EVESHAM UNITED 1-4 TIVERTON TOWN: INDEPENDENT MATCH REPORT...

Evesham Robins Upset By A Dose Of the Landricombes 

Evesham United 1-4 Tiverton Town

No magnificent sunset over the Malverns on this December Saturday merely fine, then heavier rain, culminating in a slight mist invading from the covered end of the ground, like fifty people were in group-vape mode. Visitors Tiverton began this game cautiously whilst United raced into action but the questionable penalty award to the hosts and resulting goal by Lance Smith was soon negated by Town’s Jamie Price, then improved upon by embattled striker Owen Howe who lashed a near post goal off ‘keeper Kevin Sawyer’s wet gloves. Following the interval, again the Robins threatened, mainly on the flanks, but after home defender Liam Harding blazed an acceptable chance over the Tivvy crossbar and a few corners were dealt with by the impressive visiting defence, Town began to feature a little more on offense and increased their lead via Mike Landricombe’s forehead. The second and third substitutes used by Evesham took time to fit into the now difficult situation and after Tivvy goalie Joe Perry had scooped away a Garyn Preen shot and another Preen drive had struck the Town crossbar, Levi Landricombe volleyed a memorable fourth goal for the Devon club. 

LEVI LANDRICOMBE: IN GOALSCORING FORM...

This was a tense, hard, lusty battle between two strong teams, each using their flanks and attacking until the end of the match. Both teams might have won the encounter but in fairness Tiverton were more clinical and efficient than Evesham despite the fine wing-play of Preen and Paul Fahy and the pacy movement of Smith and Adam Mann. Town’s Price and Nick Hurst were the wide-men who pressed for the Yellows, with centre-forward Howe challenging aerially and Levi Landricombe sniffing about like a badger at a bread roll. Tivvy took their chances, Evesham didn’t.

LEVI LANDRICOMBE: THE BADGER SNIFFING...

Smith drove an early 19 yarder low past the left upright as he and Mann set out to use their rapid movement to stretch the formidable Tivvy back-three of Ben Mammola, Steve Kingdon and Mike Landricombe. Indeed, when Mann inexplicably escaped at inside-right, it took a finely timed Mammola tackle inside his own penalty-box to concede a corner but prevent a possible shot on target. The resulting right-side flag-kick by Lorcan Sheehan found its way onto a probably surprised Nick Stanley’s head but his downward nod was collected by a no doubt relieved Perry. The penalty award to the hosts did look rather like a gift found beneath the Christmas tree, for Smith appeared to virtually swing Kingdon round like they were rehearsing for a pairs figure skating event. Kingdon lost his footing, Smith fell forwards and the referee assumed that the Tivvyman had shoved him there. Not only a spot-kick to United but a harsh caution for Kingdon whose complaints probably didn’t help his cause.

THE LUSTY LEFT BOOT OF KEVIN SAWYER...

PENALTY?

"GO AWAY..."

Smith smashed a straight penalty into the net, lifting the rigging and sending a spray to douse the lit fags in the mouths of covered-end spectators. Perry? He dived left. 

GOAL FOR SMITH & 1-0 TO EVESHAM...

Tiverton had flattered to deceive before the opening goal despite a couple of right-flank sorties by Nick Hurst but within moments of conceding, Stanley was bemused by Hurst’s smart play on that wing and the ensuing low centre was rapped into the net near the far upright by the sliding Price who had reacted more quickly than Fahy, with Sawyer unable to prevent an equaliser. Sensing an opening on that side, Jamie Short tried his luck after United conceded possession cheaply but Howe was unable to get purchase behind his 10 yard shot which rolled to Sawyer. How, Howe, how?

PRICE HAS REGAINED PARITY FOR TIVVY...

HOWE, 9, SEEMS RELIEVED...

The Robins’ bright opening had been stifled a little by their guests and to the home fans’ shock, a second goal arrived on the half-hour when Howe forced his way past Stanley, slipping the ball between the left-back’s legs before not feeding Levi Landricombe, instead pummelling a drive towards the near post where the surprised Sawyer could only slap at the ball with his wet gloves as it rushed on its way inside the upright and suddenly the visitors led. 

