, limiting the opponents to long range shots and only forcing Tivvy keeper Danny Lewis into only one real save which he dealt with ease. The deadlock was broken in the 41st minute when a sublime 25 yard free kick from top goalscorer Szabo curled brilliantly into the bottom corner, this goal gave the game the spark it needed and set the plot for an improved second period.
The second 45 saw Mangotsfield, with the strong winds now at their backs, starting to force the Young Yellows back into their own half but it was on the counter attack that Tivvy looked the most dangerous. Within ten minutes of restart striker Alex Faux was set free twice from balls over the top; the first time his effort with his weaker right foot was fired straight at the keeper and the second one saw the ball canon off the crossbar after a powerful attempt. It was then Mangotsfield's turn to have a couple of chances including a half volley that came back off the outside of the post with Lewis well beaten and another decent chance that was blasted just wide from a tight angle. Soon after yet another long ball over the top provided Tivvy with an excellent opportunity to double their advantage, this time it was Szabo who was sent racing clear but again the chance was wasted by firing straight at the keeper whilst the resulting rebound was excellently cleared off the line by a defender who made up half the length of the pitch when it seemed a certain goal. Just before the hour mark the Mango's pulled level after a corner was unable to be cleared to safety by the Tivvy defence and the ball was smashed into the roof of the net leaving Lewis in goal with no chance. This equaliser really sparked the Bristol side into action and just five minutes later they got what turned out to be the winning goal after their winger on the left was unchallenged when on a run and simply cut the ball back to an unmarked player who made no mistake in finding the back of the net from 12 yards. The final quarter of an hour was as you would expect with the Yellows throwing everyone forward but the elusive goal was nowhere to be found and Tivvy were left frustrated and despondent as they watched Mangotsfield lift the League Cup with joy.
It's going to take a big performance to comeback from what has been a horror week or so, but one that needs to happen next Thursday in the Devon Cup Final against Plymstock at Newton Abbott if this season full of promise is realistically going to end with any silverware.
15th April 2008 Somerset Floodlit Youth
League
Weston Super Mare 3 v 1
Tivvy U18`s
Tivvy went from strong title favourites to weak looking outsiders within 90 minutes on Tuesday evening as the Yellows lost a "winner takes all" tie 3-1 away to top of the table Weston Super-Mare. The fact that the home side quicker to every ball, working well as a unit and seemingly far more "up for it" than Tivvy ultimately puts the title out of the Young Yellows hands, with Weston needing to slip up in their final fixture away to mid-table Keynsham and the Ladysmead outfit requiring maximum points from their two remaining tricky games.
The game began with Weston dominating and continued as the visitors turned in a lacklustre opening half. After a couple of wayward attempts the opening goal for the hosts seemed inevitable, and it came after 20 minutes when a corner was flicked on at the near post and the ball found its way to the unmarked Sam Clarke who fired into the empty net from close range. This momentarily sparked the Yellows into life and they created their first opening of the game when Sean Szabo found himself with only the keeper to beat, but his chip was off target. The home side though deservedly doubled their advantage five minutes later, but in bizarre circumstances. A long ball ended up seemingly bouncing through harmlessly to Tivvy keeper Danny Lewis, but with an attacker charging the ball down Lewis lost concentration and let the ball slip out of his grasp allowing the Weston forward with the easiest goal he'll ever score. Tivvy couldn't cope the hosts' quick pass and move football and their dominance was there for all to see as they went on to hit the post and force Lewis into a decent save. However, the Yellows did manage to carve one or two openings with strikers Szabo and Alex Faux both testing the Weston keeper.
The second period saw Tivvy send on Ross Szabo as a more attacking formation was adopted with three up front, and this improved the poor first half performance with Tivvy attacking with more purpose. Yet, due to the attacking nature of the Yellows play they left themselves fairly exposed at the back and Lewis went some way to atoning for his earlier error with two top-drawer saves. In a much more even second period of 45 Tivvy nearly grabbed a goal back when substitute Ross Szabo, who looked sharp and dangerous on the left wing, crashed a volley against the upright. Despite the improvements in commitment and desire though, it was Weston who got the next goal and effectively put the game to bed when Lewis misjudged a cross and the ball bounced off a defender in a Yellow shirt and into the path of Weston's Clarke who tapped in for another close range goal. Credit must go to the lads who didn't let their heads drop, with captain Brendan O'Boyle leading by example time and time again in a more advanced midfield role and providing a real driving force. After Steve Goss missed a glorious close range opportunity, the Young Yellows did pull one goal back when Ross Szabo's jinking run on the left resulted in the winger putting in a low cross that was prodded in by his twin Sean. But overall it was a case of too little, too late and the lads need to quickly get their heads up and turn in a big performance on Thursday evening in the League Cup final against Mangotsfield at Clevedon Town, else risk finishing a season that has promised so much but delivered nothing.
