BANBURY UNITED 4-2 TIVERTON TOWN: ALTERNATIVE MATCH REPORT...

Tiverton Leave Banbury Cross…

Banbury United 4-2 Tiverton Town

(FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round)

Folks headed to Banbury on a warm, late summer afternoon, some maybe even astride their cock horses but not all were seeking a fine lady upon a white steed. Most were seeking to watch footballers instead, minus rings on their fingers but with boots on their toes, the music of chanting spectators echoing wherever they go(es)… Maybe. The original Banbury Cross had disappeared by 1600 however and cock horses were meant to be high spirited entire animals, therefore not castrated. I can’t vouch for the majority of male spectators there but some of them at least looked game for a donkey derby… Tiverton’s supporters had travelled a long way to vent their cheers at their team but during this FA Cup tie, following a tight opening period, Town relinquished a 0-1 lead and succumbed to the superiority of league leaders United and were deservedly beaten by four goals to two. 

THE PROGRAMMES SOLD OUT QUICKLY, I BELIEVE...

By Jove though, the Puritans had to be patient in their approach which subsequently forced their guests back into a deep defensive formation, leaving strikers Owen Howe and Levi Landricombe somewhat isolated, especially the former, for the latter was forced to aid an ailing defence for a good deal of the second period. Neither Howe nor Levi Landricombe had scored a goal this season but the smaller, stealthy Landricombe netted a smart brace in this game, following two misses, both saved by the alert Banbury ‘keeper Jack Harding, then the forward squandered a chance of a consolation hat-trick by lifting Jordon Rogers’ feed too high from a mere 7 yards out in the dying embers of the encounter. 

ROY OF THE ROVERS COLOURS: RED AND YELLOW EVERYWHERE...

MARTIN RICE, EX-WHITE TIGER...

The hosts though would point to the wizard dribbling of the elusive Ravi ‘Merlin’ Shamsi as their leading attacking light, for his dangerous creativity caused Tivvy much concern and the tricky Shamsi rounded off his fine performance with an excellent individual goal. The strength and bluntness of leading scorer Jefferson Louis, the wing-play and deliveries of Tom Winters, the deep lying threat of Darren Pond and the smart midfield passing by George Nash and Charlie Hawtin finally came together for the Puritans, along with half-time replacement Conor McDonagh’s forward movement to power through the Town defence and celebrate their four goals like cock horses on a stag night in Ibiza.

GARDNER & LOUIS: A REAL BATTLE...

PRICE: TALKS IN HIS SLEEP TOO, APPARENTLY...

Visiting goalie Martin Rice, ex-Truro City of course, had collected an early rising drive by Nash, before Levi Landricombe was released at inside-left by the ebullient Howe but Harding advanced and thrashed his arms left to make a vital save from the striker’s low left-footer. “Cripes…” Landricombe exclaimed, “…will I ever score at this level?” Banbury had settled into a calm passing attitude by then which was sensible on such a warm afternoon and ogre central defenders Luke Carnell and the skipper Ricky Johnson, who looked even more ogre-like with his grim, dark beard, saw an awful lot of the ball. Indeed, both ‘centre-halves’ went close to scoring for the hosts during a frustrating opening period for the Puritans.

CAN'T YOU JUST FEEL THE PAIN?

"IT'S OK JAMIE, YOU CAN GET UP NOW, HE'S BEEN WARNED..."

ADD TO CHRISTMAS LIST FOR THE TIVERTON COACH: A PAIR OF TRAINER SOCKS...

After a 22 yard drive by the menacing Shamsi had risen too high and Winters’ corner had been sliced over his own goal-frame by Tivvy skipper Jamie Price, whose voice was as audible and constant as a bookie’s gabble at Warwick races, another Winters corner evaded the flailing Rice and Johnson leaned like a horse winning by a neck to head the ball past the far upright. Then Levi Landricombe fastened onto a pass by the impressive Callum Hall and once again was faced by the advancing Harding and once again the forward shot low but this time the ‘keeper had an easier job of clutching the effort. “Strewth, blast it, I’ll never bally well score at this rate…” grumbled the despondent marksman.

"WILL I SCORE TODAY? WILL I? WILL I?"
YEP.

