PRE SEASON: Cullompton Rangers 1 - 2 Tiverton Town FC

Match Report

Saturday August 1st

At Adopstar Park

Cullompton Rangers 1

Goss 5'

Tiverton Town 2

A.Wellington 57'

Jagger Cane 90'

Darren Holmes

Tiverton wrapped up their pre-season with a 2-1 win at neighbours Cullompton Rangers. It was a strongly contested encounter with Louis Jagger Cane’s last gasp winner only telling a small part of the story.

The team was set up with Louis Smith in goal, a trio of Finn Hodge, Ed Palmer and Louie Slough in front of him, with Jack Kennell and Aaron Wellington in the central midfield positions. Jacob Wellington and Finn Roberts out wide, and Caleb Pryce-Hall just behind Aiden Horne and Owen Howe.

The Yellows didn’t settle early and found themselves in arrears when an enticing free kick out wide, deep in Tivvy territory, was flicked on in the area by Steve Goss and carried on into the corner of the goal.

Finn Roberts volleyed attempt in the 21st Minute.

Growing into their game and enjoying more possession, Pryce-Hall went close in the 10th minute with a shot from point-blank range. Some half chances followed, but it wasn’t until the 21st minute when Roberts tried his luck from range with a volley that narrowly missed that any further serious alarm was caused.

Rangers were standing up well, holding their own and looked dangerous in wide areas.

Just beyond the half-hour mark, Asa Hall’s men recycled the ball from a corner. Palmer, who had remained in the box from the second ball in, met the ball strongly with his head and, but for the intervention of a Cully player who handled on the goal-line, would have evened things up.

Ed Palmer showing his aerial strength in defence.

The Referee applied the letter of the law and the hosts were reduced to 10. However, the host’s goalkeeper McAndrew guessed the right way and got down low to his left to deny Aiden Horne’s penalty attempt.

A committed challenge on 35 minutes from Jack Kennell was late and despite a few of the local fans’ looking for numerical parity to be restored, the Referee brandished a Yellow card.

Although having a man less, the home side were still pressing and some probing link up play saw Callum Chivers’s dangerous inviting cross find Josh Coles, who couldn’t quite get his effort on target.

There were half chances for the Yellows' going into the break, but in the face of adversity and with a decent first half showing from Cully, few could argue with the half time scoreline. It had been a frustrating opening period from the visitors.

Latest addition to the Yellows, Caleb Pryce Hall, showing his confidence on the ball.

A couple of minutes after the resumption, Corey Koerner, on as a second-half substitute, produced a storming run from inside his own half. He rode challenges and advanced to the byline before pulling the ball back to Pryce-Hall, who misread the script and stroked narrowly wide of the upright.

Palmer, who had defended masterfully alongside the dependable Slough, headed goalwards in the opposing box on 55 minutes. Unfortunately, though, his attempt was central and was gobbled up by McAndrew.

A triple substitution for the Yellows at this stage resulted in Louis Jagger Cane, Karim Coulibaly and Billy Tucker joining the action and Aiden Horne, Owen Howe and Finn Roberts making way.

Opening goal scorer Aaron Wellington

The leveller arrived shortly afterwards, full of good movement and crisp passing, and ended fruitfully. The ball reached Aaron Wellington on the angle, and he finished emphatically.

With Cullompton defending manfully, they restricted Tiverton to a few half chances as the game progressed further. There was the odd bit of creativity from Tucker and a promising dart from Coulibaly, but we never really took the game by the scruff of the neck.

90 minutes had been played when Jacob Wellington skilfully weaved in and out of a few Cully players and then slid in Jagger Cane for the game’s decider. The Referee blew his whistle shortly afterwards, and the Yellows had unconvincingly got over the line.

Jacob Wellington put in a battling display and a quality on the ball assist for our winner following his brother's leveller.

Pre-season is now complete. It’s been a mixed bag performance wise, encouraging at times and not at other times. I think it’s fair to say that this wasn’t the best dress rehearsal for the season’s opener at Hungerford. Asa Hall’s men will need to improve their levels, if they are to make a good start next Saturday.

Full credit to Cullompton, who deserved a share of the spoils, and best of luck to them this season.

Tiverton: Smith(GK), Hodge(45), Palmer(C), Slough, A.Wellington, Kennell(77), J.Wellington, Roberts(55), Pryce- Hall, Horne(55), Howe(55)

Subs: Koerner(45), Jagger Cane(55), Tucker(55, Coulibaly(55), Flowers(77)