10th April 2008 Somerset Floodlit Youth
League
Tivvy U18`s 4 v 1 Keynsham
The Young Yellows found themselves in action again on Thursday with the re-arranged league fixture with Bristol outfit Keynsham, after crashing out of the BGB cup two days earlier.
After a sloppy start to the game, Tivvy started to dominate proceedings with midfield generals Steve Goss and Glenn Gould controlling the tempo of the game. Good passing and movement eventually paid off as the inevitable first goal came from the boot of Richie Emmett who slid the ball home under heavy pressure from a crowd of Keynsham defenders. His second of the game came moments later after another assured finish in a one-one situation, after being found brilliantly by an inch perfect through ball by Glenn Gould, who arguably enjoyed his best game in a Tivvy shirt.
At half time Aiden Harper-Penman was brought on for Glenn Gould and the industrious midfielder worked hard in the centre of midfield as Tiverton again asserted control of the game. An enforced substitution was forced upon the Tiverton management after a “dopey” ‘Mr. T’ head butted Richie Emmett when they were both attacking a ball from a corner, and unfortunately this meant the latter could play no further part. This gave James “Jimbo” MacMartin the chance to come on and the substitute emphatically finished with his first touch after a raking ball over the top split the Keynsham defence apart. The equanimity of Luke Bryant was apparent for all to see as the sturdy right back conducted proceedings with authority and panache. His pin point ping over the top for Jimbo’s third oozed class, but despite putting in a near faultless display he still managed to collect the ‘Muppet of the match’ award!
Tiverton’s fourth should have come from the head of captain Brendan O’Boyle, who masterfully controlled the threat of any Keynsham attack by putting in a sterling performance. After ghosting into the box unmarked, he saw his header sail over the bar. Sloppy defending from a corner allowed Keynsham to pull one back as the ball fell to a player on the edge of the box, who duly poked the ball into the corner of the net. Things could have got worse for the lads, but an excellent sliding challenge from a covering Sam Tennant stopped the Keynsham striker running clean through. The game was put to bed by Sean Szabo, who turned and struck the ball in following a routine long throw-in.
A comfortable win for the lads in the end now sets them up nicely for a crunch title decider with Weston Super Mare on Tuesday night.
8th April 2008 BGB Youth Cup Quarter
Final
Tivvy U18`s 1 v 2 Merthyr Tydfil
The Young Yellows suffered their second successive 2-1 home defeat on Tuesday evening, this time against a highly useful and organised Merthyr Tydfil in the quarter finals of the BGB Youth Cup. In a fairly even game between two very well matched sides, Tivvy were made to rue the slack start they made, which gave the visitors a two goal lead within the first 30 minutes. The home side never really got going in the opening exchanges giving Merthyr the confidence to attack and ultimately harm the Yellow's backline with their pace. The first goal came shortly after the 10 minute mark, when an excellent 25 yard drive from a visiting midfielder beat Tivvy keeper Danny Lewis at his near post. Merthyr thought that they had doubled their advantage just moments later when the ball was in the back of the net but the decent finish from a good flowing move was ruled out for offside. The Yellows offered little going forward with set pieces looking the most viable option to get back on level terms. But around the half hour mark it was 2-0 to the Welsh side after another decent flowing move tore its way through Tivvy's right hand side, and a neat pull back was clinically finished by their big centre forward leaving Lewis with little chance. Minutes later Lewis had to be alert again with a good "camera save" following a curling attempt on goal from 20 yards that was heading towards the top corner.
The hosts finally started to string some passes together after this point and worked their way back into the game when a delicate through ball from Richie Emmett released Sean Szabo whose shot from just inside the box found the bottom corner nicely. But Szabo went from hero to villain in the space of a couple of minutes when after winning a penalty, which was a result of the striker being brought down inside the box after quick-thinking from Luke Bryant, he stepped up to take the spot kick and embarrassingly chipped the spot kick straight down the middle for it to be easily saved by the Merthyr keeper who barely had to move.
The action just before half time could have left the Tivvy lads feeling deflated but to their credit they battled away in the second period, dominating possession and keeping Merthyr penned in their own half for large periods but failed to grab that elusive equalising goal. Chances were few and far between for both sides and the game frustratingly petered out for the boys in Yellow, as the dream of the unprecedented youth quadruple was over. However, it is vital that the Young Yellows pick themselves up quickly after these two poor results in succession to ensure that the season doesn't end in overall disappointment, being in two cup finals within the next two weeks and a series of hugely important league games to cement their title-favourites tag.
