Saturday 23rd December 2023

Pitching in Southern League
Premier Division South

Tiverton Town 2 v Beaconsfield 2

The Ian Moorcroft Stadium Att - 233

Ram of the match - Ben Van Aurich

For the second week in a row, a goal deep in injury time rescued a point for the home team. Last Saturday Sam Togwell’s late heroics denied Hungerford. Here though it was The Rams who saw three points become one at the death.

When substitute Theo Cutler's 95th minute effort, curled in off the far post from the opposite edge of the penalty area, it completed the comeback and secured a point for Tiverton Town at The Ian Moorcroft Stadium on Saturday.

Despite playing with the strong wind mostly at their backs in the opening period the home side did little with the apparent advantage. After an initial early opportunity, Jack Veale shooting straight at Matt Rowley when looking certain to score, before the late intervention of Ben Van Aurich did enough to put him off. Rowley was not called on again as The Rams got to grips with conditions took control and stretched into a two goal lead after just 26 minutes.

James Dobson crashed in a free kick from just outside the box following a foul on Asher Yearwood.
The midfielder’s run on goal was halted by Niall Thompson who slid in just as he was in the act of pulling the trigger. Thompson received a bang on the ankle and a yellow card for his troubles.

 

Three minutes later Yearwood himself netted to double The Rams advantage. Blocking an attempted clearance in from 6 yards after skipper Luke Neville headed a Dobson far post corner back into the danger area.Tiverton found a way back into the game on the stroke of half time. There was an element of good fortune about it, as Jack Rice Letharby sent in a speculative free-kick from the left back channel fully 35 yards from goal, with Matt Rowley and his defence set up for and expecting a cross, Tiverton’s oustanding player on the afternoon, curled his effort on the breeze and just inside the near post.

Half time 1-2

The second half was a torrid affair for Beaconsfield supporters. Tiverton dominated possession but The Rams defence, well marshalled by skipper Luke Neville kept them at bay with Ben Van Aurich in particular putting in an outstanding shift under almost constant pressure from the lively 7 and 11. Chances were few and mostly shots from outside the box which did not trouble Rowley unduly.
At the other end Zidan Akers had two great chance to extend The Rams lead. In the first attack of the second period, following another Dobson corner the ball fell to him six yards out in a crowd seemingly with the goal at his mercy but he was unable to locate the ball or get it out of his feet and the chance was gone. Then with Tiverton throwing more bodies forward in pursuit of a equaliser, Akers finally beat the off side trap and the trigger happy assistant.
He advanced into the box, shaped for the trade mark Thierry Henri finish, across the keeper and into the corner but failed to get any shape at all on his shot which flew harmlessly wide.
Despite struggling to create many chances, The Rams put in a disciplined professional performance under pressure in the latter stages and seemed to have done enough until Cutlers stunner snatched the win from their grasp.

With both sides battling the conditions and the playing surface as much as each other, it would be hard to argue that a draw wasn’t a fair result.
Beaconsfield would probably have settled for the point before kick off, faced with 90 minutes against a strong, direct, physical and energetic opponent on a stodgy uneven pudding of a pitch lashed by wind and rain.
For all that though, with a two goal lead and in control for 40 minutes they will probably feel they let 2 points slip away.

Whilst the draw, with late drama and a worldy at the death probably felt like a win for Tiverton.

Next up The Rams head home for the South Bucks Christmas Classico, The Boxing Day lunch time visit of Chesham United Kicks off at 12-30

Happy Christmas

Come on you Rams!