Tiverton Town 2 – 1 Wealdstone
Tiverton Town2 - 1
WealdstoneStones lost 2-1 at Tiverton, and as i wasn’t there this report has been unceremoniously stolen from Alan Reidy in Tiverton who i hope won’t mind:
As sure as eggs are eggs the headlines spouted on about the saved penalty; as inevitable as east is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet the headline writers filled their boots with half-witted puns on the surname of the Tivvy goalkeeper, and as sure as night follows day the save itself was sensationalised beyond belief. But that doesn’t change the fact that Mark Rock saved a second half penalty and helped Tiverton Town maintain a 2-1 lead over Wealdstone, a lead that would be held until the final whistle. But it is unlikely that anyone other than the hero of the hour will hold this memory with them, for the game – or at least the game after the change of ends – was one which could keep a verbally-challenged man talking until the cows came home.
The cows might have chosen to go home at the interval; such was the lack of excitement in a miserably uninspiring first half. Goalless, and without a real chance to get the 427 strong Ladysmead crowd salivating just about sums up the opening 45 minutes. It was a shame, since those that travelled to Corby a week earlier were overdue an entertaining Saturday afternoon, but the sunshine and low winds, a far contrast to the game in Northamptonshire was not enough to inspire the players into a creative frame of mind. That is not to say the first half passed without chances, but Steve Flack, Chris Bale and Barry McConnell all had understated efforts, while Rock was not tested to the extreme at the other end of the park, only palming away an effort from Dean Papali.
The action soon stepped up a few notches in the second half though, and it was the referee who appeared to take centre stage with a string of curious decisions. Before the mysterious whistle blowing, however, came Tivvy’s opening goal. Anthony Mason broke free on the right, and cut back a low cross to Tom Gardner. The defender, from six yards, was only able to side-foot into the stretched gloves of ‘Stones ‘keeper John Armand, but the resulting rebound fell nicely to Flack who was able to turn, shoot and nestle the ball into the opposite corner of the net.
Soon enough Wealdstone thought they had a golden ticket to equalisation when the referee awarded them a penalty. It was not until he was informed that his assistant had been flagging stoically for for offside that the decision was overturned, and the Yellows were able to resume play with an indirect free kick. This incensed the travelling support, but only gave the travelling players more incentive to push on, and the drive from Wealdstone was rewarded moments later when Rock and Gardner left the ball for each other allowing Matt Gooderick to stealthily sneak between the two and lift the ball into an unguarded goal from the edge of the area.
Justice wasn’t done, unless you look at it from the referee’s perspective, and even more confusion was to follow in an action packed passage of play. Chris Holloway, skipper for the day in the absence of Nathan Rudge, was unceremoniously elbowed in the side of the head, an assault that was apparently seen only by the supporters on the terrace behind the goal, and a foul that should have given Tivvy the chance to restore their advantage with a penalty of their own. And then justice was done unless you look at it from the referee’s perspective, when another foul, this time on Flack was once again ignored by the man in the middle, only for his assistant (the other assistant) to flag ‘foul’ and give the home side the spot kick they should have been awarded five minutes earlier. McConnell calmly placed the ball to the right, Armand did a good job of diving out of the way, and the one goal advantage was restored. The fact that the foul was innocuous and would usually been waved away was incidental.
Back to the other end, back to the referee pointing for a penalty. This time no overrule. Rock could feel aggrieved as he took a comfortable and unpressured catch from a poor free kick, but Darren Davies was seen to have caught Chris O’Leary, and justice was done, if you look at it from the referee’s perspective. Gooderick stepped up but was unable to tie the scores for a second time as Rock sprawled to his left and pushed the penalty away.
There was still time for Jamie Mudge to blaze wide when well positioned, and for Rock to pull off a fabulous save from Papali, but the scoring was over, and the cows are now on their way home.
Wealdstones: John Armand, Stuart Goodhall, Fergus Moore, Chris Zoricich, Stuart Bamford, Gavin Bamford, Carl Martin, Chris O’Leary, Dave Lawrence S Dean Papali, Matt Gooderick 60, Graeme Montgomery S John Christian. Subs Not Used: Lee Holland, Billy Sentence
Harrow Times Steve Spaull
WEALDSTONE games do not usually pass without incident and controversy at some point and this was no exception.
Although not being able to get forward much to create goal-scoring opportunities, Matt Gooderick made poor contact with a 4th minute chance and a Dave Lawrence shot was held low at the foot of a post some time later, Stones were coping well defensively, and a largely quiet hour in the sunshine had passed before once again, it has to be said, the decisions of a referee and his assistants have changed a game to an alarming degree.
The Tiverton game was to a large degree sending up high balls for the huge frame of aging striker Flack to head- not without some success too as Wealdstone were missing their tallest player in defender Kevin Swift.
As a taster for what was to follow, Wealdstone were awarded a penalty in the 53rd minute, but the referee changed his decision because an assistant had been flagging for an earlier offside.
The explosion came when a cross from goal line on the right was met by Bale and although Armand pulled off an excellent save to keep it out, Flack bundled the loose ball home.
Referee Adkins, who had turned down a good penalty shout for handball against Davies as early as the third minute, was immediately surrounded by angry Wealdstone players claiming the ball had gone out of play. Some were cautioned in the arguments that followed but the goal stood.
Remarkably Stones equalised within three minutes when Gooderick was first to reach a through ball down the centre and toe-poke it past the advancing keeper.
One might have have expected the game to quieten down now, but in a further three minutes Wealdstone were behind again. As players jumped and fell challenging for the ball following a free kick, play continued, but remarkably there was the assistant flagged for a penalty. The referee saw it his duty to back his assistant rather than overrule, so the award stood. Again the Wealdstone people were outraged and assistant manager Leo Morris was sent off, but when things had quitened down McConnell scored.
It seemed obvious to all watching that the referee was unhappy with his assistant’s call but had to back him, so, to even things up, he then proceeded to award a penalty to Wealdstone, again highly dubious, when a crowd of bodies jumped for a free kick into the box.
Unfortunately Tiverton keeper Rock’s dive to his left was correct and Gooderick’s spot kick was saved. Now things did quieten as Wealdstone appeared deflated. Chris O’Leary did put one effort over the bar but the closest to another goal was Tiverton sub Mudge’s blocked shot in added time.
Wealdstone: Armand, Zoricich, Moore, Goodall, S Bamford, G Bamford, Martin, O’Leary, Lawrence (Papali 75), Gooderick, Montgomery (Christian 56).