A deflection caused a Winters shot to deflect to Rice at the other end, then from the wide-man’s next corner, Carnell rose over the challenge of Howe to head the ball downwards but an exposed Rice dropped down quickly onto his goal-line to block the ball, allowing the recovered Howe to clear. And then the inevitable happened: Levi Landricombe scored his first goal at this level for Tiverton…

He latched onto a feed from Howe, just right of centre then moved left and whipped a powerful left-booter past Harding’s right hand from just beyond the 18 yard line. The ball never rose above shoulder height and billowed the corner of the net. “What ho! By Jove! Good Lord!” he shrieked… 

TOLD YOU...

0-1...

LANDRICOMBE L. HAS FINALLY NETTED... 

RELIEF...

Shocked, Banbury reeled a little and Nick Hurst’s cross for Town was slightly miscued at the near post by Scott Rogers, before being hacked clear by the hosts, then a diagonal Price pass led to a right-side centre which was untouched by any Tivvy player, mainly due to the fact that no players were supporting inside the penalty-box… Tom Gardner did put off Louis with a stretched challenge as the opening half wound down and the tall United forward vented his opening period annoyance with the lack of service received by pulling a Tiverton shirt or two and yelling scary things like, “Crikey…” or sometimes even: “Crumbs…”

GROUND RICE...

LOUIS WENT CLOSE...

FREE-KICK FOR WINTERS TO TAKE...

Jack Westbrook was the withdrawn United player at the break and Conor McDonagh (surely a character in another historic rhyme?) would quickly challenge Tivvy’s defence and offer some much needed support to Louis. Rarely would Tivvy make inroads offensively as they dropped back and were forced to attempt to protect their very slender lead and rely on a break or two but lacking pace on the flanks, for full-backs Hall and Hurst were having to defend Hawtin’s thrusts and Winters’ astute wing-play respectively, the visitors struggled to contain the Puritans for twenty minutes or so. Untidy defending allowed Louis a close range shot which Rice did well to keep out but the rebound went wide, despite the fact that it looked like the ball had gone into the net at the right upright. Rice flicked fingers at a left-side Winters corner, Pond was cautioned for Banbury, Louis exchanged passes with a colleague but his shot was comfortably saved falling left by the grateful Rice and then the Tivvy defence opened up like one of the locks on the Grand Union canal.

POND: LIFE ENDANGERED...
(IS THIS RIGHT?)

POND CAUTIONED...

A fine cross from the right by Hawtin was headed into the right side of the net by Louis, beating a hapless Rice easily, after out-jumping a defender. Within minutes the Puritans had scored again, following a right-side centre which a defender had beaten Rice to and thereby caused a melee. At the second attempt in the ensuing confusion, Winters fed the ball for a criminally unmarked Pond to fire a harsh shot close to Rice from 16 yards but the ‘keeper was unable to stop it as it fizzed into the left side of the net.

1-1...

LOUIS HAS HEADED IN...

THE FIGHTBACK HAS BEGUN...

QUICKLY IT'S 2-1...

POND HAS SCORED...

WINTERS GETS THE ASSIST...

THE NEXT ROUND IS NOW IN SIGHT...

Howe was cautioned for a rough challenge on the tidy Nash, Tom Bath replaced Scott Rogers for the guests, before Sam Humphreys replaced Winters for Banbury. A weak, not nice back-pass by Price to Rice did not suffice, the ‘keeper’s resolve turning from surprise to ice as Louis bundled past Price who rolled the dice and pulled back the striker, whose response was concise: “Gadzooks, referee, he took a slice of my arm, my good man…” No foul was awarded. No need to worry though, for the inimitable Shamsi fastened onto the ball around the centre-spot and moved goalwards from the inside-right channel, he bypassed three wafting challenges and smacked an 18 yard drive into the top right side of the net, leaving Rice unable to get off the ground to attempt a save. A fine strike…

NASH (4) IS FLOORED...

HOWE GETS WHAT'S OWEN TO HIM...

3-1...

GREAT INDIVIDUAL GOAL BY SHAMSI...

HOME & DRY NOW...

MERLIN THE MAGICIAN ATTEMPTS TO PRODUCE A PIGEON FROM BENEATH HIS SHIRT...

