Last Gasp Yellows Salvage Draw

Tiverton Town 1 

Hall 89 

Uxbridge 1 

Rush 7 

Saturday 20^th September  

Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium 

Attendance: 289 

A late Asa Hall header claimed a crucial point for the Yellows. The game took place in and out of showers in the first half, followed by a strong and blustery wind after the break.  The conditions were interchangeable and had some bearing on the eventual result. 

Tiverton welcomed back Aiden Horne and John Ross made his competitive debut in goal, with George Burton unavailable and Brooklyn Wilkins dropped to the bench, where he was joined by new loan signing from Weston-super-Mare Josh Salmon and the returning Dean Moxey. The management team opted for what resembled a wing-back system, in which Tor Swann and Corey Koerner took up the wide positions, with a central three comprising of Matt Wood, captain Toby Down and player-manager Asa Hall. The middle of midfield was occupied by Toby Stephens and Gabe Billington, with Aiden Horne ahead of them and Dan Koita and Louis Jagger Cane in the striking roles. 

Newcomers to the division, London side Uxbridge travelled to Devon protecting an unbeaten seven game start to life in Southern League Premier South, this being an impressive run that included five draws. When proceedings got underway, it was the visitors who settled quickly and Tivvy who faced plenty of pressure on their goal. This being a combination of fluent attacking play from the Reds and the Yellows creating problems of their own, through sloppiness in and out of possession and Uxbridge’s seventh minute opener owed as much to the latter, as the former and at least two efforts had been fired wide of the Yellows goal, before they went in front.   

When they took control of the ball in the middle of the park, gaps alarmingly appeared in Tivvy’s rearguard, as the Reds menacingly pushed forward and time was afforded to both provider and the scorer Harry Rush, as it opened up all too easily for the visitors. 

It looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for Tivvy as Danny Edwards side continued in the ascendancy with shots flashing wide and Ross by far the busier of the two keepers, in a difficult opening.  There was undoubted quality in the visitors' team, but equally the Yellows weren’t at the races, early doors. 

Swann with his customary step overs and quick shifts of feet, though did give notice of his threat on a couple of occasions during that period. He produced a few inviting crosses that just eluded incoming Tiverton players in our opponents box and Billington also had an attempt blocked. Swann himself saw a speculative shot, also go behind. 

Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s men, however, did grow into the game after being outplayed and outfought, with half of the first 45 complete. A questionable booking for Dan Koita after 29 minutes after good forward play that saw him beat his man along the byline, was picked up when a whole- hearted clearance from captain CJ Fearn saw the ex-Farnborough man, get to the ball ahead of him. The momentum of Koita’s run meaning he couldn’t put the brakes on. Fearn fell to the ground and stayed down and the referee brandished a rather harsh Yellow. 

As the Yellows started to see more of the ball, Aiden Horne began to regularly glide past players in the final third and only drastic defending, sometimes at the cost of a free kick stopped him entering the box. Swann and Horne were causing the main issues for the away side to deal with, committing defenders and driving forward. Although in the final five minutes of the half, with the Yellows enjoying their best spell of the match it was Koita who had an excellent chance to level things up. 

Despite being in the clear, the talented frontman was one-on-one in the 40^th minute with the Reds keeper who was able to save in the middle of his goal, as he couldn’t find the corner. Then from a very well delivered in swinging corner from Koerner, Hall wasn’t far away with his header. On the verge of half time the impressive Horne slalomed past a couple of Uxbridge players before letting fly. It was a decent attempt that needed good handling, and the keeper was equal to the task.  

This was a very watchable and entertaining half for the neutral, although for the majority of it we looked vulnerable in our final third and were perhaps fortunate to not be further behind after the opening twenty minutes. When the Yellows returned to the field of play, a strong wind made playing conditions challenging. Our opponents having slightly the better of the play at the beginning of the second period and they are a good footballing side, as they continued to demonstrate. 

As a spectacle after the break, as both defensive units tightened up, it became a bit of a war of attrition, with the strength of the wind being more potent than both teams. Koita’s header on 55 minutes was deflected behind for a corner and then another one followed as Uxbridge cleared to safety. In the 63^rd minute a second goal for the visitor’s was ruled out for a handball. Moments later Steve Orchard replaced Jagger Cane with debutant Weston-super-Mare loanee Josh Salmon. 

A dipping long-range effort from the Reds saw Ross quickly back-peddle and his sharp awareness had him showing good agility to tip over at full stretch. His dependable handling throughout proved him to be a very able deputy. 

The game was played largely between the two boxes, but Tiverton did win a few free kicks deep in their opponent’s territory. Uxbridge though defended them well and still presented a threat themselves. It wasn’t pretty and it was very stop/start, but all results were possible, even with guilt-edged chances being at a premium. 

Finn Rooke and Jacob Wellington came on for Koita and Horne, as Tiverton looked to come on strong in the closing stages. The determination of both sides overspilled into a brief physical altercation involving Fearn and Rooke. Yellows were given to each of them. 

With time running out, in the 89^th minute Stephens free kick in rode on the wind and with Rooke making a nuisance of himself in the six-yard box, the ball went above him and on to Asa Hall at the back post. The player-manager is often a scorer of crucial goals for the Yellows, and he calmly headed into the back of the net, to set up a tense finale. 

Added time though, not through want of trying from either side went without further addition to the scoreline and Tiverton had dug in to gain a vital point, which was the difference between them being in 16^th or in the relegation places. The Yellows displayed a lot of character in a game where they weren’t at their best and this mentality will be required going forward. It was a good point in the end, and two games are on the agenda this week. On Wednesday we travel to Honiton in the Devon St. Lukes Bowl first round and then a six-pointer will follow at fellow early season strugglers Weymouth on Saturday. 

Tiverton: John Ross, TOR SWANN, Matt Wood, Toby Down, Asa Hall, Corey Koerner, Gabe Billington, Toby Stephens, Aiden Horne (83), Louis Jagger Cane (64), Dan Koita (83). 

Substitutes:  Finley Rooke (83), Jacob Wellington (83), Josh Salmon (64), Dean Moxey, Brooklyn Wilkins.