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Match Preview Saturday August 15th Westbury United v Tiverton Town 3PM Kick Off At Platinum Hyundai Park While Tiverton were securing a 1-0 derby win against Barnstaple at the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium on Tuesday evening, Westbury began their campaign away at league newcomers Portland. It was a profitable encounter in Dorset for the Wiltshire side, as they got off the mark with a 2-1 victory. Ed Palmer once again shone at home to Barnstaple can he captained his side to a result against shrewd Division One South opperators Westbury? Asa Hall’s men will definitely not be taking anything for granted versus a team that finished in 10th place, last season. Despite two positive displays in their opening games, the yellows will need to maintain the standards they have set, if they are to continue in a similar vein.The good thing for the side is that, there is a belief that there is room for this team to grow and that they can still play better. The unfortunate injury to Jagger Cane(collar bone) will keep the forward sidelined for quite a while and everyone will be hoping for a smooth recovery. However, there doesn't appear to be any other serious injury concerns for Tiverton. Encouragingly, fellow attacker Aidan Horne although not deemed fit enough to start in the Barnstaple game, did play some part in the second half and physio Ellie Jones will be hoping to have him available and in contention for the matchday eleven on Saturday. This will be Westbury 's Fifth campaign in this division. They are managed by former player Ricky Hulbert and Lewis Potter. Hulbert's younger brother Steve is a key component of the affectionately known White Horse Mens’ back-line. Along with Ryan Bole and Adam Cockerill, the back- four has had continuity in recent seasons. All three have been at the Wiltshire club since they were promoted into the Southern League Division 1 South. In that settled defensive unit, ex Bath City youngster Bole has made nearly 170 appearances, Cockerill 150+ and Steve Hulbert is not far off of the 150 appearance mark himself. There are a few familiar faces in the White Horse Men' s squad. Goalkeeper Joel Manning did a pre-season with us in the 2024/25 season and the 6ft 6 inch stopper has since gone on to perform well at Melksham, before making the Westbury number one jersey his own. New signing, Striker Leighton Thomas had two spells with the Yellows'. One was on loan from Hungerford and the other under Leigh Robinson and Ben Gerring. Although neither were particularly long, multi talented front man Thomas who was with Shaftesbury last term and has also played for Dorchester, Yate and Bemerton Heath Harlequins, once scored 31 goals for Paulton Rovers in this division. Player- Manager Asa Hall will be reunited with former Bath City Midfielder Jake Andrews, who he played alongside at Torquay. Technical midfielder Andrews made 119 appearances for the national league Gulls. Andrew's spent three years on pro-terms with Bristol City as a young pro. During that time, he enjoyed multiple loan spells. This included one with Cheltenham, where made 7 EFL appearances and others at Chippenham and an initial loan spell with Torquay. The creative 28 year old midfielder has also worn the colours of; Havant & Waterlooville, Poole, Swindon Supermarine and Melksham. He joined the club in pre-season. Left sided midfielder Josh Bertie is another exciting arrival. A British Virgin Islands International, who has Dorchester, Winchester and Bashley on his CV. Tenacious, central midfielder Eben Mortimore Taylor is proven at this level with Larkhall. Bevan Cross’s footballing abilities saw him play for Step 3 Yate, 8 times in the previous season. The ex Manor Farm man then re-signed for Westbury, where the midfield man had already established himself as a very popular player. There is another pair of brothers in the host’s dressing room. Defender Aaron Witchell, having played two seasons at Melksham, before arriving at Platinum Hyundai Park in the 2024/25 season, is experienced and dependable in this standard of football and his brother Ethan is a talented young midfield prospect who made two first team appearances for Chippenham, in the recent past. The important thing for Tiverton to remember, is that the team they will face at the weekend, know this league very well and what it takes to get results. This will be a testing visit and Asa Halls’ men will have to keep pushing their level’s forward, if they are to keep their momentum going.

