GEORGE Bowerman hit four goals as Walsall proved too strong for Tividale in the Birmingham Senior Cup.

The hosts started well but fell behind when Bowerman finished coolly after being played in by Jamie Paterson and his fine solo effort made it two.

Adam Wattley was denied by Saddlers keeper David Grof, while Kyle Hill and Andy Parsons saw efforts cleared off the line for the home side.

But Bowerman sealed the win with two goals in as many minutes, before Hill grabbed a deserved consolation from close range.

This was a historic night for Tivi, who were playing their first ever game in the Birmingham Senior Cup following promotion from the West Midlands Premier last term.

Walsall rewarded them by naming a strong line-up featuring several first teamers, including Ollie Lancashire, Richard Taundry, Claude Gnapka and Paterson.

The hosts more than played their part in what was an entertaining game played mostly on the ground and at an often hectic pace.

Losing was certainly no disgrace and in Bowerman they were up against a ruthless finisher, who took all four of his goals superbly.

Perhaps sensing a heightened sense of occasion, it was Tivi who made the brighter start and a nice early break saw Chris Russell released down the right wing. But his cross into the box could not find the lurking Brett Clarke.

Walsall’s first opening arrived on the ten minute mark, when Parsons did well to block a Jarvis shot following Ben George’s burst into the box.

Two minutes later, the visitors took the lead as they demonstrated the importance of possession. Tivi lost the ball in the middle of the park and before they could react, the ever-lively Paterson slipped a through ball in for Bowerman who swept his finish past helpless keeper Tim Beech.

An even more devastating example of speed came five minutes later as the Saddlers made it two. This time it was Jason Chilton who, in an attacking position on the left, played a sloppy pass backwards which was latched onto by Bowerman. The striker’s initial touch left the Tivi defence trailing in his wake and he raced to the edge of the box, before cutting inside and curling a lovely shot past Beech into the top corner.

The hosts seemed stunned but to their credit kept pushing. A nice move saw Adam Simkiss send in a cross which was hacked away with Clarke looming, while at the other end Paterson was just off target with an effort from distance.

As half-time approached, Tivi finally began to build some consistent pressure and they came very close to pulling one back. Lancashire was guilty of a needless foul on Russell and Simkiss’ resulting free-kick was only cleared to Wattley, whose low drive from ten yards out was kept out by the legs of Grof.

Clarke also saw a close range shot blocked by a gaggle of defenders following a goalmouth scramble, while Lancashire blazed a dangerous Chilton cross just over his own bar.

The second half began with Tivi again looking to find a way back, though Bowerman missed a golden chance to seal the game when he could only slice wide when through on-on-one with Beech just seconds after the restart.

Sam Williams and Wattley forced Grof into saves. Simkiss saw a free-kick hit the top of the bar with the Saddlers keeper struggling.

For Walsall, Paterson nearly caught Beech out with a first time shot from the halfway line after the keeper had scuffed his clearance, while Taundry smacked a fierce effort which Tivi’s keeper could only watch as it crashed against the bar.

But the game was essentially decided in a three minute spell. First, Hill saw a shot blocked off the line by Lee Beevers after Russell had won possession out on the left and set up his team-mate. From the corner, Parsons rose above everyone only to see his goal-bound header also hacked away on the line. Two minutes later, Bowerman sealed it as he beat the offside trap before firing past Beech and into bottom corner.

His fourth arrived in less than a minute, after more great work from Paterson set the striker up for the most nonchalant of finishes.

It all seemed a bit harsh on Tivi, who got the goal their efforts deserved nine minutes from time. A sweeping move down the left ended with substitute Matt Jukes blasting a shot which hit the underside of the bar and Hill was on hand and more crucially onside to nod home from no more than two yards out.

That wasn’t quite the end of the action, as Beech did brilliantly to deny Bowerman his quintet and Jukes should have added a second for Tivi at the death, only to fire wide after meeting a Simkiss free-kick at the far post.

TIVDALE: Beech, Kettle (Salmon 64), Simkiss, Parsons (c), Turton, Williams (Hill A), Hill K, Wattley, Russell (Jukes 70), Clarke, Chilton Subs not used: Cole, Trevalen.

Goal: Hill K 81.

WALSALL: Grof, George, Jones, Beevers, Tank (Dobson 57), Lancashire, Jarvis (Haynes 46), Taundry, Gnapka (Butlin 46), Bowerman, Paterson Subs not used: Williams, Maher.

Goals: Bowerman 12, 17, 75, 76.