LATE FIRST-HALF FREE-KICK FOR TIVERTON...

It nearly became 1-3 soon afterwards when Harding misplaced a pass towards his ‘keeper and Howe battled for the ball, allowing Levi Landricombe a shot at goal and although his low 21 yard hit wasn't powerful, Sawyer fell left to smuggle the effort behind for a fruitless corner although Sawyer won a free-kick at that set-piece despite the fact that Levi Landricombe had simply stood in front of him and the ‘keeper’s wet gloves had actually pulled at the Town forward. Surely no foul either way? Tivvy survived a couple of defensive miscues from right-side centres but from one Fahy cross, Mann missed the chance but Perry was forced to turn a low close range shot by Smith round his left stick. The hard-working Joe Turley shot wide as United forced the pace in the closing stages of the opening half but Tiverton held firm and won a free-kick 25 yards out, inside-right channel. 

LEVI LANDRICOMBE SEEMS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT HIS SPARKLY SHOES ONCE BELONGED TO THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST...

CUM ON FEEL THE NOIZE...

The rain intensified, the gloom dulled the stadium and the hosts replaced the harassed Stanley at the break, sending on Leroy Odiero. Certainly Preen, the loanee from Hungerford, had shown up well for United and Fahy’s pace and deliveries had caused some concern for the visitors but in truth, ‘keeper Perry hadn’t been too strenuously exercised thus far and although the contest was keen and offensive, goal chances hadn’t been that regular.

IRRITATION...

Fahy set up Mann for a curling shot from 19 yards, at inside-right as the second period began but Perry coped comfortably and the goalie took as much time on the ball as he could whilst the home fans alerted the referee to what they considered excessive time wasting. Perry really wouldn’t have cared that much, unless a caution had come his way. It didn’t. Hurst, beaten again by Preen, pulled the winger back and was deservedly booked for his misdemeanour but Sheehan was unable to direct his towering header from Preen’s delivery. A powerful Turley shot was deflected over the crossbar by a Tivvy defender, Price headed the resulting corner away but Sheehan reached the left byeline and rolled a pass inside for Harding to score, surely… He skied his shot from 8 yards and really, at that point, Town began to look a little more secure until later in the game.

PERRY: "I'LL LIE ON THE BALL & SEE HOW LONG IT'LL BE BEFORE THE REF HAS A MOAN..."

Short made a long run (Short, long?) then midfielder Bob Norrish forced a low, if not difficult save from Sawyer before the hosts forced a couple of corners one of which surely flicked off Perry’s fist for another corner, not a goal-kick off Harding’s skull… On a break, Levi Landricombe smacked a 27 yard drive from the inside-right area and forced the Sawyer frame to leap right and turn the ball aside spectacularly then at the opposite end a risky dummy by Kingdon actually prevented Mann from getting in a shot when the defender dummied a right-side corner thus wrong-footing all the home attackers. Tiverton then enjoyed a confident period when they took hold of the game and won a right-flank corner from Levi Landricombe’s left-side centre following a deep run. Up went Mike Landricombe but his downward header from the flag-kick, just like Stanley’s had in the first-half, bounced up straight at the goaltender. A warning had been offered but Evesham failed to heed it and so the visitors exploited the weakness from a deep, right side free-kick. And scored.

FAHY (7): A SPEEDY CUSTOMER...

MORE IRRITATION...

The deep free-kick saw Mike Landricombe under the close attention of home skipper and strong defender Linden Dovey but the Devon man performed a virtual do-si-do on Dovey and looped a simple header goalwards which dropped sweetly into the right corner of the net with Sawyer a spectator. Mike Landricombe might just be seen on the next series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’…

1-3...

TIVVY DELIGHTED...

MIKE LANDRICOMBE HAS SCORED WITH A LOOPING HEADER...