Match Report Tuesday August 11th At The Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium Tiverton Town 1 Slough 3 Barnstaple Town 0 Att: 417 Darren Holmes (Words) Viv Curtis (Pictures) There was a healthy contingent of both sets of supporters in attendance for this first Devon derby of the season. A closely fought affair was anticipated and that is how it played out, with the Yellows’ just edging out their North Devon rivals and extending their good early start to the season. Owen Howe replaced Aiden Horne who is carrying a knock, but was amongst the replacements in an otherwise unchanged line up, from the one that drew with Hungerford at the weekend. Barnstaple included former Tivvy favourite River Allen, ex yellow Tyler Elliot, Gabby Rogers, former keeper Olly Saunders and Joe Hatch recently released from Plymouth in their starting eleven There was a half chance for Barnstaple shortly after the kick off, which forced Louis Smith into a comfortable save, but in the third minute Tiverton won a free kick out wide, deep into Barum territory. From the delivery in Ed Palmer flicked onto fellow centre back Louie Slough who headed powerfully past former Tivvy keeper Olly Saunders. Louie Slough touching down after his jumping fist bump followng our early winner! An early lead for Asa Hall's men, but then Barnstaple were determined to cancel out our advantage immediately. For the next few minutes they laid siege to our goal, but an excellent rearguard held firm and the Yellows' emerged unscathed. In the 9th minute, Louis Jagger Cane’s progress was halted by Brodie Montague and his deliberate breaking up of play through illegal means, resulted in a significant first yellow card being issued to the Barum centre back. Playing on the shoulder and bursting into the visitors’ final third with regularity, Jagger Cane was proving a real menace to the North Devon side’s backline. Another Barnstaple player then received a yellow, less than five minutes further on, with Jacob Wellington this time being the fouled player. Barum were a constant threat, although the Tiverton back four, once again with Ed Palmer at the forefront of their containment, often restricted their visitors to efforts from distance and when they did have sight of an opening, the Yellows' frequently closed the door. Just prior to the 20 minute mark an expertly timed tackle in the Tiverton box from Mason Winter, kept the hosts in front. There was a bit of show-boating from Corey Koerner who was having one of his best games in a yellow shirt, in defensively keeping the supremely talented Gabby Rogers in check. Mason Winter establishing himself as a crucial part of the Yellows defence Asa Hall’s team’s ploy of playing over the top and threading passes though to Jagger Cane often hurried the visitors into last-ditch tackles and desperate measures were deployed in nullifying his obvious threat. Midway through the first period, Tivvy were enjoying good possession, with the combative Aaron Wellington heavily involved in pushing his side forward. The irrepressible Palmer and dominant Slough are looking better with each game and are being hugely supported by full backs Winter and Koerner. The booking’s count was growing for Ben Potter’s team as their frustrations were boiling over. This time after they had been in the ascendancy for a few minutes, when Tiverton countered there was an air of cynicism to the challenge that earned a third booking. Asa Hall kept the Referee busy, after remonstrating with him when Owen Howe was adjudged to have committed a foul and went into the book for dissent in the 41st minute. Barnstaple continued to press, but Howe also had a shot blocked from inside the box, before the half ended. The Yellows’ held a slender 1-0 lead at the interval, but it was Barum who were quickly into their stride when the match got back underway. A testing first Ten minutes of the second period from the visitors, saw Tiverton pushed back into their own half, but they remained resolute and defensively tight. During that time though, Tivvy did muster a half chance and Finn Roberts following a fast break was handed a sight of goal after good link up play with the overlapping Koerner. His quick feet had seen him advance down the away side’s right. Robert’s took the ball down neatly with his chest and his attempt was struck cleanly, but it rose above the bar. However, it was the visitors who were asking most of the questions at that stage. Howe, who won his fair share of headers on the evening, then knocked on to Jagger Cane, 55 minutes into the game. His strike partner had been an elusive runner for much of the evening and he drove a ball across the face of goal, which was just in front of onrushing Yellows’. Barnstaple then opened up Tiverton’s backline, but Smith produced a vital reaction save low down, to preserve Asa Hall’s men’s advantage. Then with an hour played and with Ben Potter’s side having a lot of possession in the Yellows’ half, Tivvy conjured up an excellent flowing piece of football through the third’s, with intricate movement making holes in Barnstaple’s rearguard. The move ended with Jacob Wellington getting on the end of a good ball in and he marginally missing the target with a header. However, the visitors were quickly back on the front foot. In the 64th minute Jagger Cane worryingly stayed down after a coming-together and a stretcher was required. He was applauded off the field and we will find out the nature of his injury in due course. We wish him well in his recovery. Jack Kennell was his replacement, as Steve Orchard and David Steele from the sidelines, opted at that stage for an extra man in midfield. This freed up Jacob Wellington in an attacking sense, who started to make headway over on the North Devon side’s left. In the 73rd minute Barnstaple were reduced to Ten men, when the aforementioned Wellington exchanged passes with Winter and Hall, before he was just about to break Barum’s high line and was deliberately held back by Montague, whose earlier yellow meant he was sent off. Owen Howe feeling Barum's physicallituy throughout the fixture. In the 80th minute Howe and Hall made way for Horne