FA Cup defeat after Thriller

Tiverton Town 3

Koita 45, Swann 47, Horne 73.

Taunton Town 4

Hodgson 4, Montague 57, 60, Owers 70.

Saturday 30th August

Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium

Attendance: 642.

The Yellows wait for an FA Cup run goes on. A high scoring, entertaining game was won by the Peacocks, whose 4-3 victory saw the Yellows fall at the first hurdle.  

There were lots of firsts for Tiverton in this game; attacking players Dan Koita, Aiden Horne and Tor Swann all got off the mark in the goal sense and Tiverton scored their first home goals since the final day of last season. However, that can’t hide the disappointment of exiting the FA Cup at this stage or a second loss of the week against our local rivals. 

A couple of changes were made to the team, as Asa Hall and Steve Orchard also decided on a change of formation with the player manager dropping into a deeper defensive role to make up a three with captain Toby Down and fellow central defender Matt Wood. 

In came Brooklyn Wilkins into a right wing back position and Corey Koerner took that role on the opposite side. Gabe Billington joining Toby Stephens in the middle of midfield, with Swann moving infield and playing on the right side of Billington and Stephens, Aiden Horne partnering Dan Koita, with Jacob Wellington and Louis Jagger Cane having to make do with a place amongst the substitutes. 

There were three different starters for Richard Luffman’s Taunton. An enforced change saw Niall Thompson who got injured in Monday’s game not deemed fit enough to begin the match, so Brodie Montague who replaced him then, came into the line-up and Jacob Hodgson and Jacob Towns were also in the eleven, at the expense of Jayden Nielsen and Owen Brain. 

It was a rainy ninety minutes at the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium and Tiverton didn’t get off to the best of starts. After conceding a free kick as early as the third minute, Alfie Moulden’s delivery was headed home emphatically by club captain Jacob Hodgson, who rose almost unchallenged. 

George Burton then saved smartly to deny Kane Simpson, with the visitors on top and the Yellows were looking a little disjointed early on. Tivvy battled to get a grip in the game, though despite this the midfield promptings of Toby Stephens and the busy Horne hurrying defenders, were on occasion making some inroads into the Peacocks territory. 

Tiverton won a corner on twenty minutes which keeper Frankie Phillips punched away, through a crowd of interested Yellows and shortly after this Taunton gave away a free kick out wide and from the inviting cross in, Hall’s close-range header was not far away. 

Alfie Moulden then had a good chance to extend the away sides lead, though after winning possession and driving forward and bearing down on goal, committing defenders, he fired wide of Burton’s goal. 

The possession count was becoming in the favour of Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s men, as they looked to restore parity. Horne’s high press and lively running alongside Koita who was winning his fair share of flick ons was unsettling the experienced and talented partnership of Nick Grimes and Austen Booth in the heart of the Peacocks defence. 

When our strike force was able to run at Taunton and break the shackles of their backline, they caused problems. Koita embarked on a skilful carry from just inside the visitor's half, but a heavier touch than he wanted when entering the box saw him take the ball out of play for a goal kick. 

In the 31^st minute a neatly constructed move from the Somerset side involved ex Willand and Tiverton man Moulden again. Shifting the ball away from his marker, he played in the dangerous Ben Seymour. A strong block from Tivvy’s rearguard though, closed the door. 

Toby Stephens whose consistently accomplished performances are extremely encouraging, then skipped past a Peacocks defender, as he was found venturing forward following some good link-up play through the team. Just as Stephens was about to cut into the area his progress was ended when he was tripped. 

The resulting free kick didn’t pay dividends, but good pressure was applied from it and Taunton hurriedly cleared and it was the Yellows at this point who were in the ascendancy and on the verge of half time they deservedly levelled, Koita cutting into the area, from along the byline, beat a few desperate challenges, before squeezing his effort beyond Phillips and just beyond the goal-line,opening his account for the campaign in fine style. 

It was no more than Tiverton deserved, who after a difficult opening played impressively. All square at the break then and the game on tender hooks. 

Resuming, following the interval, the fast-starting Yellows pushed forward from the whistle and played with attacking intent and a few minutes in we took the lead. A pass played Koita in and a penalty award on him after he was tripped in the box wasn’t required, with Tor Swann following up and stroking the ball into the net. 

This silenced a strong travelling away support and sent our supporters into raptures. However, The Yellows joy was short-lived, with the Peacocks response almost immediate and ten minutes later the sides were on equal terms.  

In the 50^th minute Tiverton had George Burton to thank, for a good save to deny a determined Taunton. Brodie Montague then headed over, as Tivvy were pushed back. A second header from Montague looped into the far corner and with 57 minutes on the clock, it was 2-2. 

On the hour mark the Yellows fell behind. The momentum was with the away side and Montague a defender by trade, showed good technical ability to score once again. A rifled volley from the edge of the box was struck sweetly and gave Burton no chance. 

With 63 minutes played Steve Orchard brought on Zack Williams for Brooklyn Wilkins in an attacking change. Tiverton regained a little composure, and a good reaction stop from Phillips was needed as Koita burst through. 

However, in the 70^th minute Tivvy’s task was made even harder. A miscommunication in the backline left Burton exposed and former Yeovil midfielder Josh Owers tucked the ball into a largely unguarded net. 

All the Yellows’ hard work to overturn a 1-0 deficit had been undone in a thirteen-minute spell, where we had conceded three goals. Defending is a team game, front to back. Asa Hall and Steve Orchard will be concerned by these fragilities, but we must also give Taunton credit for asking plenty of questions of us during that period.  

Though there is no shortage of guts in this Tiverton side and although many would have considered that fourth goal to be a knockout blow, we quickly climbed off the canvas.  

With some excellent interplay and crisp passing, the ball came to Swann and his precise pull back from the byline was ruthlessly fired home by the onrushing Horne, whose hardworking display warranted his first goal in competitive fixtures since joining in the summer. 

So, 73 minutes on the clock and it was 3-4. Jacob Wellington and Louis Jagger Cane both entered Proceedings, replacing Gabe Billington and Corey Koerner who had given good accounts of themselves, within minutes, as Tivvy pressed hard for an equaliser. 

Tor Swann was seeing a lot more of the ball, as The Yellows ramped up the pressure and with Koita’s good movement readying himself for a tap in, as the striker advanced between the penalty spot and the six-yard box, Swann delivered a similar pull back to the one that assisted our third goal, but it was agonisingly intercepted. 

Then Asa Hall headed back across, with Tiverton pouring forward from a corner. Much to his frustration Phillips plucked the ball out of the air and his header didn’t bear fruit. 

Seven minutes of added time were played. During it, Tivvy were reduced to ten men, when Matt Wood received a second yellow and despite a lot of intense pressure being applied from Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s men, the Peacocks prevailed and jubilantly celebrated with their fans. Saint’s fan Luffman bringing his Mick Channon goal celebration and the big Elvis wind up out of storage. 

For the Yellows who were deserving of a replay, this was a hard one to take. A heart-breaking loss to ponder against our well drilled local rivals. There is always lots to admire from this, predominantly young team and it was another heartening display by all in a yellow shirt. We go again on Saturday at The Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium, as we return to league action against Bracknell. .

Tiverton: George Burton, Brooklyn Wilkins (63), Corey Koerner (85), Toby Stephens, Matt Wood, Toby Down (c), Tor Swann, ASA HALL, Dan Koita, Gabe Billington (74), Aiden Horne.

Substitutes: John Ross, Louis Jagger Cane (85), Jacob Wellington (74), Sergiu Lungu, Zack Williams (63).

#OneTownOneTeamOneTivvy 💛