3rd April 2008 Somerset Floodlit Youth
League
Tivvy U18`s 1 v 2 Weston Super-Mare
A lacklustre display from Tivvy, where the hosts failed to get going for the entirety, has left the title race wide open after their 2-1 home defeat to title rivals Weston on Thursday evening. In a cagey match, where clear cut chances were few and far between it took a deflected effort and two penalties for the two sides to record goals, but ultimately it sent a delighted Weston side home with the three points that they probably just about deserved.
The whole of the first half was a scrappy and nervy one with neither side wanting to go hell for leather and leave themselves exposed at the back, whilst both sides struggled to get into their flowing passing football. However, the first golden opportunity fell to Tivvy's Glenn Gould in the 10th minute when he released by a ball over the top, but in a one on one situation he dragged his shot just wide of the Weston goal. The deadlock was broken in the 20th minute in fortuitous style when visiting striker Sam Clarke had a shot from the edge of the box that got wickedly deflected off a Tivvy defender, changing the direction of the ball and wrong-footing Yellows keeper Danny Lewis, who could only watch the ball nestle in the right hand bottom corner. The goal momentarily woke Tivvy up with Danny O'Brien, playing his first game for Tivvy Under 18's, always looking the home sides biggest threat on the right wing. The Yellows' equaliser came about ten minutes after Weston gained their advantage, stemming from some decent short passing and Sean Szabo's run into the box. The striker was cleanly brought down just as he was about to pull the trigger and an unquestionable penalty was awarded. Szabo dusted himself off and calmly sent the Weston keeper Luke Purnell the wrong way, to draw Tivvy level. The only other real chance of the half went to the visitors as Lewis did well to tip another long-range effort over the bar.
The second period followed a fairly similar story, but it was clear that as the sides began to tire chances would emerge and Purnell did well to save a vicious Alex Faux volley from 20 yards five minutes in. At the other end, Lewis also had to be alert in parrying away a close range effort after a cross into the box was failed to be dealt with. Just before the hour mark though, the eventual winner was scored as slack marking from the Yellows allowed a long ball over the top to be latched onto by the dangerous Clarke. Initially it looked as though he had over-ran the ball, but as Lewis failed to smother convincingly, the striker had a second bite at the cherry and he nipped round the keeper and Lewis brought him down, conceding a stonewall penalty and lucky not to be sent off. Clarke himself stepped up and beat Lewis with the power of his spot kick, leaving the Tivvy boys in the unusual position of facing the prospect of defeat at home. The Yellows failed to get into their usual stride and the game began to fizzle out with little opportunities being created. A late onslaught of free-kicks and corners failed to come to anything and Tivvy's bad night was summed up when substitute Cam Nott was taken to hospital with a broken nose after an aerial challenge in the dying moments.
This poor performance, Tivvy's first loss for four months since the Northampton FA Youth Cup game, must be rectified in time for Tuesday's home game in the quarter finals of the BGB Youth Cup against Merthyr Tydfil else the team could find themselves out the competition. Also next Thursday there's an important home league game against Keynsham, where the Young Yellows will be looking to take advantage of their games in hand.
30th March 2008 Devon County Cup Semi
Final
Tivvy U18`s 5 v 2 Elburton Villa
AET
The reigning Devon Youth Cup champions Tivvy progressed through to this years final of the competition with a hard fought 5-2 win over a determined Elburton Villa side after extra time to set up a repeat of last years final against Plymstock, which the Yellows won four goals to one.
As expected, the game started at a pretty hectic pace with both sides coming out all guns blazing, but it was Tivvy who carved out the better chances with a Glenn Gould long range drive stinging the visiting keepers gloves and Ed Squire and Richie Emmett shooting wide in one-on-one situations. But the first goal of the game went to Elburton in the 20th minute and came in bizarre circumstances. The away side's left back picked the ball up 40 yards from goal near the touchline and played in a cross that transferred into a goal-bound attempt, and with Tivvy keeper James Woodcock misjudging the flight of the ball the shot nestled into the near post top corner. The goal gave the visitors real belief and Woodcock atoned for his earlier error when he produced a fine close range save after poor marking. But Tivvy got their equaliser on the half hour mark with a very harshly awarded penalty, given after Squire's marauding run into the box was obstructed with seemingly a standard shoulder barge. Steve Goss stepped up and coolly converted the spot kick. Returning striker Richie Emmett was forced off in the 35th minute with hamstring problems, but Tivvy's strong bench meant that his replacement was top goalscorer Sean Szabo, who was influential in changing the balance of the game into Tivvy's favour yet no more goals were scored before the interval.