and Keates and without going totally for the jugular, a refreshed Yellows’ started to manage the game efficiently. J. Wellington was once again stopped in his tracks, this time legitimately, when a teasing ball in from Roberts was neatly controlled by him, before a solid defensive tackle stopped the trigger being pulled. The busy Horne and Keates were having an impact, as we increased the tempo of our play. Aaron Wellington had been tireless with and without the ball throughout. Although a lot of the accolades should be given to the defence and a magnificently executed challenge from Slough, with a forward bearing down on goal, was in keeping with a fine display from the back four led by the excellent Palmer. The ever alert Louis Smith behind them, distributed well throughout the evening. In the 85th minute Billy Tucker joined proceedings, replacing Roberts. It was a short cameo from the attacking midfielder, but using all of his experience and guile, he forced a corner and a number of throw-ins , over by the corner flag, out on Barum’s right. In this period, Saunders had a couple of shots to save, but both lacked power and were routinely held. Seeing the game out, was definitely an Achilles heel last season, but they did this without any major scares and an additional Five minutes at the end of normal time was handled convincingly. It’s been an encouraging and reassuring beginning to the season for the Yellows’ and they will be hoping to use this as a springboard on Saturday, when they travel to Wiltshire where their opponents will be Westbury United. Tiverton: Smith(GK),Winter, Palmer(C),Slough,Koerner,J. Wellington,Hall(80),A.Wellington, Roberts(85),Howe(80),Jagger Cane(67) Subs: Keates(80),Tucker(85), Horne(80) Kennell(67),Pryce-Hall

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Match Report Saturday August 8th At Bulpit Lane Hungerford Town 1 Bell 38 Tiverton Town 1 Jagger Cane 23 Darren Holmes (Words) Viv Curtis (Photos) The Yellows' got their season underway with a very good point away at Hungerford. Both sides could have laid claim to victory, but the outcome was probably about right and this was a positive start to the campaign for Asa Hall’s men. Cpatain Ed Palmer putting in a Man of the Match winning display. Backed by an away support of 50+,Tiverton lined up with; Louis Smith in goal, new signings Mason Winter at right back, captain Ed Palmer and Louie Slough as the centre back pairing, with Corey Koerner as left back. Jacob Wellington was on the right side of midfield, with Finn Roberts on the opposite flank, Asa Hall and Aaron Wellington in the middle. Aiden Horne and Louis Jagger Cane taking the forward positions. A busy Yellows’ dictated the early stages and although half-hearted appeals for a penalty for Tivvy were correctly waved away in the Second minute, this set the tone for a convincing opening from the team, who were playing at a lively tempo and purposefully. A lifted pass from Hall turned Hungerford around and sent Jagger Cane away down the Crusaders left. He got slightly ahead of his marker and crossed for strike partner Horne. It was a good ball in, but it climbed a little too high and the ball brushed off of Horne’s head in the box and away from danger. In the 10th minute, Mason Winter’s weighted pass out of defence once again connected with the intelligent movement of Jagger Cane, who collected the ball before his marker and stretched the hosts’ backline. A desperate block diverted his cross away for a corner. An inviting delivery in, saw Ed Palmer get round the back and he met the ball with a volley that wasn’t too far away. Tiverton continued to press and probe. Horne crossed for Roberts, who couldn’t quite direct his header goal-bound. Keeper Ryan Clarke just cleared away from Jagger Cane in the nick of time, and Palmer couldn’t quite get a shot off and was closed down in the box at close quarters. It had been a rousing passage of play. Hungerford then steadied the ship and began to find their way into the game. Following some neat possession football, in the 17th minute centre back Kyle Bailey took the ball into his stride and unleashed a venomous 25-yarder that skimmed off the bar and behind for a Tiverton goal-kick. Then around the 20 minute mark, the home side forced a few corners. Though with their attacking threat appearing to have been nullified, the ball fortuitously hit the corner flag and presented the Crusaders with an excellent crossing opportunity. The ball was delivered in, but assured handling from Smith took the ball out of harm’s way. In the 23rd minute, however, the Yellows hit the front. Play was broken up in the middle of the park, and Hall’s instinctive vision saw him arrow a pass into Robert’s path out wide; his excellent, precise ball in from the by-line found the onrushing Jagger Cane, who sidefooted beyond Clarke to give Tivvy a deserved lead. The obligatory hydration break arrived with the visitors still on top, as Hungerford were struggling to contain their flowing attacks down the Bulpit Lane slope. Play resumed, and although the Infantino special had stemmed momentum a little, we continued to ask more questions in the final third. Palmer, outstanding at the back, was winning everything aerially and stepping in early to break up potential attacks when in their infancy. With just over half an hour played, only the mixture of an alert piece of covering from the hosts’ captain Matt Berry- Hargreaves and a ball slightly behind Jagger Cane from Horne, whose first touch out of the air was extremely good, prevented Tiverton doubling their lead. A rattled Berry-Hargreaves demanded more of his side. Newest yellow, Mason Winter, winning plaudits from gaffa, Asa Hall on his debut at full back. However, Tiverton kept coming, and the Crusaders were forced into conceding a free kick following a quick piece of interplay from the Yellows about five yards from their corner flag. Roberts’s wicked delivery in was Beckham-esque, and the lively Jagger Cane cushioned a volley and was close to giving Tivvy a second goal. In the 38th minute, though, Hungerford caught Tiverton out, who had perhaps overcommitted, and the home side