With a shocked flock of Robins reeling from the goal, Sawyer swooped left to spoon aside a 25 yard Levi Landricombe free-kick but Howe was unable to convert the rebound and then Mann and Ashley Williams, who had grafted honestly for his team, were replaced by Jordan Bryan and Carl Brown. The new men unbalanced Evesham slightly and their offense was ruffled, leaving Preen’s fine dribbling and Smith’s indefatigable effort to carry the load although another header did pass well wide of the Tivvy goal from a Sheehan free-kick. Hurst set up Levi Landricombe for a low shot which Sawyer spilled, Dovey rallied his team and forced his men forward using Fahy’s rapidity and trickery to attempt to pierce the guests’ ramparts. This nearly happened, for a drive by Brown was expertly blocked by Mammola, then an immediate curling effort from 25 yards by the impressive Preen was pushed away to his left by a safety-conscious Perry, like he was shoving a particularly obnoxious party-crasher out of his front door.

A TIVVY PLAYER REPLACES HIS HEAD...

And then came the killer blow although initially it seemed that Evesham were about to pull back a goal and make the final minutes as shaky as a vole in a barn owl’s beak. A right-side corner by the Robins was nodded clear by Mammola and the ball found its way to Preen who must have thought his fine 20 yard drive was a goal all the way but with Perry grasping only mist the ball struck the crossbar, Turley nodded the rebound against the last-gasp thrusting body of Mammola and the ball was subsequently lost and won by both teams before a Sheehan pass was deflected into Hurst’s path, 22 yards from his own goal whereby he lashed it forwards. Levi Landricombe, onside, was the recipient like the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight-end Travis Kelce latching onto a Hail-Mary throw by quarterback Alex Smith and the Tivvy striker turned to unleash a superb volley from 35 yards or more and the ball rose, soared and dropped over the totally cheesed-off Sawyer into the same right corner of the net that Levi’s brother Mike’s had, earlier in the half.

1-4: BUT HOW WILL LANDRICOMBE LEVI-TATE FROM THIS MAUL?

A PILE IN THE GLOOM...

 Tom Bath replaced the shattered Howe for the guests and it remained only for a Levi Landricombe miscue to fall for the offside Short and force Sawyer into a reactive stop and so Tiverton, despite Evesham’s efforts, saw the game out. The players looked relieved, hugely pleased and rose as a team to their band of fans beneath the shelter behind the goal where the Landricombes had delivered their blows…

"THANKS FOR STAYING DRY, WHILST WE HAVE BEEN PISSED ON..." 

TIVVY SEEM HAPPY ENOUGH...

NOW THESE HANDSHAKES MEAN SOMETHING...

Evesham will play so much worse than this and win, Tiverton will play something like this and lose but for the neutral it had been an absorbing contest. Dovey, Turley, Harding, Fahy, Sheehan, Smith and especially Preen had been so good for much of the time for the Robins but the wall of Mammola, Kingdon and Landricombe, that well known firm of Pharmacists, had blocked the way for their hosts. Price, Hurst and the destructive Scott Rogers, alongside Norrish and Short had put in fine shifts for Town but Howe’s availability and of course Levi Landricombe’s brilliant fourth goal had iced a fine pre-Christmas cake for the travellers from the west…

Me? Back to Solihull, then to Coughton Court for a Wassail evening but I was wondering whether the last Tivvy goal had been filmed well enough to give it the credit it was due… I hope it has.

TEAMS:

EVESHAM UNITED:

KEVIN SAWYER, LINDEN DOVEY (CAPT), NICK STANLEY, JOE TURLEY, LIAM HARDING, ASH WILLIAMS, PAUL FAHY, LORCAN SHEEHAN, LANCE SMITH, ADAM MANN, GARYN PREEN.

SUBS:

JACOB SLOGGETT, LEROY ODIERO, MARK MAGEE, JORDAN BRYAN, CARL BROWN.

TIVERTON TOWN:

JOE PERRY, JAMIE PRICE, NICK HURST, BEN MAMMOLA, STEVE KINGDON, MIKE LANDRICOMBE, JAMIE SHORT, BOB NORRISH (CAPT), OWEN HOWE, SCOTT ROGERS.

SUBS:

TOM BATH, GEORGE ROGERS.