After the half-time team talks, Tivvy came out of the traps the faster and put their noses in front with a goal out of nothing really. A long ball forward was headed clear by a Villa defender, but only reached the hard-working Aiden Harper-Penman 30 yards out who expertly chested the ball down and unleashed a superb half volley into the bottom corner for a fine goal. The lead was kept intact for a further 15 minutes, until a long ball over the top released Elburton's nippy forward, whose pace caused the Tivvy backline problems all afternoon, and he ran clear and dinked the ball over the top of the advancing Woodcock to grab a probably deserved leveller. Both sides had chances to retake the lead as the second half progressed, forcing both keepers into saves, with Jack Lee and substitute James MacMartin both firing wide for Tivvy when in decent positions. The introduction of winger Cam Nott to the field of play for Ed Squire, seemed to give the home side the pair of fresh legs and lift that they needed to push on and win the game, but despite the Yellows being on top now the best chance of the final few minutes of normal time fell to Elburton as another long ball forward was latched onto by their forward who lifted the ball over Woodcock but saw his effort crashed against the crossbar and extra time was needed to separate these two sides.
Despite the heavy legs on a sticky pitch, credit must be to both side for attempting to play football but the long ball forward seemed the most effective method of penetration, and this time Tivvy used it to their advantage when Szabo was set free and rounded the keeper, only to be brought down by the goalie for Tivvy's second penalty. Szabo dusted himself down and slotted past the keeper who guessed the right way, to give the Yellows a 3-2 lead at half time in extra time. The second period of 15 minutes saw the home side dominate as Villa's fitness and confidence disappeared, and fine individual work from Nott saw him use his pace to get to the by-line and stand up an inch-perfect cross for Gould to steam in at the back post and powerfully head into the net for Tivvy's forth. The fifth and final goal came after Nott threaded a through ball to MacMartin who after good work saw his shot saved but the rebound found its way to Szabo who shot through the crowd and into the bottom corner to wrap up the victory.
Again credit must go to Elburton Villa who battled on throughout and probably have the right to feel slightly unlucky with the fact that big decisions at key moments didn't go their way, but for Tivvy this result puts them into their second cup final, and with a strong league position and place in the quarter finals of the BGB Youth Cup the first ever quadruple is still very much on if the lads can produce some performances that matches their potential. The next game is a hugely important league game with title-rivals Weston at home on Thursday evening and the lads would appreciate your support.
25th March 2008 Somerset Floodlit Youth
League
Chard 1 v 2
Tivvy U18`s
The under 18's played their "get out of jail free" card in a thrilling game away to relegation-threatened Chard on Tuesday evening, to score two very late goals after the home side had gone one goal up midway through the second half and take all three points by the skin of their teeth.
Hit by a string of unavailability's, a mix and match Tivvy side started brightly and it looked as though a repeat of the 9-1 victory over Chard in the reverse fixture could be on the cards, but decent chances were squandered by James MacMartin, Alex Faux and Ed Squire through a mixture of poor finishing and good goalkeeping. However, as the half continued Chard grew in stature and confidence, and they applied some serious pressure to the Tivvy backline as the visitors struggled to clear their lines going up the demanding slope. However, the home side failed to force Yellows keeper James Woodcock into a meaningful save, with their best chances including a tame header and an effort that skimmed wide of the post.
After the interval, Chard remained the more likely side to break to the deadlock with their experience of playing up the colossal hill and their central midfielder trio dominating over Tivvy's pair Glenn Gould and Aiden Harper-Penman. Although largely outplayed the visitors still carved out a couple of decent chances with MacMartin again shooting off-target in a one-on-one situation and Luke Bryant seeing his header from a corner being hacked away on the line. The disjointed performance was made worse in the 65th minute when Chard deservedly took the lead, as a long through ball caught the Yellows defenders ball-watching and their winger stole in a fired his shot under the advancing Woodcock. Despite this setback, Tivvy found it difficult to penetrate the hosts' solid defensive unit and Chard could have doubled their advantage as a powerful shot after a good move just flashed past the far post.
The introduction of substitute Jack Lee 15 minutes from time seemed to be the catalyst for Tivvy's late surge, as they adopted a gung ho attacking style that finally troubled Chard's back four. Yet, it seemed as though it was just not meant to be the Young Yellows' night when Faux, who worked tirelessly all night despite playing for Taunton just the day before, raced clean through but shot agonisingly wide in the 85th minute. However, just moments later a long throw in found Lee inside the box who magnificently twisted and turned to shrug off his defender and provide an inch perfect cross for Cam Nott, his header cannoned against the post but Faux was on hand to touch in the rebound from 2 yards out and grab Tivvy's equaliser. Not content with the solitary point the visitors continued to press and deep into added time, largely due to Chard's time wasting, a ball over the top was latched onto by Gould and he made no mistake in touching the ball over the on-rushing keeper to gain the victory. The goal sparked celebrations from the away side who knew that they had rode their luck for large periods of this game against a spirited and determined Chard outfit, who on this sort of form deserve to keep their Premier division status.