sprang forward. Fraser Bell emphatically shot across Smith into the bottom corner to even things up. 1-1 With both sides desperate to take an advantage into the break, Kyle Bailey’s last-ditch tackle on Horne in the Hungerford error and a superb save with his feet by Smith from striker Nmams Nwachuku kept things on an even keel and the two sides headed for the dressing rooms. Knowing they had to contend with the renowned Bulpit Lane slope, Asa Hall’s men knew that it would be more difficult in the second half and so it proved. A couple of minutes after the resumption, Smith under pressure in his area from a number of Hungerford players, vitally pushed away a speculative ball across the face of goal, to safety. He then had to parry over a long range effort struck by Brad Smith, as Hungerford threatened. Louis Smith with a strong first Southern League outing for our young shot stopper Tiverton were being forced back, but remained resolute. An enforced change on 55 minutes with Aiden Horne limping slightly out of the action, saw the introduction of midfielder Ryan Keates. I’m told Horne’s injury is a minor one. Danny Robinson's men were in the ascendancy and unlike the first half very little had been seen of the Yellows’ as an attacking entity. The backline though of Winter, Palmer, Slough and Koerner were holding firm, with Palmer expertly marshalling. A second substitution in the 69th minute saw Asa Hall make way for Jack Kennell. A little way further into the game Slough who was having a solid game in the heart of the Tivvy defence made an excellent, perfectly-timed tackle, though not according to the Referee. The free kick award, sparked a bit of horseplay from the two sides and with things getting a little heated between the two sets of players, but definitely not to boiling point, he summoned both captains and both managers over. Anyway play resumed with both sides ringing the changes. In the 78th minute with Hungerford applying more pressure, Brad Smith found the side netting. Billy Tucker and Owen Howe were both on, with the two departing players Roberts and Jagger Cane, having had a telling influence on the game. It was Tivvy who then started to dominate in a concerted spell of pressure. Billy Tucker launched a few long throws into the Hungerford box and a Howe flick on at the front post for the first saw the ball scrambled away. A second Steve Backley-like delivery to just beyond the back post from Tucker, almost saw Palmer pull the trigger, but he was crowded out and then the ball fell to Keates, who was falling back and off balance, so his attempt flew over. It was a nerve jangling finale. A good piece of wing play saw Tucker tease a ball in, that just evaded Aaron Wellington who’d had a strong game in the engine room and the energetic Keates. Then with a minute to go of the added 8, A fizzing, driven cross from Hungerford was asking to be put away, but fortunately for the Yellows', with host’s players sliding in to try and get that important touch, it missed everyone and Asa Hall’s men prevailed. Tiverton had been really good in the first half, but had to dig in for long periods in the second half. One swallow doesn’t make a summer, but this was a very encouraging start and team spirit was evident throughout. The side though will only have a little time to pause for breath, as they are back in action on Tuesday night. Barnstaple will be the visitors for the first of 8 Devon derbies this season. Barum will open their league campaign against us, because they were playing in the FA Cup versus Buckland on Saturday, winning that game 6-0. So get yourself down to the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium for this eagerly anticipated, first competitive home game of the season. Tiverton: Smith(GK), Winter, Palmer(C), Slough, Koerner, J Wellington, Hall(69), A Wellington, Roberts(76), Horne(55), Jagger Cane(80) Subs: Keates(55), Kennell(69), Tucker(76), Howe(80), Pryce-Hall

Darren Holmes https://x.com/MasonWinter7 Mason Winter, an accomplished full back in this division and a former captain at Bristol Manor Farm has joined the Yellows' after his recent departure from Portishead. The 30 year old first played at this level for Clevedon as a 17 year old in the 2013/14 season and as a teenager also played in the following campaign for the Bristol side. Winter then continued his football journey with Larkhall and Cribbs in the Western League Premier. https://x.com/MasonWinter7 In 2019/20, he began a successful Six year stay at Bristol Manor Farm where he played 149 of the 199 games he has played in this division. He is noted for his defending at close quarters, high energy, overlapping runs, his versatility across the backline and leadership qualities. Winter honed his skills in the academy at Bristol Rovers. A fan favourite in his time at Manor Farm, the player will be available for selection at Hungerford on Saturday and we look forward to seeing him play. Welcome Mason!

Darren Holmes (Words) Owen Huggins (Images) Following the end of the pre-season fixtures we are very pleased to announce the signings of three players who featured and impressed in those games; Aaron Wellington, Louis Jagger Cane and Caleb Pryce-Hall. Combative midfielder Aaron Wellington has put pen to paper on a deal that sees him join brother Jacob at the Slee Blackwell Stadium. The all action midfielder displayed a good eye for a goal at Brixham in this division last term with 9 goals from 37 games. It’s a quick return for forward Louis Jagger Cane, who begins a third spell for the Yellows' after he departed to Willand at the backend of the season. He found the net 8 times from 23 competitive games for Tiverton in the previous campaign and the technical forward is a strong addition to Asa Hall’s squad. Emerging talent 19 year old attacking midfielder Caleb Pryce-Hall, made a telling impact for Oldland Abbotonians in the Western League in their 2026/27 campaign.This will be his second season in senior football and he is an exciting sought after prospect. We extend a warm welcome to all three and they will all be available for selection on Saturday, in the season’s opener at Hungerford.

