Report submitted by Tvidale FC

In what was going to be another test after the two FA cup games against Highgate United.

Tividale beat the early table toppers and got their league campaign off and running.

For the second game in succession manager Dave King had to make one enforced change at centre back when it was declared that Dan Wells had not recovered from the knock he had in the midweek win against Highgate.

So in stepped club captain Karl Gardner who had recovered from the illness that had kept him out in midweek.

In what was a fairly level start it was Cradley who had the first decent chance on 13 minutes when skipper Josh McKenzie fired over Ryan Cheshire's cross bar.

On 21 minutes Tividale's two wing backs teamed up to create their first chance, Tom Hurdman's cross from the right was met by Darragh Bustin but his header was comfortably saved by Cradley custodian Richard Kennedy.

Tividale now began to press and Kennedy had to make another save on 28 minutes when Dan Smith tried a scissor kick from a Dan Bryson knock down.

Then a Bustin pile driver was touched over. A neat Tividale passing move ended with Hurdman playing in Smith but he shot wide.

Right on the stroke of half time Cradley should have taken the lead when Scott Stevenson played a neat ball aimed for Garfield Robinson.

But for some reason McKenzie took the ball from an obvious offside position and stroked the ball into the back of the net and it was disallowed.

Half Time: Tividale 0 v 0 Cradley Town

The second period started the same as the first with both sides cancelling each other out and it was not until the 68th minute when the first chance of the half came.

Cheshire made a hash of a clearance that fell straight to Luke Williams but he could not get his shot on target and he missed an open goal.

The let off was the spark the home side needed and 4 minutes later they were ahead.

Dan Smith was put through and Kennedy came out diving at his feet and Smith went down under the challenge.

It was one of those that both sides had a claim, Kennedy ended up with the ball but referee Alan Robinson felt he had taken out Smith first.

After a couple of minutes hold up for Smith to be treated Joe Lawley drove the penalty past the dive of Kennedy and into the bottom left hand corner.

On 81 minutes Cradley had a great chance to level when a ball across the Tividale box evaded everybody but Williams put the ball over at the back post.

Lawley was close to his and Tividale's second in the 88th minute when Liam Wilkinson touched a free kick to him and his low drive shaved the outside of Kennedy's far post.

Williams had one final effort for the visitors in injury time but Cheshire gathered it comfortably.

Full Time: Tividale 1 v 0 Cradley Town The game's now come thick and fast and on Tuesday 15th August Tividale are at home to Pegasus Juniors.

Tividale: 1.Ryan Cheshire, 2.Tom Hurdman, 3. Darragh Bustin 4.Karl Gardner, 5.Freddie Watts, 6.Daniel Bryson (16. Chris Hill 90), 7.Liam Wilkinson, 8. Curtis Cocking, 9. Tyree Clarke, 10. Daniel Smith (14.Chris Bladen 71),11. Joe Lawley Unused subs: 12. Elliott Hartley, 15.Harvey Walker, 17.Bradley Welding,