Tiverton Town 0 - 6 Wimborne Town

Match Report

Tuesday April 14th

At The Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium

Tiverton Town 0

Wimborne Town 6

Roberts 3  Fletcher 11,87

Smith 19,39 Jackson 72 

Attendance: 153

 Darren Holmes

The hangover from Saturday's dispiriting defeat at Bracknell was very evident in the first half . Four Wimborne goals without reply typifying the Yellows’ lack of confidence. There was an improvement in the second half, but the damage had already been done.

The Magpies arrived at the Slee Blackwell Stadium knowing that a win would secure Southern League Premier South football next term and did this at a canter. Let's take nothing away from their ruthless, professional display.

Jaydon Biss came into the Tiverton line up, after being part of Yeovil's matchday squad at the weekend. Aiden Horne also returned, as Five changes were made from their trip to Berkshire. George Collins, Liam Cartwright and Charlie Wright the other starters. 

Wilkins and Hall were amongst the substitutes, Karim Coulibaly and Gabe Billington were unavailable. Young Plymouth forward Fletcher Poole was fulfilling Argyle duties and another replacement on Saturday Sam Lord was doing the same.

Wimborne drove forward from the first whistle and within three minutes were in the ascendancy. A little indecision in the Yellows’ area whilst defending a long throw into the box, saw centre back Sam Roberts loop his header over John Ross and into the goal.

The Dorset side maintained their territorial dominance and in the 8th minute from a dipping corner into the area, a goalmouth scramble ensued and it took some desperate defending for the Yellows’ to clear their lines, from under the crossbar. 

However with a little over Ten minutes played and the game being played solely in Tiverton's half, a second goal did follow. Once again Ross was beaten, when a well delivered cross was met by Striker Will Fletcher's head and his neatly directed aerial attempt disappeared into the net.

Asa Hall's men were firmly on the backfoot and Fletcher then missed the target with another header. Ross's smart save to deny the lively Joe Smith kept Wimborne at bay briefly. Smith rifled his next attempt into the top of the netting to make it three, after making space for himself in the box, with 19th minutes complete.

It was relentless from the Magpies and there was little in the way of respite for Tiverton, as Tim Sill's cohesive side almost rubbed salt into the wound when Cameron Munn fizzed an effort a fraction over the bar. Next, the impressive Roberts  broke up a rare Yellows’ attack and strode into the Tivvy half, before releasing Max Bustamante who wasn't far away with his piledriver. 

In the 35th minute it looked for all intents and purposes that we got away with one. There was strong contact in the area on Ethan Sills, but the Referee thought differently. Although less than five minutes later Smith added a third and completed his brace. A defence splitting ball from captain Sam Jackson found the ever moving target Smith who finished from close range.

When the Referee blew up to end play in the opening period, it was in all honesty a relief that it wasn't more than the 4-0 scoreline. These are testing times for Asa Hall's young squad and the half time team talk couldn't have come sooner.

On the resumption of play it was the Yellows’ who created their first chance of the evening. About a minute after the restart Stephen’s had a shot blocked from range. As the ball was neatly recycled with a good sequence of passing, an inviting low cross across the face of goal, was a whisker away from being turned home. Although it eluded everyone and the visitors were able to clear.

Tiverton were more deliberate with their passes in the opening exchanges of the concluding period and that better accuracy stopped Wimborne from having complete control of possession. 

A 48th minute corner was forced soon after, but pressure on the ball from the outswinging delivery meant, although a Yellows’ player was able to glance his header on, it trickled out of play past the post, with the keeper able to watch the ball out.  

A promising beginning to the half and there was a real attempt to hurry the Magpies’ out of their stride, but it wasn’t long before the business-like and talented away side started to threaten again. 

In the 55th minute they forced a corner and from it a powerful Jackson header was palmed away by Ross. After a probing Wimborne forced another corner around Five minutes further into the match, Sills’ wicked ball in couldn't find any takers and the Yellows’ breathed a sigh of relief.

Concerted pressure from the away side in the 64th minute saw substitute Lewis Williams skip a few challenges down our left and cut the ball back to Sills, whose shot was charged down. In the next phase of play, a cross was returned into the area and Fletcher headed wide.

With almost 70 minutes gone, Wimborne had been ringing the changes and another replacement, ex Bournemouth and Aston Villa academy player Ajani Burchall, saw it open up for him. There was a bobble though and with him unable to cleanly strike his shot, the ball rolled harmlessly into Ross’s arms.

Liam Cartwright and George Collins then made way for Sol Padmore and Drew Sloan. In the 72nd minute the second half deadlock was broken. Max Bustamante was tripped out wide and the Taker hung the ball up into the area for captain Jackson to apply the finish with his head.

The Magpies upped the tempo from there on in and a rearguard was needed from the Yellows’.  Following a flowing, incisive move, Williams’ slid in at the back post, but at full stretch his shot lacked the power to beat Ross. 

In the 85th minute Fletcher got his head on the ball in a challenge with the Tivvy keeper and the ball rolled against the outside of the post. William's and the former then had shots blocked in quick succession by the Yellows’ backline and then a third bite of the cherry, saw a shot flash a fraction wide.

Asa Hall's men had been working hard to prevent any more goals being conceded, but when a cross in took a deflection and ballooned up, it was Fletcher who was the most instinctive. The Wimborne striker nodded home from a few yards out, with a few minutes of normal time left.

This rounded off the scoring and it was another heavy defeat for Tiverton. Wimborne are a good club, with supporters that are a credit to them. It wasn’t long ago that they were relegated from this division and were able to return. This victory was totally deserved and the margin of it could have been more.

The Yellows play their final away game of the season on Saturday. They will travel to Basingstoke in another testing encounter, before two home games to finish the season. Gosport will be the visitors on the following Tuesday evening and we will entertain Farnham the following Saturday.

Tiverton: Ross(gk), G.Collins(69), Biss, Wood(c), Koerner, Kennell, Stephen's, Cartwright(69), Wellington, Wright, Horne

Subs: Padmore(69), Sloan(69), Hall, Wilkins