Saturday August 8th Hungerford Town v Tiverton Town 3pm Kick Off At Bulpit Lane Darren Holmes (Words) & Viv Curtis (Images) So here we are, ready for the kick off to the new season. Both ourselves and our hosts will have experimented with different formations, tactics and personnel in pre-season, but with preparations complete, it’s now over to the players and the coaching staff, come 3pm, Saturday. Louis Jagger Cane in his first outing back in yellow away to Bridgwater in pre season. The corresponding fixture last August, when the sides were playing in Step 3, finished with Hungerford just coming out on top. 2-1 was the score that day with Louis Jagger Cane Tiverton’s scorer from range, in a game that the Yellows’ had had the better of the play, but not of the end result. Tivvy did however beat them 2-0 at home. Danny Robinson's team warmed up for this first encounter, away at Step 3 opponents Stratford Town. They triumphed 2-1 and remained unbeaten during pre-season. At the same time, Tiverton were edging out Cullompton by the same scoreline. The Yellows' have announced that three players who have been integral parts of the squad during pre-season, have all signed for Tivvy. Midfielder Aaron Wellington, attacking midfield player Caleb Pryce-Hall and returning forward Louis Jagger Cane are all committing to the club. Asa Hall’s side’s open training session at the Slee Blackwell Stadium on Tuesday evening saw them put the finishing touches to their prep, and they will be hoping to make a positive start. There are no major injury concerns that I’ve been made aware of, so Tiverton should have plenty of players to choose from. Crusaders’ manager Robinson who has been through many differing emotions in football will of course have been devastated by relegation, but will have very much embraced the challenge of trying to return the club to its not so distant, football glory days. Along with his coaching staff, he has undertaken a recruitment drive that has seen no fewer than Fifteen new signings, many of whom are proven at this level and some like Ryan Clarke have operated very successfully higher up the football pyramid. Clarke was Oxford United number one over quite a few seasons and has made in excess of 200 EFL appearances. Additionally utilising his impressive glovework at Forest Green, Bath City and Salisbury City. He was first choice at all three. Clarke has a very good chance of completing 800 games. The 44 year old has returned from Corsham. Inspirational and wholehearted midfielder James Clark has been a top quality performer in Steps 2 and 3 during a fruitful senior career. The 30 year old who made a big impression in a previous spell with Hungerford, arrives after three strong seasons with Basingstoke. Another exciting acquisition is gifted, quick footed winger/attacking midfielder, Nana Owusu. A product of Reading’s academy, the 28 year old has played a lot of his football in National League South. The sides he represented at that level were; Oxford City, Maidenhead, Hemel Hempstead and Dulwich Hamlet. Havant & Waterlooville were his last club. Heavily involved in pre-season, Centre Forward NMamdi Nwachuku has an outstanding goal record over his career. The 31 year old former Reading and Colchester academy player is pacy, powerful and has that knack of being in the right place at the right time. He was with Uxbridge last term. Gael Kileba is a tricky winger/attacking midfielder, who is now 23 years old. He started at an early age in Tottenham's academy and then spent 6 years at West Ham where he was a regular member of their Under 18 side. Another bright prospect to arrive is technical midfielder Brad Smith. Smith was contracted to National South team Hemel Hempstead, starting his senior career in the 2022/23 season. He has first team experience there and Southern League experience in loan spells for; Hitchin, Kings Langley and Royston. Glancing through the Hungerford players that have returned for another season. Seasoned performers with plenty of pedigree, centre back pairing Matt Berry-Hargreaves and Jordan Rose give the Crusaders a solid and physical backbone, with years of know-how. Berry-Hargreaves begins an eighth successive season at Bulpit Lane and he was very much part of the side that plied their trade in National League South. He began his senior career at the club, before being scouted by Oxford United where he was a young pro. Rose has a big physical presence and is a commanding central defender who was an EFL player with Stockport County. Powerful and with good distribution, he has carved out an impressive non league career. The ex National League player is 36 and has played for Weymouth and Havant & Waterlooville when both sides were higher in the pyramid. Rose spent time in Southampton’s and Bournemouth’s academies. Ramarani Medford-Smith is a talented defender who is established in Hungerford’s backline. Highly thought of at the club, the full back is strong defensively and a skilful runner when bursting forward. The 27 year old was professionally contracted to Reading and as a loanee played for Wealdstone and Torquay. Midfielder George Smith is a tenacious, energetic player with good footballing attributes. He has played over 160 times for the Crusaders, beginning in 2019/20 and this will be his sixth campaign at Bulpit Lane, having played for Thatcham in the 2020/21 season. One game should carry little weight in how both sides fare in this division, however they will share the intention of hitting the ground running or at the very least giving themselves a performance to build on.

