Media Watch - Tiverton Town

Tiverton Town need time, despite disastrous start
Exeter Express and Echo

Two defeats from two games, no points, six goals conceded and just one scored – and an own goal at that – all makes pretty grim reading for Tiverton Town.

With a totally revamped squad underpinned by some of the best performers from last season, and a new and ambitious manger talking of a title challenge, optimism was sky-high heading into Saturday’s curtain-raiser against Cirencester Town.
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How quickly things have changed. The defeat to Cirencester was disastrous not so much due to the scoreline, but the way the visitors so utterly out-played Tivvy on their own turf. The Centurions deserve enormous credit for their snappy tackling, constant pressurising and their comfort on the ball in what was a super performance.

But what was perhaps the most worrying thing from those of a Yellow persuasion was how unrecognisable John Clarkson’s team looked from that which had impressed so much in pre-season. The tight passing, aggressive play down the flanks and the willingness of players to move forward to support an attack were all simply abandoned in Saturday’s loss.

In their place came long balls, a blunt midfield and an isolated frontman in the shape of the unfortunate Adam Carter, who has now left without having the chance to justify his colossal goal tally at previous club Bodmin Town. From the sidelines, it was clear to see that the combination of the pressure on the team to bag a good early result coupled with the feistiness of Cirencester led Tivvy to abandoning their pre-season approach out of sheer desperation.

To the players on the pitch, the sooner they could shift the ball towards the Cirencester goal, the better – even if it meant an aimless forward punt rather than a patient sideways pass.

If the Cirencester scoreline was disappointing, the Paulton Rovers one was catastrophic.

Clarkson later said he was encouraged by many aspects of the display but they were let down by mistakes at the back. Paulton are another very good side and Tivvy failing to end their losing hoodoo at Athletic Feld is no disgrace. However, the one-sided nature of the final score – despite Clarkson’s assertions of an improved performance – has simply eroded more of Tivvy’s fragile confidence.

However, all is not lost. In fact, all that has has been lost so far are two league games, meaning there are still 40 matches left and 120 points on offer. Last season’s top two of Poole Town and Hungerford Town have both been promoted while third-placed Merthyr Town – who Tivvy visit on Saturday – finished 15 points behind the title-winners. With those two gone, the league is not as competitive as last year, boosting Tivvy’s chances of a play-off finish at the very least.

The Yellows obviously can’t simply rely on a weaker league to cure their ills. As the old cliché goes, time is the best healer. That may sound absurd for a team that has only lost its first two league games, but this is a squad which has added in excess of 16 players over the summer.

The simple fact remains that, despite their resources, Tiverton need time for the team to gel and develop a style of play. Many have commented – perhaps with some justification – that Clarkson should have fielded a more settled XI during their pre-season games.

But pre-season friendlies are just that – they lack the energy, physicality and pressure of a league game. That is the arena in which this Tiverton side will develop. That could well mean another defeat in a tough-looking away fixture this Saturday, but each game is a vital step towards this new-look team gelling into a winning outfit.

The league will not be decided in the next few weeks. Even if they do lose on Saturday, the quality in their team suggests that, once they find the winning touch, a successful season could easily still be in the offing.

Finding a winning formula takes time and, as disappointing as the start to the season has been, there is still a huge amount of the season left in which to turn things around.

Clarkson concerned by sloppy Tiverton
Western Morning News

Manager John Clarkson says his Tiverton Town side must cut out their defensive lapses if they want to collect their first Southern League points of the season on Saturday at Merthyr Town.

Tivvy were thumped 4-0 at Paulton Rovers on Tuesday, with two goals in each half making it six losses in their last seven games against the Somerset side. It also meant two successive defeats in the league, having lost 2-1 on the opening day of the season at home to an excellent Cirencester Town outfit.

Clarkson was more positive about the performance shown on Tuesday, but he said the defensive errors must end now. "If we can eradicate the defensive mistakes we made then we have a good chance of winning on Saturday," he said. "But you can't make mistakes like we did against Paulton – schoolboy mistakes. They did not win the game – we lost it. For the first 20 to 25 minutes, we bossed the game. We played good stuff but looked a bit toothless in front of goal.

