Five Hour Round Trip Ends in Defeat
The Yellows’ four game unbeaten run came to an end in this midweek encounter at Falmouth. The Cornwall side now have daylight between themselves and us, as it was a case of what might have been and Asa Hall’s men will know that they were the architects of their own downfall.
The Town' started the game ninth and finished the evening after like ourselves a heavy programme of fixtures on Tuesday evening, in seventh place.
Defeat saw the Yellows’ move down to Fourteenth, after beginning the evening in Eleventh position. It’s not fair to be too harsh on the team after they have steadily improved and performed well, but this was a reminder of what happens when chances aren’t taken and when a side switches off.
Tivvy's preparations for this game were hindered by Mason Winter being behind a serious accident on his journey down to Cornwall and because of gridlocked traffic and an air ambulance, he wasn’t able to join up with his team mates. They also had Billy Tucker and Ryan Keates unavailable.
Cultured midfielder Toby Stephens was the only change of personnel from Saturday, but it saw Jack Kennell who was outstanding in midfield on Saturday, fill the space vacated by the unfortunate Winter. Aiden Horne was back amongst the substitutes, with the coaching staff of Hall, Steve Orchard and David Steele, only able to name three subs.
Supporters have become accustomed to the team’s fast starts and on three minutes, after the side had confidently zipped the ball around, Jacob Wellington with a neat shift of feet, made room for himself around the 18 yard box and warmed the keeper’s gloves, but it was a little too central to cause alarm.
Down the other end a similar carry and effort from a Falmouth forward was dealt with by Louis Smith, with Seven minutes played. Tivvy though, were having the better of things and started to threaten. Bissett and the Wellington brothers made inroads in the Cornwall side’s final third and the hosts had to be very much on their guard.
In the 11th minute, a defender when trying to control with his chest in the area, handled and then handled again as the ball reared up, giving the referee a decision to make and applying the letter of the law, a penalty was given. Hall took responsibility and struck a decisive penalty that sent keeper Morgan Jones the wrong way, to put us in front.
Three goals including that one came in four minutes, however only that first belonged to the Yellows’. Falmouth responded automatically to being in arrears, driving forward from the restart and within minutes the game was back all square.
Firstly Ollie Evans fired home emphatically following some incisive combination football that cut us open and then vastly experienced predator Liam Prynn’s composed finish a minute later, proved to be the deciding goal of the evening. The Yellows’ switched off, but equally their opponents seized their moments.
Although being momentarily shell-shocked, Tiverton were soon back on the attack. J. Wellington glided skilfully into the box and crossed to Bissett at the far post. He couldn’t quite find the target from a tight angle and the ball rolled across the face of the goal.
The side continued to press and probe with Stephens, Hall and Palmer often subtly switching play to find Bissett and Wellington in imposing wide positions with very good creative passes. In the 24th minute Corey Koerner tricked his way into the area and hung up an inviting cross that Owen Howe was a whisker away from getting on the end of.
On the rare moments our hosts broke, they did so at pace and around the half hour mark, they struck the frame of Smith’s goal. Their front three of Prynn, Oscar Massey and Luke Barner presented a greater threat than the one they faced from Shaftesbury at the weekend.
A brilliant piece of individual play from Bissett who cut inside and then quickly changed direction to cut back outside, before unleashing his shot, had everything but a telling end product and his shot was saved to the middle of his goal by Jones. This happened minutes after the Town had rattled the woodwork.
Then Bissett was the recipient of an Owen Howe lay off, after he had held the ball up. The winger fashioned some space for himself and again tried his luck. He got good contact on the ball, but Jones smothered an attempt that was too close to Falmouth’s number one.
Tivvy kept coming and in the 37th minute an excellent chance fell to Palmer who had advanced into the area and a short pass was turned onto him by Hall. However, he couldn’t keep his shot down.
Matt Wood then had a very presentable chance from point blank range, after a set piece. Much to his frustration and the small contingent of Yellows’ fans behind the goal he headed over with the goal at his mercy.
Just over five minutes later the half time whistle sounded and despite quite a few shots on target and a series of spurned opportunities, Jones hadn’t been seriously tested, but had displayed good handling. There had been no lack of creativity and we’d been good in possession.
The second half was a little more even, but it was Asa Hall’s men who had more to offer than their high placed opposition. Although they had to endure early pressure after the break, with the home side in the ascendancy in the opening minutes of the second period.
A rapid break though, saw J.Wellington found and he weaved in and out of opposing players, before being chopped down outside the box. His brother Aaron was the taker of the free kick and he forced a decent save low down from Jones, but once again Tiverton couldn’t find the corners of the goal in the 50th minute.
Smith then made the first of two impressive one-on-one saves to deny the home side with Tivvy stretched. Both sides also saw speculative long range effort 's clear the crossbar. Palmer then didn’t clear the bar, but smacked it with a shot from the second phase of a corner. Wood following up, could only side-foot wide.
Bissett then got to the by-line, but despite the ex Falmouth player’s cut back being put into a good area, no-one was there to turn it home. Koerner then found A. Wellington, but his rising shot comfortably cleared the goal.
The Yellows’ pursuit of an equaliser though was often leaving them short at the back and a mixture of wayward finishing and impressive goalkeeping from Smith almost saw us concede a third goal. Smith spread himself expertly in denying the hosts what would have been a soul destroying goal.
It was beginning to resemble that age old line at the other end, that we could have played till midnight but still wouldn’t have scored. Bearing in mind that Hall’s goal hadn’t come from open play. There was a nasty challenge on Koerner that could have so easily seen a different colour card than the Yellow one brandished and Tivvy continued to take aim, but we're high, wide or had shots blocked.
Palmer then played through to substitute Horne in the 85th minute for one last excellent chance to level things up, but very much in keeping with what had gone before, his one-on-one situation didn’t trouble Jones and he lifted his shot high over the bar.
Despite pressure from both sides, the scoreline stayed the same and a deflated Yellows’ had seen their unbeaten run ended by Falmouth, who in beating Tivvy have moved into a play off position. Asa Hall’s men return to the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium on Saturday and will look to restore the faith against Portland United.
Tiverton: Smith(GK), Kennell, Palmer(C), Wood(65), A. Wellington(75), Hall, Stephens(65), Koerner, Bissett, J. Wellington, Howe
Subs: Slough(65), Roberts(65), Horne(75)
Falmouth 2
Evans 13 Prynn 14
Tiverton 1
Hall pen 11
