Well As Can Be Expected
- Darren Holmes
- Mar 22, 2024
- 2 min read
Saturday, March 23 . Ian Moorcroft Stadium . 3pm
Tiverton Town v Hanwell Town
Pitching In Southern League, Premier Division South
HANWELL, not unlike us, face an uncertain future in Southern League Premier Division South. The Geordies - nicknamed because they were founded by tradesmen from Newcastle-upon-Tyne who were working in that area of London - are a few places above the Yellows in the table. Despite this, a favourable result for Tiverton will see them narrow the gap to a single point with a game in hand.
The team demonstrated last weekend that they are capable of upsetting the odds in overcoming play-off contenders Hungerford 2-1 away. However, what they also need to demonstrate in the ten games remaining is consistency and a winning mentality.
What should not be discounted is that Hanwell have achieved a win at Walton & Hersham who, similarly to Hungerford, have play-off ambitions. They also drew with runaway league leaders Chesham in recent weeks.
Elliot Benyon, the former Torquay United favourite, often spearheads the Geordies’ attack. The veteran ex-EFL striker is 36 now and did, once upon a time, turn out for Tivvy in a pre-season friendly.
Ahead of this game, they have brought in left-winger Gianni Critchlow, on loan from National League South side Braintree Town. Critchlow, a gifted wide man, has plied his trade mainly in the level above, although has also played for Hanwell previously in both the 2019-20 and the 2020-21 seasons.
Taking the No.1 Jersey will be the imposing and talented goalkeeper Sam Beasant, son of Dave, the former Wimbledon, Chelsea and England ’keeper. He will be a familiar figure to the home support, having played here for Chesham and Beaconsfield. Earlier in his career, he played professionally for Stevenage and Cambridge United.
Hanwell’s manager is Chris Moore and, like Leigh Robinson, he will be eager to pull his side away to safety. Moore, in his playing days, represented both Brentford and Dagenham & Redbridge.
When the sides met back at the end of November, it was the Yellows’ who shaded it, returning to Devon with a 2-1 win. Tiverton have yet to do the double over any team this term.
With seven of the ten fixtures remaining this season at home, it will be paramount that we end the season well at the Ian Moorcroft Stadium. Jack Veale is still recovering from injury but hopes to be back in three or four games’ time. He appears to be the only absentee going into this one.
Leigh Robinson and his players will not need reminding of how important every game is and how their focus, attitude and quality needs to be to the fore.
