MATCH PREVIEW - Willand Rovers (A)

Match Preview

Tiverton’s 2nd pre season game of the season will them travel up the link road as they take on Southern Premier League Division One side Willand Rovers.

Some might consider the relationship between Willand and Tiverton a friendship or a rivalry but either way Scotty and Martyn with the lads have a lot of history with the “Devon All-Whites”.

Willand Rovers have had an important pre season signing spree as they bring in key players such as Owen Howe from Bristol Manor Farm who will add an attacking flare to Rovers side this season. They are currently managed by former Tiverton Man, David Steele, who brings a lot of experience to the club and his ambition to take Willand to the Southern Premier League is building higher for the side.

Willand didn’t have the greatest of seasons last year, just avoiding relegation from Division One and losing key players along the way as they battled on through for what all teams in that division would say was a difficult season due to the dominance of AFC Totton and Sholing in the league.

Previously the two sides met in the Devon FA St Luke’s Bowl Challenge Cup which ended up in a 2-1 win for the Yellows as Niall Thompson and Louis Morison both bagged for Tivvy and the most important moment in the game came in the 98th minute as at the time 16 year old keeper Ollie Saunders made a brilliant save to deny Willand an equaliser in the final minute of the match, sealing the game for Tiverton.

Willand opened their pre season on Saturday with a 4-0 loss to Tiverton's Cross-Devon Southern Prem rivals, Plymouth Parkway, with goals from former Yellows Joe Belsten and Tom Purrington sealing the win for Parkway.

Tiverton meanwhile have opened their pre season on Friday as Exeter City made their annual visit to The Ian Moorcroft Stadium which ended up in a 1-0 defeat for the yellows but it was overall a very good test for Tivvy which was backed by 1,600 supporters inside the ground. Scotty & Martyn will be looking to give Rovers a good game on Tuesday and give more minutes and opportunities to the lads as they build back into their season form ready for the 5th August.

How to get to Silver Street

By Public Transport: get the 1 bus from Tiverton Bus Station toward Exeter City Centre which takes approximately 19 minutes to get to Willand

By Car: from Ladysmead, head up the A361 and continue onto the A38 where you go right at the Waterloo Cross roundabout. Continue for 5 minutes down the B3181 and it’ll be on your left.

Previous Meetings against Willand Rovers

12/5/23 - Willand Rovers 1-2 Tiverton Town

6/10/21 - Willand Rovers 0-3 Tiverton Town

8/9/21 - Willand Rovers 5-1 Tiverton Town

10/12/14 - Willand Rovers 5-3 Tiverton Town

Willand’s Social Media Accounts

Instagram: @Willandroversfc

Twitter: @Willandrovers

Facebook: @WillandRovers

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