This was always going to be a tough game against top of the table Farnborough. Tivvy went into the game without two of their main defenders Gary Warren and Austin Booth both ruled out through injury. And with Olaf Koszela still ruled out with an injury the yellows were looking a bit lightweight up front also. The home side started brightly and within the first minute they went close with a shot going just wide. With only three minutes on the clock, Lewis Williams in the Tivvy goal pulled off a great save from a long range effort from the Farnborough striker.
Four minutes later and a great block from Aaron Dawson stopped a near certain goal. In the ninth minute Tivvy finally had a decent effort on goal as a good run down the line followed with a great cross by Andy Watkins was met by the head of Matt Wright but his header was well saved by Baptiste in the Farnborough goal. This seemed to give Tivvy hope and Andy Watkins met a low cross into the box but his volley went just wide of the goal. On thirteen minutes Lewis Williams in the Tivvy goal went down off the ball and the game was halted so he could get some treatment. Thankfully he was ok to carry on. Farnborough continued to pile the pressure and Tivvy was struggling to get out of their own half.
A foul by Dan Hayfield gave the home side a free-kick about ten yards outside the box in a central position The resulting free-kick was played short and when the shot came in it was well saved by Williams. Alex Moyes was booked in the twenty-fifth minute for a late challenge. A minute later and Louis Morison cleared the ball of the goal line to keep the Tivvy goal intact. The game became very bitty and was littered with fouls as the referee seemed to blow up every time a Farnborough player fell to the floor. With thirty minutes gone and Kyle Egan was shown a yellow card for a late challenge. Farnborough continued to put pressure on the Tivvy defense and Williams was called on yet again to pull off a great save. The home side felt they should have had a penalty in the thirty-seventh minute but the referee waved their appeals away. Farnborough were having chance after chance but Tivvy were holding on and their defence stayed strong and they held out to make the halftime score 0-0.
Farnborough started the second half like they finished the first and they forced another great save out of Williams in the Tivvy goal. On fifty-four minutes Tivvy was awarded a free kick on the edge of the Farnborough box but the resulting kick came to nothing. Tivvy were seeing more of the ball and a Dan Hayfield cross was met by Mat Wright but his header was straight at the goalkeeper and was saved with ease. Farnborough thought they had taken the lead in the sixty-fourth minute but the goal was ruled out for offside. Two minutes later and a Farnborough cross was deflected onto the Tivvy post by Dan Hayfield and cleared away. In the sixty-eighth minute Farnborough finally made the breakthrough when a deflected shot from Seth Owen's found the back of the Tivvy net to put the home side 1-0 up.
Tiverton made two substitutions on came Nelson Iseguan and Jordan Lam and off went Kyle Egan and Andy Watkins. Jordan Lam had a great chance with virtually his first touch but his header from close range went wide of the goal. On seventy-three minutes Alex Moyes was replaced by Chris Shephard as Tivvy went looking for an equalizer. Farnborough made two substitutions as they tried to run down the clock. Lewis Williams was called into action again to pull off another great save. With just a minute left of normal time, Farnborough was awarded a penalty which seem a very soft decision by the referee. Up stepped Louie Paget to make the score 2-0. Tiverton were not happy with the penalty and Aaron Dawson was booked for protesting too strongly to the ref. Farnborough made one more substitution in the last minute but by then the game was over and the final score was Farnborough 2
Tiverton Town 0.
Att 454 Teams Farnborough Baptiste, Saunders, Oyenuga, Watts, Orlu, Owens, Holmes, Deering, Pratt, Hodges, Saied. Tiverton Town Williams, Egan, Woodman, Dawson, Pond, Moyes, Morrison, Hayfield, Wright, Watkins, Belsten.
Report Written by Paul Gray