Tavistock AFC 0-1 Tiverton Town FC0

Pre-season match review

Tuesday July 7th 

At Langsford Park

 

Tavistock 0

Tiverton Town 1

A.Wellington 86

Darren Holmes

On a hot, sticky and humid evening, Asa Hall’s men made the journey to West Devon to face Tavistock and would have expected a tough examination from a side who have recruited well, subsequent to their relegation from Southern League Division 1 South.

Louis Smith (Viv Curtis)

Tiverton’s first half line up included midfield debutants; Cole Harford and Joe Wylie. Trialist Kalvin Lumbombo- kalala was a starter, but a trio of established players did not feature in the stifling heat and they were; Asa Hall, Ed Palmer and Louie Slough.

The conditions played their part, as high tempo moments were at a premium and with both teams having limited minutes in the tank and making new acquaintances, it was a bit of a scruffy affair. There was little in the way of chances for either side, as we reached a water break at the midway point of the half.

The Yellows’ though, were tight at the back with Matt Wood and Steve Walker looking solid and assured, Lewis Flowers confidently filling his full back berth and Louis Smith showing good handling when needed. Smith produced a strong save low to his left on the quarter hour mark.

Steve Orchard demanded more from the players and they were a little better when the game resumed. Although the closest Tivvy came to taking the lead was when Joe Wylie’s snap shot from the angle on 28 minutes forced a save from the host’s keeper, coming after Lumbombo-Kalala’s good wing-play.   

Bringing the players gradually up to match fitness is key, and taking into consideration the sweltering evening, one training session and this being the Yellows’ second 90 minutes of pre-season, there were plenty of justifiable reasons for this game not being the most watchable spectacle.

A slightly different line up emerged from the changing room with Louis Jagger Cane back in Yellow. With Tiverton now having Louis X2, a Louie and a Lewis involved in pre-season, perhaps a move for Louis Morrison, who has signed for Exmouth, would have been too much when calling for the ball.

It was Jagger Cane who went close, 52 minutes into the second half, as he was played through by Corey Koerner, though he dragged his shot narrowly wide. The lively Aiden Horne, both in and out of possession, kept the home side’s defence occupied.

An alert piece of keeping from Smith snuffed out a chance for the Lambs, as a Tavi forward bearing down on a ball over the top was a close second to Smith, who cleared decisively upfield.

Continuing to trial after an impressive display on Saturday, Caleb Pryce-Hall, a second-half substitute, was unfortunately withdrawn due to injury on the hour mark. Because of the non-competitive nature of the game, Aaron Wellington, who played in the opening half, was subbed back on.

All the while, a convincing defensive performance meant that when the Lambs found some cohesion with their passing and movement, our backline broke things up and minimised their attacking threat.

With about 20 minutes remaining, Aaron Wellington burst forward purposefully and pulled the ball back for the busy Ryan Keates, but his shot was blocked away from danger. Then in the 83rd minute Billy Tucker bought himself some space out wide, but his cross evaded the onrushing Yellows.

However, just when the game looked to be heading for a draw, Keates’s industrious run resulted in him being fouled almost 20 yards out, in between the touchline and the edge of the box. Aaron Wellington’s 86th-minute strike curled in off the back post, for a Tiverton win and the game’s only goal.

Positive notes for Asa Hall’s men on the evening were a clean sheet and another win. Some clubs do their warm weather training in La Manga or the Canary Islands, the Yellows’ did theirs in Tavistock.

A Second training session on Friday will give the players a further chance to gel and then we visit Bridgwater next Tuesday evening, before a first home game the following Saturday against Brixham.

Tiverton starting line up;

Smith(GK), Flowers, Walker, Wood(C), Roberts, Harford, A. Wellington, Wylie, *Lumbombo-Kalala, Wright, Howe

Second Half team;

Smith(GK), Hodge, Walker, Wood(C), Koerner, Keates, J.Wellington, Tucker, Pryce-Hall, Horne, Jagger Cane