Incredibly, with the game safe at 3-1, Mike Landricombe thumped a high punt forward for Tiverton, the bounce was awkward for the home defence and Levi Landricombe bustled onto the ball and managed to lob it way over the advancing Harding. Everyone looked up, wondering where the falling ball would go and it dropped slowly then bounced inside the 6 yard box and upwards again, just underneath the crossbar and into the gaping net to gift Tiverton a lifeline. 

SHORT TAKES A LONG REST...

3-2? REALLY?

LANDRICOMBE, MINUS HIS LEVIS...

A CELEBRATORY SCROTUM SCRATCH...

No parity would emerge for the Yellows though as a left-side corner by Humphreys bounced in front of Hurst who somehow collapsed downwards and the ball went over him, wrong-footing the Town defenders and McDonagh’s forehead simply guided the delivery into goal from a couple of yards out. 

4-2...

UNASSAILABLE LEAD NOW...

GOAL NODDED IN BY...

...McDONAGH...

Louis released some rust from the front of the terrace’s roof above the goal-frame with a rising drive from inside-right, but at least the Yellows finished with a bit of a flourish. Replacements Jordon Rogers and Harry Horton had been given some playing time, as had Jack Self for the hosts, replacing Shamsi, thus allowing the hero to receive great applause from the Puritanical faithful as he trooped off. A low free-kick by Levi Landricombe struck a colleague and flew wide from 22 yards, which surprised the Town fans near me, who had reckoned upon a lifted and curling effort from their striker, Horton soon drove too high from 25 yards and then Jordon Rogers made ground to the right byeline and served a simple 7 yard finish for Levi Landricombe on a plate with knife, fork, spoon and serviette provided but the forward, maybe leaning back a little, drove too high with his right boot. “Ye gods, Sir, that takes the giddy biscuit…” he exclaimed, as Owen Howe replied “Indeed, Sir…” and the relieved ‘keeper Harding commented: “Golly, gosh, yikes; ye gods be thanked…”  

LEVI LANDRICOMBE PREPARES TO TAKE A LATE FREE-KICK...

SHORT OF FOOTWEAR, SHORT WALKS TO THE CHANGING-ROOMS, SHORTLY TO BEGIN THE LONG JOURNEY BACK TO DEVON...

No hat-trick for Levi then, but a good and mostly emphatic victory for the Puritans, who really did have a number of gifted players to call upon, who could keep possession when necessary, attack from wide positions when needed, or display clever dribbling when acceptable and yet still employ a bruising and physical ‘centre-forward’ in Louis to hold up the ball when he was brought into the play. Tom Gardner, Jamie Price and Mike Landricombe would all probably concur with that… Tivvy maybe missed their powerhouse defender Ben Mammola (at a wedding, apparently) but perhaps the lack of offensive pace affected their ability to break on their hosts and too much was expected of the generally isolated Howe and Levi Landricombe, who were too often expected to make silk purses from sows’ ears, despite the hard work of midfielders Ollie Knowles, Scott Rogers and Short…

United’s Nash never looked flustered, Hawtin was so effective on the right in the second-half and tussled splendidly several times with Hall, Pond lurked and offered a hidden threat, whilst Louis was the outlet, the leader of the line, the battering ram. Not exactly a horse then, but near enough…

‘Town rode on a coach to Banbury Cross,

But couldn’t avoid an FA Cup loss;

For with skills in his feet and that shot which rose,

Shamsi will make magic wherever he goes…’ 

(Anon.)

TEAMS:

BANBURY UNITED:

JACK HARDING, CHARLIE HAWTIN, MATT PEAKE-PIJNEN, GEORGE NASH, RICKY JOHNSON (CAPT), LUKE CARNELL, JACK WESTBROOK, RAVI SHAMSI, JEFFERSON LOUIS, DARREN POND, TOM WINTERS.

SUBS:

CONOR McDONAGH, TOM BRADBURY, SAM HUMPHREYS, JACK SELF, LEAM HOWARDS, JACOB BLACKSTOCK. 

TIVERTON TOWN:

MARTIN RICE, NICK HURST, CALLUM HALL, JAMIE PRICE (CAPT), MIKE LANDRICOMBE, TOM GARDNER, JAMIE SHORT, OLLIE KNOWLES, OWEN HOWE, LEVI LANDRICOMBE, SCOTT ROGERS.

SUBS:

JORDON ROGERS, TOM BATH, LIAM GREGORY, HARRY HORTON, GEORGE ROGERS.