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)

Pre-Season Match Preview Cullompton Rangers v Tiverton Town Saturday August 1st 3pm KIck off AT Adopstar Park To finish their pre-season campaign, the Yellows travel to neighbours Cullompton Rangers for a local derby. Familiar faces will greet them, with ex-player, assistant manager and caretaker Manager Richard Pears taking care of the side. Behind the scenes, legendary former manager Martyn Rogers is in a commercial role with Cully. His achievements go without saying, and it will be good to see both. Our hosts have had two marquee friendlies in pre- season, hosting Torquay and Scott Rogers’ Weston Super Mare. The South West Peninsula East side, also will have played three teams, two steps higher when their pre-season reaches its conclusion on Saturday; Willand, Exmouth and ourselves. The club will have a growing belief, with a third-place finish last term, that Western League football is definitely within the realms of possibility. Tiverton’s busy preparations ahead of the new season saw them narrowly defeat Ilminster, who ply their trade in the same division as Cully, on Tuesday evening. This will be the Yellows' eighth game. No one can really assess how well pre-seasons have gone until a little way into the competitive fixtures, but there have been promising signs, with good individual and team performances, for when it all gets underway at Hungerford next weekend. Asa Hall and his coaching staff, which includes former Cullompton manager Steve Orchard, will have in mind the starting Eleven for that game, but opportunities will be given on Saturday afternoon to stake final claims for a place in that team. Others will have to guard against complacency, in thinking that they have done enough. Current first teamer Aiden Horne was a prolific and popular part of our hosts’ team before moving to the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium last term, and he will come face to face with his brother Luke Horne, who is a talented and key defender for Richard Pear’s side. Former Cully player, Aiden Horne rounding the keeper for his goal in our opening pre-season win away to Roman Glass St George. (Viv Curtis) Experienced midfielder Adam Bilcock came through Exeter’s academy and has a very good range of passing and know-how. Previously he played for the Yellows, Barnstaple, Exmouth and Crediton. The 35-year-old’s footballing travels have also taken him to Australia, where he was with Robina City. The White brothers Lloyd and Lucas White are integral members of Cully’s squad and both previously were at Elmore. Lloyd is a skilful attacking midfielder with an eye for a goal, and Lucas White is an accomplished and dependable defender who often captains the side. Josh Coles, a forward/ winger who combines pace, trickery, assists and goals to good effect, was at Okehampton before, and Cameron Webb is often on target. Known for his spectacular finishes, the forward is a pivotal performer. Callum Chivers is a striker who played under First team coach David Steele at Willand. The talented front man joined the home side after a standout season for Bishops Lydeard. He has also worn the colours of Bridgwater. Momentum is perhaps the most underrated thing in football, and despite this not being a full-blown competitive fixture, going into the start of the season in good spirits, full of positives and with a strong mentality cannot be overlooked.

Match Report Tuesday July 28th At The Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium Tiverton Town 2 Palmer 11' Jagger Cane 45' Ilminster Town 1 It was a deserved victory for the Yellows’ in their final home game of pre season, in a game where their opponent’s Ilminster gave a very good account of themselves. Asa Hall’s side were never quite at their flowing best, despite have the Lion’s share of possession throughout the evening, especially in the first half. It was a much changed line up from Saturday, when Tiverton lost at Taunton 2-0. Ed Palmer started in the centre of defence. Lewis Flowers, brothers Aaron and Jacob Wellington were in the line up, as were Ryan Keates and Aiden Horne. Koerner, Hodge, Kennell and Howe dropped to the bench, player manager Asa Hall decided to observe from the touchline and Wilkins wasn't available. It was a slightly cooler evening in comparison to other recent evening fixtures. Tiverton were the first to settle when we got underway and enjoyed early possession. With Horne as always a willing runner, Keate's busy and constructive in midfield and Palmer controlling play at the back. A corner and throw-ins high up the pitch were the result. A second corner in the ninth minute was arrowed in by Billy Tucker. Palmer rose highest to head into the mix and found Louie Slough, who was marshalled strongly and couldn’t quite find a telling connection, to give Tivvy the lead. The deadlock was soon broken, and it was Tiverton who had the upper hand in the 11th minute. Tucker's delivery to the back post was met by a clever flick header from Palmer that went back across goal and nestled in the bottom corner. Two more chances then fell to a dominant Yellows. A long searching ball out of defence got Horne in around the back of Ilminster’s rearguard. His adept finish appeared to extend the lead, but an offside flag muted the celebrations of the home fans, and the linesman’s verdict wasn't met with widespread popularity. Then in the 17th minute, some neat combination play through the thirds saw the driving A. Wellington sent through. The visitors’ keeper made himself big and saved his drilled shot with his knees. Continuing to press, Finn Roberts firstly found the older Wellington again, but a bobble and the close attention of his marker in the away side’s box saw him closed down. The ball came back out to Roberts, and his instinctive cross in was headed fractionally wide by the onrushing Slough. Ilminster stood resolute though, and in the 26th minute, Tivvy were piling on the pressure, but putting it on the line, the combination of the keeper and a defender determinedly blocked a point-blank attempt from Asa Hall's men. When breaking, the visitors had on a few occasions demonstrated good technical ability. A tidy piece of link-up play ended with ex-Yellow Ed Butcher cutting inside, out on our right, but he couldn’t keep his shot down, and Louis Smith watched the ball sail over, on the half-hour mark. The Yellows’ though were soon back on the front foot, and it was only a series of