The Yellows now look to avenge the disappointment of drawing with Keynsham away earlier in the season, as the two sides meet in the return fixture at Ladysmead on Thursday evening with a 7.45 kick off.
20th March 2008 Somerset Floodlit Youth
League
Tivvy U18`s 4 v 0 Mangotsfield
The Young Yellows strengthened their league title claims with a fine 4 nil victory over a useful Mangotsfield side at Ladysmead on Thursday evening, stretching their unbeaten run to 13 games in the process. After a nervy opening to the game, where both sides struggled to keep the ball, Tivvy settled the quicker with Alex Faux, Ed Squire and Steve Goss all having decent attempts on goal. The visitors also had a few half chances but failed to trouble home keeper Danny Lewis. The home side got the goal they deserved after 35 minutes, with the overall quality of the goal forcing all in the ground to applaud. Strong running from Squire in middle of the park, led to the ball finding Sean Szabo's feet 30 yards out from goal who instead of shooting, turned on the ball and played in Faux on the edge of the box who delightfully caressed the ball into the far top corner with his left foot leaving the keeper with no chance. Further chances came and went for Tivvy but they had to settle for the one goal advantage at the half time whistle, despite playing some decent football. However, just 5 minutes after the break the strike partnership of Szabo and Faux combined superbly again, which resulted in a similar outcome. Szabo picked the ball up on the right wing, evaded the challenges of a couple of Mango's defenders and squared the ball to Faux who had the easy task of rolling the ball into a largely unguarded net. Unfortunately, a series of poor refereeing decisions climaxing in a visiting player harshly getting red-carded in the 60th minute for a challenge from behind, gradually ruined the flow of the game and pretty much ended the game as a contest. But full credit must go to the Mango's side who battled on regardless, and kept the scores the same until the 75th minute when substitute Jack Lee notched his second in as many games firing home a fierce half-volley from the edge of the box after the ball bounced loose. The scoring was complete five minutes from the end when a Faux corner was guided into the bottom corner by central midfielder Goss on the volley.
13th March 2008 Somerset Floodlit
Youth League Cup Semi Final
Sherborne Town 3 v 5
Tivvy U18`s
The Young Yellows scraped through to the league cup final on Thursday evening with a 5-3 victory over South Division hosts Sherborne. A surprisingly lacklustre and flat performance from a Tivvy side depleted by injuries and unavailability's, saw them struggle to get to grips with the home side for large periods who without doubt wanted it more. Their superior desire to win alone nearly booked them their place in the final, but the Yellows higher levels of fitness and perhaps additional bit of quality saw them progress to the leagues showpiece in extra time.
The game began excellently for Tivvy as they took the lead within the first 5 minutes of the tie to somewhat deflate the pumped-up Sherborne boys. The goal came after a James MacMartin shot was well saved, but the keeper could only parry the ball into the path of the lurking Richie Emmett who had the easy task of putting the ball into the back of the net from five yards. Moments later Cam Nott then had a decent one-on-one chance to double the early lead, but the keeper saved the wingers rather tame effort. From then on it was largely all Sherborne, as Tivvy struggled to hold the ball up and retain possession. The equaliser came after twenty minutes when a long range shot was misjudged by Yellows keeper Danny Lewis who allowed the ball to come off the post and in when thinking the effort was going wide. This put even more fire in the hosts' bellies and in all fairness Tivvy were lucky to cling on to the 1-1 score line at half time with wave after wave of Sherborne attacks, but Lewis produced a couple of decent saves to atone for his earlier error and keep the scores as they were. A notable attempt on goal just before half-time for Tivvy saw a good header by captain Brendan O'Boyle from a corner, which forced the home keeper into a reaction stop.
