Hanwell Hand Out Yellows Defeat

Hanwell Town 2

Woodcock 54 Duncan 90

Tiverton Town 0

Saturday 8th November

OCS Community Stadium

Attendance: 239

The Yellows struggles continued on the road yesterday, in West London at Hanwell Town. A sustained difficult period of results was added to, when two second half goals ensured that the Geordies took all three points. Captain Toby Down returned to Tiverton's defence and was one of two changes made to the side that were put to the sword by League leaders Walton & Hersham the previous Saturday. The other seeing Corey Koerner come into Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s starting eleven, with Finn Rooke and Jacob Wellington those to drop to the bench. 

Formation wise it was Zak Baker in goal, a three of Matt Wood, Down and Harry Hutchinson formed the base of Tivvy’s side with Brooklyn Wilkins and Koerner in wing back mode.  A midfield three of Hall, Gabe Billington, Tor Swann. Dan Koita and Aiden Horne led the line. 

In an evenly contested and hard-fought opening 45 minutes, hopes were raised. The first meaningful action took place in the 10^th minute, when Hanwell won a free kick on the edge of Tiverton’s box. Free kick specialist Dan Carr’s powerfully struck attempt allowed Zak Baker to demonstrate his agility, as he expertly sprung across and palmed away. In the early exchanges of this game, both defences were solid and despite Swann shifting the ball past his marker and providing a decent cross with 15 minutes’ gone, Dan Koita couldn’t break the shackles of Dwayne Duncan, who cleared away for a corner.  Duncan then closed the door on Koita after he had been sent away down Hanwell’s left by Swann and the Yellows number nine could only foul his marker. 

With twenty minutes on the clock, an opening was created for Koita as he was played through on goal. The alert Geordie’s keeper Sam Beasant though, tackled Koita and the game remained goalless. Our hosts then enjoyed a good spell of probing possession, forcing consecutive corners in the process. The hold up play of the physically imposing Alfie Pendlebury was a feature of Hanwell’s attacks and this enabled the threatening Roberto Nditi with his overlapping runs to cause problems for the Yellows out wide. The Yellows themselves were building nicely from the back, but the final ball was often wasteful. 

Nditi was continuing to have an impact for Hanwell and in the 35^th minute he skilfully tricked his way past his marker out wide, before carrying the ball deep into Tiverton territory. Although his cross over, was in keeping with the disappointing end product from both teams. A good chance was spurned by the home side though with five minutes of the half remaining. Joe Wilson screwing his shot wide of the upright, when in the clear after Pendlebury had laid the ball through to him. Then twice in quick succession Tor Swann almost broke the Geordies defensive line, but desperate, well-timed tackles from Duncan and Harvey Seabrook prevented him from having goalscoring opportunities. 

In added time a pacey, positive piece of forward play from Koita saw him one-on-one with the vastly experienced Beasant and experience prevailed, as a block-save denied the Tivvy frontman and his team a first half lead. The Yellows were very much in the game, as they headed to the dressing room and it had been a decent showing from Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s men in the opening period. 

When we resumed it was Tiverton who signalled their intent by forcing a 47^th minute corner, following Koita manoeuvring his way past Duncan. The corner didn’t amount to anything, but Koita then latched onto a searching ball after beating Carr in a foot race. A vital block as he entered the Hanwell area, keeping the Yellows at bay. That start to the second half had promised so much and it seemed that the momentum was with us. However, as has often happened this season our failure to capitalise when in the ascendancy is quickly punished.  

A long free kick from just over the halfway line from Seabrook in the 53^rd minute, was met by the faintest of glancing headers from Callum Woodcock and the ball continued beyond Baker and into the Tiverton net. Question marks about the ease in which we appear to concede goals, once again was evident. The lively Jordy Mongoy then saw two attempts impressively saved by Baker, as Hanwell looked to turn the screw. Tivvy’s keeper with rapid reflexes when foiling him from close in and then tipping over for a corner. A penalty appeal from our hosts was then turned down by the referee just before the hour mark. 

Tiverton never really got a foothold in the game after that. Gabe Billington had a half chance after winning a tussle with Carr outside the Geordies box in the 63^rd minute but lifted his shot over the bar. Wilson then forced the busy Baker into action, as his piledriver stung the Argyle loanee’s palms. Baker’s next job was to deal with Woodcock being in on goal. One-on-ones have always been a strong part of his game, and a superb reaction stop in the 73^rd minute, kept Tiverton’s hopes alive. Around ten minutes later, a speedy break from the Yellows, ended with shouts for a penalty, but they weren’t convincing enough for the referee. 

Hanwell then went up the other end and Pendlebury was then thwarted by Baker from point blank range. Any thoughts however of an equaliser were dispelled when with almost 90 minutes’ up, Duncan forced the ball home from close in, following a corner. Wilson’s volley was close to giving the hosts a third, deep into the time the officials decided to add on and substitute Finn Rooke’s header from Hall’s floated free kick nearly brought a consolation, but 2-0 was the final score. 

The Yellows have been going to the well for a long time now and haven’t been able to put out the fires that have been engulfing their season. Maybe a break in fixtures will enable them to take stock and plot a way forward. They next take to the field on November 22^nd, when they travel to Gosport. 

Tiverton: Zak Baker, Brooklyn Wilkins, Corey Koerner, Harry Hutchinson, Matt Wood, Toby Down, Tor Swann (90), Asa Hall, Daniel Koita (68), Gabe Billington, Aiden Horne (74).

Substitutes: Jacob Wellington (68), Zack Williams (90), Sergui Lungu, Finley Rooke (74).