Hampshire Heartbreak for Yellows

Gosport Borough 3

Caborn 30 Greenwood 76 Taylor 77

Tiverton Town 2

Koita 15 Hall 57

Saturday 22nd November

Aerial Direct Stadium

Attendance: 649

Conceding in quick succession once again proved our downfall on a day when that aside, for the majority of the afternoon the game plan appeared to work. The reality is though, another loss was endured, by the struggling Yellows in Hampshire versus sixth in the table Gosport. 

This game saw new signing from Exmouth Town, midfielder Jack Kennell come straight into the line-up and Marko Radovanovic the former Mangotsfield, Brixham and Buckland keeper was between the sticks after Zak Baker’s loan agreement had expired. 

Long term absentee Dean Moxey and top scorer Louis Jagger Cane (hamstring), both didn’t make the matchday squad and Ryan Keates who was also announced on Friday is serving a Southern League suspension. Both sides had to deal with a heavy, watery surface and stormy conditions. 

Gosport started strongly and controlled the early play. In the 3^rd  minute, winger Trevor Caborn had the ball in the back of the net, but celebrations for the home side were muted, after the referee’s assistant raised an offside flag. Radovanovic then got down well, to pull off a routine stop to deny striker Ethan Taylor.  

Tivvy withstood the Boro’s immediately threatening attacking intent, though were tested again in the 12^th minute, when Ben Greenwood and Rafa Ramos neatly and nimbly exchanged passes out wide. Ramos whipping a cross into the danger area, but evading players of both sides. 

By that point though the Yellows had found some rhythm in possession and broke with purpose a few minutes before they supplied the game’s opener. Brooklyn Wilkin’s threaded the ball to Tor Swann, who returned the ball to the marauding wing back, who then released Swann in the Boro’s final third. Collecting Wilkins incisive pass, Swann’s telling cross in, was turned emphatically home by Dan Koita. 

Establishing that 15^th minute lead gave Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s men a much-needed boost and the side continued to play attractively. Confidently knocking the ball around, Tiverton had pushed Gosport out of their stride and were threatening, themselves. Although an alert piece of decisive defending from Wilkins was required, as he intercepted an overlap.  

The influence of Swann was stretching our hosts and when he surged forward, his delivery in hung up on the wind, eventually dropping to Hall, whose volley was misplaced. Down the other end following a well-constructed move through the team for the Boro involving Michael Fernandes, Taylor and Greenwood, a wayward shot spoilt an impressive bit of football. 

The hot-heeled ex Winchester man Caborn then saw it open up for him in the 26^th minute. He unselfishly looked to play in one of his team-mates with the goal at his mercy and Tivvy had been let off the hook, with the ball spiralling out of harm’s way. 

The visitors though were more than holding their own and Koita was always a good focal point and willing runner when the Yellows fashioned together some promising build up play. Good application was on display from the team as a whole, but on the half hour mark Gosport drew level. 

Caborn taking the ball in his stride and quickly adjusting his feet, unleashed a magnificent strike from more than twenty yards out centrally, to bludgeon the ball past the helpless Radovanovic. There was an extremely positive reaction to this setback from the Yellows and in the 33^rd minute Koita skilfully beat Greenwood on the by-line, to force a corner. 

A half chance from it fell to Hall, though this was made more difficult by the ball riding on the wind and not coming down naturally or quickly. When the ball did drop down to the player manager, a few Gosport players had moved into position to block his attempt. 

Radovanovic then showed good handling, when heavily pressured by a few Boro forwards and then in the 38^th minute with our backline breached, Ramos thankfully blazed wide. Minutes later Tiverton’s misunderstanding at the back presented a good chance for the home team, but two players got in each other's way, much to the relief of the watching on Steve Orchard. 

It was the visitors though who dominated at the end of the half. A Yellows corner found its way back to Wilkins, whose 43^rd minute, low skidding effort missed the post by a coat of paint. Then Swann rampaged forward and sent in an inviting cross at the end of normal time. With Tivvy committing men forward, this caused panic in the Gosport box. Gabe Billington’s snapshot was just directed off target in concerted pressure from the away side. 

Swann was becoming a real pest and as he was about to trick his way beyond the backline, former EFL player Charlie Wassmer made a necessary foul and was carded. From the resulting Free Kick in added time, Koita stole in round the back, but a good defensive header, agonisingly prevented him from putting Tiverton back in front, at the break. 

Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s men finishing the first half with their tail’s up, will have been somewhat encouraged by a well-executed opening forty-five minutes. Two changes were made at the break though, enforced or otherwise ? Finn Rooke replaced Dan Koita and Jacob Wellington came on for Brooklyn Wilkins. 

When the game resumed, excellent defending from Toby Down in the 51^st minute, with the physical Ramos at close quarters, saw him head back into Radovanovic’s arms. Busy build up play from the hosts, forced a corner. Fortunately for Tiverton the lively Fernandes missed his kick when in a good position to convert the delivery in. 

The Yellows responded in the 54^th minute by gaining a corner themselves. An attempt from the edge of the box, deflecting behind after brushing the side-netting. Swann then was close to regaining the lead, but for the timely intervention of substitute Rory Williams who dispossessed him, as he was about to pull the trigger. 

Tiverton had been knocking on the door for a few minutes and from another corner in the 58^th minute, they got their rewards. In a congested Gosport area, Hall turned the ball, into the goal. With renewed hope, a spring was back in the players steps, as they played with fluidity and confidence.  

Although Finn Rooke and Steve Orchard were both shown yellow cards in the 64^th minute, following the former’s forceful challenge which provoked optimistic calls from the home bench and Boro players for a stronger punishment. A stop/start passage of play followed, with a number of free kicks and hold ups because of brief injuries. Although the Yellows were still performing well and looking accomplished in possession.  

Radovanovic however produced a very good save to maintain our lead.  Seeing the ball late through a crowd of players, he showed very good agility in saving a shot low down to the corner of his goal, that accelerated off of the greasy surface. 

That happened with 73 minutes played and a few minutes later, the Yellows were pegged back when substitute Harry Kavanagh crossed from the right channel and his inviting delivery was headed home by the onrushing Greenwood. Conceding straight after conceding is the teams achilles heel and you could suspect a Malaysian betting syndicates influence, for the number of times it’s occurred this season. 

Less than a minute later it was 3-2. Prolific ex-Totton striker Ethan Taylor fortuitously finding the net after a defensive error. The team pressed hard for an equaliser and decisive contact was almost made on an 82^nd minute corner. However, that was the closest Tivvy came to levelling in a game that they shouldn’t have been coming away from empty handed. Lots of added time was accumulated and Williams nearly added a fourth with a header, as the hosts finished the game on the front foot.  

Positives are to be taken from this defeat, as Gosport are a play-off chasing side, who we ran extremely close. The hunger and the spirit to turn this around remains in the squad, as they visit Poole on Tuesday night. 

Tiverton: Marko Radovanovic, Brooklyn Wilkins (46), Corey Koerner, Jack Kennell, Matt Wood, Toby Down, Tor Swann, Asa Hall, Dan Koita (46), Gabe Billington, Harry Hutchinson.

Substitutes: Jacob Wellington (46), Aiden Horne, Finley Rooke (46).