The second half saw Sherborne take the lead within 5 minutes as slack marking allowed a through ball to find the feet of the home sides attacker who ran through on goal and finished convincingly past Lewis. It was evident that Sherborne had put a lot of effort into their first 60 minutes of football as they began to tire past this hour mark allowing Tivvy that bit more time on the ball that they wished for to create a number of openings. Despite the shift in momentum changing in the Yellows favour, the hosts still troubled the Tivvy backline and forced Lewis into a magnificent save in the 70th minute when a rocket was unleashed and the stopper managed to tip the ball to safety. Striker Emmett thought he had scored the equaliser ten minutes from time when he prodded past the on-rushing keeper from just inside the box, but his effort lacked power and the ball was hacked off the line to safety. Sam Strong also went close as his glancing header from a Nott free-kick went within whiskers of the far post. As the game moved into injury time it seemed as though it would be Sherborne's night to savour, but with a minute left on the clock the hosts failed to clear their lines after a long ball was put into their box and after a bit of a goalmouth scramble central midfielder Steve Goss, who influenced proceedings more as the game went on, was brought down inside the box when just about to pull the trigger. Sean Szabo, this seasons top goalscorer who was deployed on the right wing for this game, stepped up and his penalty kick just about beat the opposing keeper who guessed the right way to send the game into extra time.
First blood in extra time went to Sherborne as they scored nearly straight from the kick off after the attacker turned defender Strong easily and buried the ball into the near corner. The defence was ripped apart once again moments later, but somehow the Sherborne player put his shot over the bar from 12 yards after rounding keeper Lewis and the goal wide open. However, Tivvy responded well and made the score 3-3 five minutes later when the two front men linked up well as Emmett slid MacMartin a through ball and the latter forward finished superbly into the far top corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. Fitness was a big influencer in the second period of extra time and Tivvy grabbed the lead when the improving Goss fired home a half volley from ten yards into the bottom corner. The game was put beyond doubt in the dying minutes when Emmett chipped a pass into the area, which found substitute Jack Lee whose first time volley lobbed the keeper for the midfielders first for the club.
The 5-3 result now means that Tivvy face Mangotsfield in the League Cup final at Clevedon Town, but credit must be given to Sherborne for their battling spirit and overall will to succeed, so we wish them all the best for the rest of the season.
28th February 2008 Somerset Floodlit
Youth League
Radstock 1 v 5
Tivvy U18`s
Even though the Young Yellows were under strength and played some way off their best football, they were still too hot to handle for basement boys Radstock as Tivvy gained three more points in the league campaign to elevate themselves up to second in the table (three points behind leaders Bishop Sutton, but with 2 games in hand).
The visitors to Southfields couldn't have wished for a better start as winger Ed Squire found Alex Faux 25 yards out from goal, whose fairly tame effort somehow trickled through the home sides keeper's body and over the line for a goal within the first minute. From this point onwards it seemed as though the Yellows thought that all they had to do was remain in first gear for the remainder of the game and the goals would flow; they were wrong. As the half grew old, Radstock's confidence improved after their horror start and they began to threaten the Tivvy backline, albeit with minimal success. Chances came and went for the Yellows, with in-form hotshot Richie Emmett guilty of fluffing a couple of good chances as Tivvy had to settle for a disappointing one-goal lead at the interval.
The beginning of the second period was a carbon copy of the first, with Tivvy grabbing an extremely early goal. The combination of full back Luke Bryant and winger Ed Squire down the right hand side was a real thorn in the Radstock side throughout the match and it was no surprise that these two linked up, with the help of Faux, to tee up Squire inside the box who superbly fired into the far bottom corner to give the Young Yellows are two-goal cushion. This settled any feelings that the result could be in doubt, and an increase in space all over the park was exploited well by the new central midfield partnership of Aiden Harper-Penmen and Callum Hoare. Ten minutes later a loose ball in the final third was collected 30 yards out by Squire, who seems to be getting better and better after every game he plays in his recovery from a broken leg, and the winger forced his way inside the box and unleashed a similar strike to his first goal which again nestled into the far corner of the net to give Tivvy their third. After a few mis-hit efforts, Faux was back in the goals five minutes later when another run and cross from Squire saw the ball find its way to striker Faux who bundled the ball across the line at the back post for his second of the evening. Once the game was effectively over, a double substitution just after the hour mark saw a new strike force in place as Faux and Emmett made way for James MacMartin and Lee Radford. Moments after coming on Radford, making his first league appearance, somehow missed a glaring chance from all of two yards with an open goal in front of him when it seemed easier to score. But the young forward made up for his earlier error when, after a good run, he squared the ball nicely to the outstanding Squire who prodded home from 12 yards to get his hat-trick that he thoroughly deserved and give Tivvy their fifth of the evening. With ten minutes left MacMartin decided not to take up an opportunity to make it six as he ducked out of his header five yards out with the goal gaping. Then at the other end keeper Danny Lewis produced his only save of the match, fingertipping a glancing header around the post from close range. However, five minutes from time the Yellows let 4 successive clean sheets slip, when slack defending left the Radstock forward able to round Lewis and neatly tuck the ball home.
