Excellent Victory for Vibrant Yellows

Tiverton Town 2 

Down 6 

Stephens 42 

Bracknell Town 0 

Saturday 6^th September  

Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium 

Attendance: 323 

Going into this game the team had provided plenty of attractive football, spirit and promise, but without the rewards of victory, at the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium. On Saturday all that was about to change. 

Asa Hall and his assistant Steve Orchard's side have played a refreshing brand of football in the first month of the season. In the latest match they stayed true to that philosophy and this perseverance and belief paid dividends. 

An enforced change due to the suspension of Matt Wood, meant Asa Hall slotting in alongside captain Toby Down in the centre of defence. Top scorer Louis Jagger Cane returning to the matchday XI with Aiden Horne taking up an attacking midfield role behind him and Dan Koita. 

New signing from Taunton Finn Rooke was amongst the substitutes, as we lined up against Berkshire side Bracknell Town. The Robins had been involved in a successful FA Cup replay on Tuesday night against Chichester in Sussex with the Yellows also knowing that a win would mean going above our visitors in the league table. 

Anyone sensing a circumspect start from Tiverton following a series of defeats, would have been surprised by how quickly the side were on the front foot and into their stride. 

The opening five minutes saw Jagger Cane thwarted by the Bracknell Keeper Michael Eacott, as he clawed the ball away from him, after he tried to round him in a one-on-one and then a last ditch tackle was made on Swann as he entered the area and Jagger Cane almost connected with an overhead kick from a dangerous cross in. 

In the 6^th minute Tiverton made their early dominance count. A Toby Stephens corner caused trouble in the Robins box and following a goal bound effort being blocked, there was skipper Toby Down to hook home decisively from close range. 

The Yellows lightning beginning to the game, was layered with swift passing on the deck and our visitors struggled with the pace of our link up play, Stephens and Billington stretching them with incisive and creative use of the ball in possession.  That partnership in centre midfield had a strong influence throughout the game. 

Tivvy continued their hold on the game throughout a half of football in terms of quality as good as anything seen in many years on home soil. They were relentless with their attacking intent and with or without the ball, the tireless running from Aiden Horne, didn’t give the Robins defence a minutes rest. 

Down Bracknell`s left Tor Swann was displaying his full repertoire of skills, teasing and tricking his way into the box or progressing to the by-line and delivering countless crosses. He was a constant threat. In front of him Koita and Swann’s, intelligent movement and ability to bring others into the game, asked many questions of the visitors backline. 

The solid and organised quartet of Brooklyn Wilkins, Down, Hall and Corey Koerner gave the Yellows a strong base and it was, on the whole, a quieter afternoon for Tiverton’s number one George Burton. 

In the 12^th minute a rampant  Tivvy, passed and weaved their way up the pitch and the quick footed Horne fired over at the end of another scintillating move. Shortly afterwards though, Tivvy were given a reminder that the visitors were not about to roll over as a terrific opportunity fell to Dominican international full back, Jeanmal Prosper from a Robins’ corner. His close-range effort though was turned onto the post by Burton. 

In the 18^th minute, following more flowing football from the Yellows, Koita was in on goal. Eacott however produced a sharp reflex save to deny him and then when the ball rebounded back to the Tivvy frontman his follow up was floated beyond the bar. 

Just before the half hour mark, with the ball crossing the Bracknell goal line, we appeared to have extended our lead. The referee though spotted an earlier infringement in the congested area and the effort that had arisen from a corner was ruled out. 

The lively Yellows though didn’t ease off and in the 42^nd minute an early contender for goal of the month saw Koita and Stephens combine to great effect. Koerner sent Koita away down the flank and on collecting his searching pass, he held the ball up, cut inside and looking up, picked out Stephens on the edge of the eighteen-yard box. Using the pace of the ball, his low, hard shot disappeared rapidly into the bottom corner. 

The 42^nd minute second goal was almost cancelled out immediately, as within a minute, Haydon Vaughan’s excellent technical volley was a whisker over Burton’s crossbar. The half ended with Tiverton holding a two goal cushion and they were very good value for that lead. 

The Yellows continued to be in the ascendancy at the start of the second period, with the busy Horne neatly getting the ball out of his feet. Though his powerful, driven strike, sailed over the bar on 46 minutes, a defence splitting ball then saw Koita in the clear, though Eacott once again made himself big and Koita’s shot was palmed to safety. 

Bracknell then managed to breach Tivvy’s rear-guard, but a good chance was spurned as Alfie Pavey screwed his effort wide of the upright and on 53 minutes Maltese international Sam Magri took one for the team in tripping the escaping Tor Swann, who gave the Bracknell defence a torrid time throughout the afternoon. 

The outstanding Stephens though was the instigator on many occasions, as Tiverton poured forward. There were other opportunities to put the game to bed. Jagger Cane found the side-netting from a tight angle and a Koita header spiralled wide. 

This happening just prior to The Yellows’ making their first change. In the 68^th minute new signing Finn Rooke was brought on by Steve Orchard for Jagger Cane, who was one of many very good performers for Tivvy on the day.  

Eacott was magnificent between the sticks for the visitors and he was very much Koita’s nemesis. In the 73^rd minute their personal battle resumed and once again it was the Bracknell Keeper who came out on top, as it opened up for the athletic striker and his shot was parried away. 

The game became a little more end-to-end at that point. Horne whose work rate was unmatched by anyone on the pitch and had some dynamic moments was replaced by Jacob Wellington with 80 minutes played. 

With 85 minutes on the clock, a sweeping Tiverton move saw the sliding Koita nearly get on the end of a cross flashed across the six-yard box, it just evaded him. A vital interception from Hall shortly after that prevented Burton from being exposed to a one-on-one and potentially a nervy end to the game. 

Five minutes were added when 90 minutes were up and although The Robins threw caution to the wind, it was the Yellows that came closest to completing the scoring.  

Following a final subsitution with Zack Williams on for the often-brilliant Swann, debutant Rooke flicked a header onto Koita in the channel. His reverse ball back to the ex-Willand and Taunton man was however, read by Eacott and he was down to smother. 

A fantastic performance from Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s side was enjoyed by the Tivvy faithful. By virtue of that result, they climb out of the bottom three and move up to 15^th. There will be an eagerness to build on Saturday’s success, this Tuesday evening when they visit Yate in South Gloucestershire. 

Tiverton: George Burton, Brooklyn Wilkins, Toby Down, Asa Hall, Corey Koerner, Gabe Billington, TOBY STEPHENS, Tor Swann (90+2), Aiden Horne(80), Louis Jagger Cane (68), Dan Koita 

Substitutes: John Ross, Finn Rooke(68), Jacob Wellington(80), Zack Williams(90+2), Sergui Lungu.