They then got a silly free-kick and we headed the ball straight to one of their players who scored – disaster. The second goal we had two chances to put the boy out into touch but we didn't and they scored. The third goal, one of our lads tried to take the ball down and control it but their lad nipped in and scored, while the fourth goal the 'keeper should have saved."

Tivvy went into the match with new signing Jamie Lowry, who was on Plymouth Argyle's books season, in their starting XI. They later confirmed that striker Adam Carter had left after just one league match. As well as two new strikers, Clarkson also revealed that he wanted two new central defenders, such was his anger at Tuesday's defensive display.

"Against Cirencester, it was a complete disaster because they outplayed us from start to finish," he said. "Tuesday night was more positive because we looked a lot better, but we need to cut out those defensive mistakes. Some of these big-name players are just not performing for us. It's like they think they can turn up and hard work is not expected of them. It is no good sitting there with your head in your hands – you need to pick yourself up and get on with it."

It always worries me having to play a team that's just suffered a couple of bad defeats!

Merthyr Imp wrote:It always worries me having to play a team that's just suffered a couple of bad defeats!

Yes fully agree they will be looking to bounce back, the odds checker did fancy them prior to the season kicking off.

Wandering wrote:Last season’s top two of Poole Town and Hungerford Town have both been promoted while third-placed Merthyr Town – who Tivvy visit on Saturday – finished 15 points behind the title-winners. With those two gone, the league is not as competitive as last year, boosting Tivvy’s chances of a play-off finish at the very least.

We only finished ONE point behind Hungerford and with a vastly superior goal difference.

Wandering wrote:

Wandering wrote:Last season’s top two of Poole Town and Hungerford Town have both been promoted while third-placed Merthyr Town – who Tivvy visit on Saturday – finished 15 points behind the title-winners. With those two gone, the league is not as competitive as last year, boosting Tivvy’s chances of a play-off finish at the very least.

We only finished ONE point behind Hungerford and with a vastly superior goal difference.

Yes that's right, but we did finish 15 points behind the TITLE-WINNERS Poole Town, they finished on 98 pts, we finished 3rd on 83 pts.

cliffyboy wrote:Yes that's right, but we did finish 15 points behind the TITLE-WINNERS Poole Town, they finished on 98 pts, we finished 3rd on 83 pts.

The implications in the report are that with Poole and Hungerford promoted, the league is not as competitive as last year - when we lost out on the runners-up spot by ONE point.

No disputing that we were 15 points behind the Champions but they also finished 14 points in front of Hungerford!

Merthyr Town face Tiverton Town at Cinderford in Southern League Premier
Wales On-Line

Merthyr Town have another home and away adventure tomorrow when they take on Tiverton Town at the Causeway Ground, Cinderford (3pm). The Martyrs are having to play ‘home’ fixtures at the Forest of Dean club until the end of next month while a new 3G synthetic pitch is laid at Penydarren Park.

Tiverton Town are visitors tomorrow as Merthyr work to launch another promotion bid after missing out when they lost the play-off final against Hungerford last May. Victory in that match would have earned Merthyr a third successive promotion, but joint managers Garry Shephard and Danny Carter have their players fired up for a new push to earn a place in the Southern League Premier Division.

Merthyr sparked up their season with a crushing 3-0 midweek win against Mangotsfield Jamie Rewbury, Paul Keddle and Ryan Prosser the marksmen. Centre-forward Prosser has now netted two goals in two matches, both from penalties.

Merthyr have earned three points from two matches, having lost 2-1 at North Leigh in their opening fixture, and tomorrow take on a Tiverton team who have already been beaten twice.

There are six clubs on a maximum six points and they are Paulton Rovers, Cinderford, Shortwood United, Bridgwater Town, Swindon Supermarine and Cirencester Town. That will change over the Bank Holiday weekend with all South and South West Division clubs playing twice in three days.

Merthyr are at Cinderford Town tomorrow for a home match, while they are back at the same venue on Monday when they are away against the team they are ground sharing with for the first six weeks of the 2013-14 season.

The five new signings by Shephard and Carter - Kerry Morgan, goalkeeper Craig Morris, Zaki Misbah, Paul Keddle, Dan Summerfield - are in Merthyr’s squad this weekend. Aaron Cornwall completes his three-match suspension tomorrow by sitting out the match against Tiverton, but will be available for Monday’s clash with Cinderford. Defender Alun Griffiths is injured and unlikely to be available.