Tividale 4 Wolves Casuals 1
by Max Hall
They have certainly waited a long time for their day in the sun but Tividale certainly came good when it mattered.

During the previous eight days there was a very real danger Dean Whitehouse’s team would ‘do an Arsenal’ and tumble out of both cup competitions to bring an anti-climactic end to a superb season.

But with the all-important title – and promotion – in the bag any comparisons were more suited to Man United and from the first kick, the destination of the League Cup was never really in doubt.

Tividale had already made short work of Casuals three times this season and, thanks to the superior technique of Lee Chilton on the left flank, it became four out of four in an uneven contest.

It is widely acknowledged that Chilton, whose full-back brother Jason was combining with him on the left, is slumming it at this level but as long as he remains a player of unfulfilled potential at Packwood Road, Whitehouse will be happy.

The mercurial winger had a quiet game by his usual standards “It’s about all he’s done,” grumbled one member of Tivi’s backroom staff at the interval referring to Chilton’s first goal. But when it came, what a strike!

Chilton was some distance out in the 31st minute when he glanced up and let fly a real rip-snorter into the top right-hand corner to bring the crowd to their feet.

By that stage it was already 2-0 to Whitehouse’s men and effectively all over bar the shouting – skipper Matt Salmon having given the Dudley team a dream start by glancing home a perfect header to convert a Kyle Hill cross from a well-worked short corner with bleached blond representative of the Chilton family Jason.

With Chris Russell rounding Casuals keeper Marc Evans only for stocky stopper Matt Turner to block his effort on the line a minute before the break it was one-way traffic despite some impressive showboating from Wolves left-winger John Aldridge who was all step-overs and no end-product, but shouldn’t be criticised for that.

His opposite number Tom Maydew was more effective on the right flank for Casuals in the second half and woke up Tivi keeper Tim Beech with a powerful low drive in the 54th minute. If that was a straightforward stop, Beech was properly stretched within a minute when he stood up well to deny burly target man Mark Habbershaw.

Casuals briefly made a game of it in the 64th minute when Aldridge tied Tivi right-back Andy Parsons up in knots with another Ronaldo impression and this time found the danger area with his delivery for Maydew to take a touch before ramming home a low drive across Beech.

But the comeback was just as swiftly stifled as Dale went straight down the other end from the restart and Chilton supplied a more mundane finish to kill the game.

Whitehouse had been urging his strikers to ensure Evans’ clearances were on his weaker left foot – although Wolverhampton referee Craig Taylor had allowed the Wolves keeper to pick up two first-half back-passes – and the tactic paid off five minutes from time when Evans fluffed a flat clearance to Hill who played in Russell to supply an emphatic finish into the top-right corner and put the icing on the cake.


Tividale: Tim Beech, Andy Parsons, Jason Chilton, Scott Stamps (Joel Kettle, 37mins), Mark Turton, Adam Hill, Kyle Hill (Richard Taylor, 87), Matt Salmon, Chris Russell (James Cooper, 85), Brett Clark, Lee Chilton. Subs not used: Derek Cole, Chris Rabone.

Wolves Casuals: Marc Evans, Carlo Franco, Shaquille Lee (Luke Tudor, 90+3), Ben Wilkes (Joe Pickering, 72), Matty Turner, Cavan Ellis, Tom Maydew, Dan Newman, Mike Hancox (Paul Holden, 58min), Mark Habbershaw, John Aldridge. Subs not used: Jonny Clarke, Chris Antoszkiewzc. Booked (all fouls): Wilkes, 57min; Holden, 64; Maydew, 70; Newman, 90.