TIVIDALE'S poor home record continued as once again a poor first half performance left them with too much to do.

Gresley took all three points with a 3-1 win.

They showed their intent from the kick off when Alex Steadman tried an audacious effort from a good 35 yards that went over Charles Price’s crossbar.

Tividale’s first decent effort came when Gresley failed to deal with a Danny Ashton cross and it fell for David Bellis but he fired well over.

Gresley went ahead on 21 minutes. Steadman was brought down by Tividale skipper Richard Huckfield in the area for which Huckfield was shown a yellow card and it was Steadman who picked himself up to score from the spot.

Five minutes later the visitors could have been two up when the lively Mulonga broke down the left but his cross was headed wide by Kieran O’Connell.

However, the visitors doubled their advance at the half hour mark. This time Huckfield was adjudged to have brought down O’Connell. Alex Harrison sent in the free kick and Jake Carlisle headed home unchallenged. Tividale’s best chance of the half fell to Karl Edwards who headed over a Danny Ashton cross.

Mark Smith replaced Huckfield at half time as there was a good chance that his next indiscretion would have resulted in a second yellow. It was Smith’s knock down from a Zack Foster free kick that Nigel Penney was first to react to and hammered home on 58 minutes.

The goal was a spark for Tividale and for the first time in the game the Gresley defence was put under some pressure.

The visitors held out before regaining their two goal cushion on 74 minutes. From a Tividale attack, Gresley’s Jack Langston won the ball and launched it forward for Steadman who ran onto it and fired past Price.

Tividale carried on pressing and substitute Deqwon Ebanks had a shot charged down and Ashton fired the rebound over. Then a great block from O’Connell on Ebanks resulted in a Tividale corner but Luke Paskin at the back post could not keep his shot down and it sailed over the bar.

Tivi will look to hit back over the Christmas period when they travel to Sutton Coldfield Town on Boxing Day and welcome Lincoln United to The Beeches this Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the West Midlands Premier, Gornal Athletic made it three wins on the bounce by beating Wolverhampton Sporting Community 3-0 away.

The Peacocks remain in third and are now four points of current league leaders AFC Bridgnorth.

They were due to face Willenhall Town at home last night before welcoming Wellington Amateurs to Garden Walk on Saturday.

Dudley Town lost 1-0 away to local rivals Black Country Rangers and will now take on Wolverhampton Sporting Community this Saturday.

Dudley Sports' game away to Wellington Amateurs last weekend was postponed but they will face promotion chasing Sporting Khalsa at home this Saturday.