Despite not being at their best it was a case of beating whats put in front of you and the lads certainly did that with ease and can now look forward to the Devon Cup Semi Final on Sunday afternoon away to Elburton Villa.
25th February 2008 Somerset Floodlit
Youth League Cup Quarter Final
Tivvy U18`s 6 v
Bishop Sutton
The second meeting within just 4 days between these two teams resulted in the Young Yellows storming to a six goal victory over the current league leaders Bishop Sutton in the quarter finals of the league cup. Superb passing football throughout the ninety minutes tore the visitors apart time after time, and the comfortable victory now means that Tivvy face Sherbourne, a team in the division below, away for a place in the final.
The drastic improvement over the past couple of weeks in the Yellows play was evident once more from the first whistle as the hosts attacked with purpose and soon forced Sutton on the back foot. An early goal helped matters as Richie Emmett, returning from a months lay-off with a back injury, was put through via a ball over the top from fellow forward Sean Szabo and the striker looked as if he had never been away as he demonstrated his goal scoring prowess by calmly dinking the ball over the top of the advancing goalkeeper. More clear cut chances came and went for the hosts as Szabo and Cam Nott were both guilty of freezing in front of goal when clean through. But Tivvy got the two goal cushion they deserved 10 minutes from the interval after a goalmouth scramble led to the ball finding winger Ed Squire 12 yards out, and he made no mistake in burying the ball into the far corner. The whole half passed without home keeper Danny Lewis having to make a single meaningful save, and things stayed the same in second half partly due to another fine performance from a settled Tivvy defence, led superbly by captain Sam Strong, which has now gone 3 games without conceding a goal.
The ever-improving Yellows took off at the same sort of pace that they had finished the first, and a 15 minute goal blitz at the start of the second period startled Bishop Sutton as Tivvy got into the groove we know they are capable of. It began as Szabo did well flick the ball through to Glenn Gould who raced through and beat the Sutton keeper with a precise left foot finish. The forth came soon after as Nott sprayed the ball out wide to Squire who outpaced the visiting fullback and delivered a low cross that Emmett was able to poke into the far corner for a wonderful team goal and "Farmer's" second. The bushy haired striker bagged his hat-trick moments later after again linking up well with strike partner Szabo and producing a neat turn inside the box and an even better finish low into the corner. The final goal of the game was another one straight out of the top drawer on the hour mark when a long ball from full back Niall Martin picked out Emmett excellently who joyfully lobbed the visiting keeper with the ball remaining in the air the whole time. It was football at its finest, and the Yellows professionally saw the game out keeping their clean sheet intact, with Thursday's league game away to Radstock in mind.
21st February 2008 Somerset Floodlit
Youth League
Bishop Sutton 0 v 2
Tivvy U18`s
The
Young
Yellows
gave
an
assured
and
professional performance
away
to
title
rivals
Bishop
Sutton
on
Thursday
evening,
winning
by
two
goals
to
nil
to
claim
three
highly
valuable
points
in
their
league
campaign.
Despite
a
distinct lack
of
"the
Haribo
man", the
first
half
saw Tivvy
produce
some
superb
football
to
keep
the
hosts
penned
in
their
own
half
for
large
periods.
After
strikers Sean
Szabo
and
Stuart
Davies
both saw
efforts
float
agonisingly
close
over
the
crossbar,
the
Yellows
took
the
lead
after
20
minutes
when
the
pair
combined
excellently
to
spilt
the
hosts
defence
in
two.
A
long
ball
forward
was
flicked
on
by
Davies,
straight
into
the
path
of
Szabo
who
showed
a
clean
set
of
heels
to
the
trailing
defenders and
a
calm
head
to clinically
round
the
on-rushing
keeper
and
tuck
away
his
17th
of
the
season.
This
goal
woke
the
hosts
up
and
they
started
to
attack
with a
bit
more
purpose,
but
fine
defensive
displays
from
Niall
Martin,
Sam
Strong,
Brendan
O'Boyle
and
Luke
Bryant nullified
any
threat
limiting
them
to
long
range
efforts
which
rarely
trouble
keeper
Danny
Lewis.
The
Yellows
deservedly
doubled
their
advantage
in
the
40th
minute
when
an
Alex
Faux
in
swinging
corner
found
Davies
inside
the
box,
who
sweetly guided
the
ball
into
the
far
bottom
corner
on
the
full volley.
The first 45's
exploits,
however,
were
soured
in additional
time
when
a challenge
between
central
midfielder Fred
Kingdom
and
a
Bishop
Sutton
player resulted
in
Kingdom screaming
with
pain
on
the
ground,
with
what
is
thought
to
be a
broken
wrist.
