Defeat Despite Debut Day Delight
Always a tough nut to crack at the Avenue Stadium, Dorchester edged this one in a result sense. However, Tiverton came painstakingly close to taking away a share of the spoils and in a pulsating last quarter of an hour, their hosts were hanging on by their fingernails and withstood waves of Tivvy pressure.
There was a debut for attacking player Josh Bissett who was announced before kick off. The Yellows’ were without Owen Howe(unavailable), Finn Roberts(suspended) and Louis Jagger Cane(injured). Ryan Keates dropped to the bench with the inclusion of Bissett, in an otherwise unchanged personnel in the starting eleven.
Louie Slough was back at his old stomping ground, having been a Magpie when he was a Torquay loanee and then playing 55 times for them in the 2022/23 season and part of the following campaign.
Former Yellows’ midfielder Tom Purrington took his place in an eleven that included gifted wide play Matty Burrows, a match winner against us when playing for Wimborne on a few occasions and ex Totton and Gosport striker Ethan Taylor. The home side were chasing a fourth successive League victory.
With barely a minute gone, Tiverton carved out an early chance, Billy Tucker floated a cross into the back post, but Aiden Horne was unable to get enough purchase on his header and Keeper Ryan Hall gathered high and the game eventually continued.
Before the game restarted, Dorchester were forced into an early change, with midfield warhorse Corby Moore limping off and ex Bideford man Jack Winsor replacing him. Both sides were building nicely and using the width of the Avenue Stadium’s spacious playing surface.
The home supporters thought they had scored in the 9th minute, but their celebrations were muted when it was disallowed for offside and then a few minutes later up the other end the Yellows' burst into the Dorset side’s half and the ball was rolled to Tucker, whose rifled deflected shot went out for a corner.
The cultured midfielder then delivered an inviting cross over to debutant Bissett, who couldn’t quite make good contact on his volley and keeper Ryan Hall tidied up. Although the game was to and fro at that point and the dangerous Burrows was threatening when cutting in from the flank. Smith got down smartly at his post to smother a Magpies attempt.
In the 19th minute, a counter attack from Tivvy saw a sweeping move, with Jacob Wellington tricking his way to the byline to set up Hall who lashed wide, but emphasised how much his team were giving as good as they got and were arguably having the better of the chances.
However a misjudged pass from inside Dorchester’s half from a Yellows’ player, sprung Tivertons’ defensive cover and opened the side up. The team rushed back to recover and Matt Wood managed to clear the ball off of the line, but first to react was Jayden Nielsen who fired home, to give his side the lead.
In the 27th minute with Asa Hall’s pushing forward and trying hard to wrestle back the initiative, possession was squandered and we were clinically punished again for a lapse in concentration. This time it was Burrows’ who supplied the finishing touch to a swift magpie’s move and it was an excellently executed goal. 2-0 Dorchester.
Far from going into their shell, the Yellows' responded and continued to create chances. The ball seemed to be following Horne around and a first header wasn’t a clean contact.
That one didn’t cause alarm in the Magpies’ defence, but from a free kick in the 42 minute he did get a good headed connection on the ball, but Hall parried away and then the ball came to his namesake who couldn’t keep his shot down. There wasn’t really a stage when our hosts dominated and there was really little between the sides, apart from the two avoidable goals, when we reached the break.
A substitution at half time, saw Tiverton introduce Corey Koerner for Matt Wood and go to a back four.
The onus was on the side to make something happen in the concluding half and they almost did immediately. In a recurring theme, a ball was arrowed into the box from out wide, this time from Mason Winter and Horne’s header this time, landed on the top netting of the goal, four minutes after the game resumed.
Karim Coulibaly replaced Horne around 5 minutes later, as Steve Orchard and David Steele on the sidelines sought to find a way back into the game and slowly but surely the Yellows' started to take control of the play. Further substitutions were made with Tucker and Wellington making way for Ryan Keates and Jack Kennell.
The overlapping Koerner and Winter were having joy down the flanks and with the energetic Keates giving Dorchester little time to rest in possession and alongside Hall, knitting the play together nicely, Dorchester were on the backfoot, as a succession of dangerous crosses and corners saw some backs to the wall defending.
Bissett was also finding success in little pockets of space and gilded past players on a few occasions from a wider second half berth. There was occasional cause for concern, as it opened up for Burrows', who blazed wide on a rapid counter and then Ed Palmer was adjudged to have fouled, in a crucial last ditch tackle.
However, it was Tivvy who were on top and their positivity and impressive second half display, got its reward, when Bissett slid in to bundle home in the 79th minute. The former Mousehole forward scoring in his first game for his new club, from point blank range after good work from Koerner.
A final substitution was made in the 85th minute, as Caleb Pryce-Hall came on for Jacob Wellington. The Yellows' really made their hosts sweat in the latter stages of the match. A free kick was conceded, with us piling forward, just over 20 yards out in a central position.
Ed Palmer stepped up and his excellently driven effort drew a magnificent reaction save from Hall, who got a strong hand on the scorching shot, to vitally palm away. Dorchester were hanging on and right at the death with us being camped in the home side's half, Winter slid in and from yards out and wasn’t able to find the target.
The high flying Magpies though did hold on and the Yellows' know that they should have taken away at the very least a point, for their exertions. It’s now time for the team to turn their attention to another stab at FA Cup glory.
On so many occasions in the recent past Tiverton have lost out to the underdog. The roles are now reversed with Tiverton looking to upset higher opponents Sholing. So let’s show up in force on Saturday afternoon and get behind the lads.
Tiverton: Smith(GK), Winter, Wood(45), Palmer(C), Slough, A.Wellington(64), Hall, Tucker(58), J.Wellington(85), Bissett, Horne(53)
Subs: Koerner(45), Kennell(64), Coulibaly(53), Keates(58), Pryce Hall(85)
