Yellows Defeated at Yate

Yate Town 2 

Karadogan 23, Zebroski 25 

Tiverton Town 1 

Jagger Cane 16 

Tuesday 9^th September  

The South West Interiors Stadium 

Attendance: 320 

Looking to stabilise and push on after Saturday's outstanding first home win versus Bracknell, the Yellows had a bit of a reality check on Tuesday evening when they travelled to Yate Town. 

Although in the bottom three at the start of play, the South Gloucestershire side had drawn all three of their league fixtures at the South West Interiors Stadium and that elusive first win home or away was achieved against a Yellows side who were a little off it, all over the pitch. 

Centre back Matt Wood, was restored to the starting eleven, following suspension and lined up in a three with Toby Down and Asa Hall. Tiverton though were without Aiden Horne who had picked up a muscle injury at the weekend while promising under 18 youngster Will Collins was named amongst the substitutes. 

This prompted a formation change, which resembled a 5-3-2. Yate fielded former Yellows captain Matt Britton in central defence and former EFL men Lloyd James, Dayle Grubb and Chris Zebroski in their team for this evening fixture. 

Playing towards a healthy and lively, young contingent behind the goal, they immediately forced Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s men to defend deep, with the Yellows relinquishing possession too easily when they did try to respond, it was an unsettling opening. 

Football playing keeper Aaron Sainsbury’s starting position was as a sweeper mostly and had the effect of pushing us back. The Bluebells always appeared to have time and space and knocked the ball around confidently, whereas everything seemed a little too condensed for Tiverton. 

Yate were in the ascendancy and although they only had a few corners and blocked efforts to show for their early dominance the evergreen playmaker, their number 6 Lloyd James was conducting affairs in the middle of the park. 

Just shy of the quarter hour mark, Tivvy were seeing a little more of the ball and gelling better and when in the 16^th minute Dan Koita picked up the ball in The Bluebells’ right channel there seemed little danger.  

A quick shift of feet from him and then dancing around his marker changed that early assessment though and he powered his way along the by-line and set up Louis Jagger Cane who’d made an excellent near post run and Tiverton’s top scorer added a fourth goal to his tally, finding the back of the net with an emphatic finish. 

There was no respite for The Yellows’ however and in the 18^th minute Corey Evans drew a good save from George Burton at his near post. The hosts were starting to knock on the door, a couple of corners were conceded and when the away side did have possession, it was worryingly turned over, before Tivvy were able to lay a significant glove on their opponents. 

In the 23^rd minute Striker Zebroski nodded the ball onto Midfielder Jack Karadogan, whose initial effort from just inside the Tiverton box was kept out by a smart reflex save by Burton but he made no mistake with the rebound, to level things up.  

With the home side’s tails up, they quickly doubled their lead minutes later. At the end of a rapid, flowing passage of play from them, Evans found Zebroski on the edge, of the Tivvy box who fired home conclusively, and few could contend that the Bluebells didn’t warrant being in front. 

The possession-based football of our hosts caused endless problems in the remainder of the half. The corner count was building and although we did break well on three or four occasions, our end product lacked the necessary conviction.  

In the 35^th minute we almost conceded a third goal as Charlie White, who was on loan with us a few seasons back from Bristol Rovers, was found by the classy Dayle Grubb who had skipped away from his marker. From a wide angle, his shot whistled fractionally past Burton’s post. 

Some desperate defensive blocks and some wayward shooting from our hosts meant we reached half time only one goal behind. The players disappeared into the tunnel with plenty to do in the second 45 and undoubtedly a way off of the standards set against Bracknell at the weekend. 

Yate of course were looking for another goal, to try and put the game beyond the Yellows reach and four minutes after the restart, Evans driven shot flashed past Burton’s upright.  

Tiverton did enjoy some good spells in the second half, but it was always the home side who appeared to be more likely to score the next goal and until around the hour mark that was the case. 

After that it was a lot more even, and long-range efforts from Toby Stephens and Gabe Billington reminded a small gathering of Tiverton fans that Yate, despite controlling large parts of the game, were only holding onto a slender advantage. 

With around 65 minutes played, Koita broke through and had a clear sight of goal from no more than 10 yards out, though instead of shooting, he squared to Jagger Cane who could barely get a connection on the ball, before he was blocked off. The initial chance was a golden opportunity. 

Substitutions were made and on came Jacob Wellington for Brooklyn Wilkins and then Finn Rooke replaced Jagger Cane. Tivvy although not at their fluent best were having some joy as the half progressed and another gilt-edged chance wasn’t taken. 

Pushing men forward and looking for the equaliser, with less than 10 minutes left after a corner was recycled by the Yellows, the ball was lofted into Tor Swann, who escaped into the area virtually alone and clearly onside. However, as the ball dropped to him from point blank range, he missed his kick completely and Yate survived that late scare, to rightly claim all three points. 

There isn’t a game this weekend, so Asa Hall and Steve Orchard’s team next take to the field on September 20^th when we welcome newcomers Uxbridge to the Slee Blackwell Solicitors Stadium and it’s crucial that we bounce back and regain some impetus. 

Tiverton: George Burton, Brooklyn Wilkins (70), Matt Wood, Toby Down, Asa Hall, Corey Koerner, Gabe Billington, Toby Stephens, Tor Swann, Louis Jagger Cane (70), Dan Koita. 

Substitutes: John Ross (GK), Jacob Wellington (70), Finley Rooke (70), Zack Williams, Will Collins.