blocks, timely tackles and inaccurate final passes that kept an ascendant Tiverton from adding to their solitary goal. The tempo to the build up play though had noticeably dropped, but with more pressure being applied at the end of the half, a hurried last ditch clearance by the keeper from virtually on his goal-line presented the ball to Louis Jagger Cane inside the area, who calmly returned the ball with interest, to send us in 2-0 at the break. A minute after the restart from a corner, Horne neatly controlled in the Ilminster area, however his goal bound effort was well saved using his feet, by their keeper, who aside from his mistake for Tiverton’s second goal, had a good game. Probing for further goals, Tivvy were finding their opponents a tough obstacle at times and despite the Yellows’ being on top, the Somerset side were compact defensively and working hard for each other in nullifying the attacking threat they faced. In the 52nd minute, a lapse in communication and concentration allowed Ilminster to reduce the deficit. It inadvertently opened up for them, and their forward’s chip over Smith, despite the keeper managing to partially glove it, rolled into the goal to make it 2-1. This ignited our South West Peninsula East opposition, and Butcher, disguising a pass, bought himself some space and bombed forward with the ball at his feet. He carried the ball to the edge of the box before letting fly with a shot that was charged down for a corner. Nothing came from the corner, but what was evident was a more pedestrian nature to Tiverton in possession, and they were a little predictable and disjointed. Multiple changes were made around the hour mark. Karim Coulibaly, Caleb Pryce-Hall, Finn Hodge and Owen Howe all entered the field of play. Tempers flared a little, just after the substitutes were introduced, and cards were issued to players on both sides after the game became a bit stop-start with a number of free kicks being awarded. One recipient of a yellow was Ed Palmer, who had once again been impressive, and on 68 minutes he was withdrawn, nursing a minor facial cut, and Kennell replaced him. A short while later the visitors made progress out wide, and as the cross fell to an opposing player in the Tivvy box, there was an excellent opportunity to level. Smith, however, closed down the space between him and the midfielder and produced a very good reaction save. Asa Hall’s team forced successive corners as they reassumed control with less than 10 minutes of normal time remaining. Although they weren’t as dominant as they were before the break, they finished the game on top. In the dying embers of the match, Roberts made way for Koerner. Then in the last minute of the match, a free kick for the Yellows’ out on the wing was delivered invitingly to the back post. The ball was headed back and across to Coulibaly, who for a split second had a sight of goal, but a last-ditch block closed the door. 2-1 is how the game ended and a dogged, yet decent football playing opponent like Ilminster provided a good physical test and made it tough. We wish them well in their campaign and move on to our final warm-up game away to Cullompton on Saturday. Tiverton: Smith(GK), Flowers, Palmer(C), Slough, J. Wellington, F. Roberts, A. Wellington, Keates, Tucker, Horne, Jagger Cane Subs: Coulibaly, Howe, Hodge, Pryce-Hall, Kennell, Koerner.(all subs used. Hall (not used)

Match Preview Tiverton Town v Ilminster Town Tuesday July 28th 7.45 pm Kick Off At The Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium Darren Holmes Tiverton play their final home game of pre-season against South West Peninsula side Ilminster Town, this Tuesday evening. The Somerset side will be our last opponents at home, before facing Barnstaple at the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium on Tuesday, August 11th. Jack Kennell v Shirehampton (Viv Curtis) A final chance to see the Yellows in pre-season will be when Asa Hall’s side visit Cullompton Rangers on Saturday and then the league campaign starts away at Hungerford the following weekend. Turning our attention to the visitors, they finished seventh last season in the South West Peninsula East section. In charge of team affairs is Jason “Paddy Behan, who has also had other coaching appointments with Street, Chard and Bridport. This will be the third season under his management. In this era where Information is widely available, the club have kept their cards close to their chests with squad announcements and the only confirmed signing is the retained Jordan Lovibond. A 26-year-old, pacy and direct winger or centre forward who is very popular with the club’s fan base. Though interestingly Defender Neil Martin and Wideman Ed Butcher, two players who have spent time with the Yellows’ both took part in the previous campaign. Martin appears to have re-signed for Paulton Rovers though and Butcher was on loan from Exmouth. Their goalkeeper last term was Shay Allen, who previously established himself as a Western League keeper with Wellington and Nailsea and Tickenham. He has been The Blues first choice and is a highly rated shot- stopper. Set-Piece specialist Lee Sweet can play to good effect in a number of positions, but plays mostly as a defender. The former captain has been a long serving and key player for the visitors. Josh Phillips is a technical talent and although often listed as a defender, has gone on many goalscoring sprees, suggesting he plays further forward and has also chipped in with a fair few assists, too. A player who has been a constant over quite a few seasons is Taylor Jefferson. Primarily a skilful winger who has come up with a few spectacular strikes whilst at the club. He is popular with the fans and a goal threat, either as provider or scorer. He produced a stunning overhead kick finish against the champion’s Bovey Tracey. Asa Hall’s men will be looking to deliver a strong display. With full match fitness now achieved by many and favoured formation’s explored, there will be opportunities to get those still short of match time up to speed. Greater attention will now be devoted to tactical detail. Asa Hall, Steve Orchard and David Steele will still be tweaking the proposed line up for the season opener at Hungerford and It will be intriguing to see how well the side functions after the narrow loss at Taunton, because the second half of that game was very encouraging. Personnel changes are also anticipated on Tuesday evening, with Five players missing on Saturday.