Our
best
wishes to
Freddie
for
a
speedy
recovery
as
his
hardworking,
combative
displays
will
be
sorely
missed.
The
incident
before
half
time
almost
took
the
edge
of
the
visitors game
and
the Sutton
were
definitely
more
prominent
in
the
second
period,
but again
failed
to
force
Lewis
into
any serious
action.
The
miss
of
the
game
came
when substitute
Cam
Nott
broke
free
down the
right
wing
and
squared
the
ball
for the
unmarked Davies
who
had
the
whole
goal to
aim
at,
but
the
big
front
man
somehow
spooned
his
kick
over
the
crossbar.
Ed
Squire
and
Steve
Goss
battled
well
in
the
middle
of
the
park
against
physical
yet
useful
opponents,
with
both
fulfilling
defensive
and
attacking
duties admirably. Yellows
keeper
Lewis'
first
and
only
real
save
of
the
game
came
in
the
75th
minute,
and
it
was
a
good
one
as
he
did
well
to
palm
a
vicious
strike
around
the
post.
The
game
petered
out
with
Tivvy
very
satisfied
with
a
superb
three
points
and
a
victory
that'll
no
doubt
give
the
Young
Yellows
a
psychological
edge
ahead
of the
next
time
these
two
sides
meet
on
Monday
evening
at
Ladysmead
in
the
League
Cup
quarter
final.
19th February 2008 BGB Youth Cup
Tivvy U18`s 1 v 0 Paulton Rovers
Abandoned at Half Time due to frozen pitch
This BGB
Youth
Cup
fixture
was
unfortunately
abandoned
at half
time due
to a
large section
of the
pitch near
the
clubhouse
frozen
solid
and
therefore
proving
a
dangerous
risk. It
was a
shame
for
Paulton
who had
made the
long
trip to
Devon,
but
probably
an even
bigger
shame
for the
hosts
who were
one goal
up and
playing
some
superb
football.
Flowing
passing
football led
to near
total
domination
for the
Yellows
against
a side
that
really
had no
answer
to it.
The home
side
were
unlucky
to be up
by more
after
hitting
the
crossbar
and
missing
some
decent
chances,
but the
only
"goal"
came
from the
penalty
spot
when
Steve
Goss
converted
after a
handball
inside
the box.
This
means
that
both
sides
will
have to
play the
game
again
sometime in
the
future,
but the
case
will not
be
helped
by the
fact
that
both
teams
have
very
congested
fixture
lists as
it is.
The wait
for the
Yellows' next
game is
a short
one with
a crunch
clash at
title
rivals
Bishops
Sutton
on
Thursday.
13th February 2008 BGB Youth Cup
Chippenham Town 1 v 4 Tivvy U18`s
With
numerous
players
unavailable
for the long
trip to
Chippenham,
the Young
Yellows were
down to
the bare
bones as
they
searched for
three
valuable
points in
the group
stage of the
BGB Youth
Cup. The
numbers
situation
was
emphasised
by the fact
that Tivvy's
only sub was
in fact
regular
keeper Danny
Lewis, who
had
initially
been given
the evening
off so that
the progress
of the
other keeper
in the
squad James
Woodcock
could be
monitored.
However, the
low numbers
seemed to
galvanise
the lads as
they
produced a
performance
that
was much
more like
what we know
the lads are
capable of
as they
showed the
passion and
desire to
win that had
perhaps been
lacking in
recent
weeks, to
record a
fine 4-1
victory over
the
Bluebirds.
Tivvy
started the
game at a
blistering
pace,
penning the
hosts into
their own
half in the
entire
opening 10
minutes.
With
debutant
Ricky Davey
and Steve
Goss pulling
the strings
in the
middle of
the park,
Tivvy looked
a real force
to be
reckoned
with and
nearly went
ahead when a
Cam Nott
left footed
volley from
the edge of
the box after
a Ross Szabo
cross was
brilliantly
saved by the
home
goalkeeper.
As
Chippenham
settled into
their stride
they began
to apply
more
pressure on
the Tiverton
backline,
yet the
defence of
Bryant,
Tennant,
O'Boyle and
Strong coped
admirably
and limited
the hosts to
occasional
long range
efforts. The
Yellows
deservedly broke
the deadlock
after 15
minutes when
Chippenham
failed to
clear a Nott
corner, and
the ball
squirmed its
way to Sean
Szabo who
did well to
adjust his
body and
bury the
ball into
the back of
the net with
his left
foot from a
tight angle
to grab his
15th goal of
the season.
Despi