Match Report Saturday July 25th At Wordsworth Drive Taunton Town 2 Seymour 9 Koita 29 Tiverton Town 0 Darren Holmes Whereas the loss against Bridgwater couldn’t have been foreseen, there was always the likelihood that this meeting with Gary Johnson’s Peacocks would be Tiverton’s most challenging fixture in the build-up to the new season. For long periods in the first half, the Yellows struggled with playing at a level that could compete with our higher opponents. However, there were lots of positives in the second half that saw us initially tighten up and dig in, then become significantly more confident and expressive going forward. A valuable workout that will hopefully raise levels of performance and get the side into some profitable habits. It should also be highlighted though, that both sides had players missing and Five Yellows’ ; Ed Palmer, Matt Wood, Aaron Wellington, Cole Harford and Aiden Horne were unavailable. The matchday eleven was as follows: Louis Smith between the sticks, Brooklyn Wilkins was back in yellow in the right back berth, Finn Hodge and Louis Slough in central defence, with Corey Koerner at left back. A midfield comprising: Billy Tucker on the right, Asa Hall and Jack Kennell in the middle and Finn Roberts on the left side. Ahead of them was a forward two of Louis Jagger Cane and Owen Howe. Notable absentees for Taunton were Dylan Jones and Jack Rice, but six former Tiverton players started for the Somerset side, including recent signing Gabe Billington. Others that lined up against us were: Niall Thompson, Jamie Richards, Nick Grimes, Alfie Moulden and Dan Koita. With Taunton assuming control of possession and with the Yellows’ unable to find any rhythm to their play, a quick interchange of passes stretched the side, three minutes into the game. The Peacocks advanced down our right, and a dangerous cross was whipped in, which lured Smith from his goal. The ball reached the far post, where it was headed back across, and a second header with the Yellows’ floundering and the keeper exposed, sailed over. The hosts’ press was hurrying Tivvy, who repeatedly squandered the opportunity to build through the side, with intended targets not being found. There was an authority and poise to our host’s play that saw them firmly in the ascendancy. In the 8th minute Moulden was tripped just outside of Tiverton’s box, and his free kick was delivered to Ben Seymour. Smith, though, produced a decent save from the ex-Grecian’s goal-bound header. It seemed inevitable, though, that the home side would soon be ahead, and a minute later they were. A stray pass from Tivvy inadvertently played Seymour in and left him in the clear. He rounded Smith and rolled the ball into the empty net. The Peacocks continued to dominate, as a flustered Yellows’ occasional forays into Taunton territory, despite the willingness and good movement from Jagger Cane, were often snuffed out early. Koerner also burst out of defence a few times, but the ball kept coming back. Jagger Cane did manage to register Tiverton’s first shot on target; however, it didn’t test Bristol City loanee Freddie Godden in the hosts’ goal. Normal service was resumed in the 24th minute, as Koita linked up with Seymour and the latter fired fractionally wide. The ex-Tivvy striker, though, was then gifted a chance to double the home side's lead, which he duly took just before the half-hour mark. A miscalculated pass back to Smith was easily intercepted, and the Yellows were two goals down. A penalty award for Taunton a few minutes further into the game, saw Moulden step up. Smith, however, went the right way and got down to save a fairly tame attempt. If that goal had gone in, the game as a contest I felt would have been pretty much over. There was a slight improvement following the penalty miss, and we retained possession a little better, but apart from a speculative effort from Billy Tucker, Asa Hall’s side headed for the break perhaps fortunate, to only be two goals in arrears. The second half was in marked contrast to what had gone before. Taunton remained dangerous, though Tiverton tightened up and found a competitive edge and a belief that had been lacking in the first period. Beginning to find their passing game, with Hall prompting play in the middle of the park, a powerful 20-yarder from Tucker wasn’t far away in the 52nd minute. There was some neat build-up play from both sides with the Yellows looking much more likely in the final third. Jagger Cane was popping up in the channels, as we fought to find a way back into the game. A sweet strike from Hall in the 68th minute, who was around 25 yards out, forced an excellent springy save from Godden. Substitutions were made during the concluding half, as J.Wellington replaced Tucker and Lewis Flowers came on for Wilkins. A third substitution with 20 minutes left saw Owen Howe withdrawn for Ryan Keates. The busy and technical Keates added some drive to Tiverton’s play and in a flowing fast break, Roberts let the ball run across him in the 75th minute and connected well with his shot, but it was always rising, and it cleared the crossbar. In the 78th minute, the Yellows made their final change with Roberts making way for Caleb Pryce- Hall. The youngster made an immediate impact, as his quick feet saw him wriggle past Thompson on one occasion and Richards on another. It was quite a cameo, as he tricked his way into the area two or three times and delivered a couple of inviting balls across the face of goal that saw a blocked shot and a hurried clearance. He also forced a throw-in over by the corner flag, with the Yellows’ knocking on the door. The side showed both character and quality after the break, and despite losing 2-0, the second-half display should act as a template going into the new season. Pre-season ends with a home game on Tuesday evening against South West Peninsula side Ilminster Town, prior to a visit to Cullompton on Saturday. Tiverton: Smith(gk), Wilkins(62), Hodge, Slough, Koerner, Hall, Kennell, Tucker(65), Roberts(78), Jagger Cane, Howe(69) Subs: J.Wellington(65), Flowers(62), Kennell(69), Pryce-Hall(78)