Tividale 2, Coventry Sphinx 2

A LATE equaliser from Sam Williams kept Tividale well on course for title success this season.

The midfielder struck with just minutes left on the clock to earn his side a hard-fought draw against Coventry Sphinx at The Beeches today.

The point against a side that has cause Tivi plenty of trouble already this campaign could prove to be valuable as we enter the final weeks of the season.

Having knocked Tividale out of the FA Cup and FA Vale, Coventry posed a dangerous challenge to the home side's push for Midland Alliance glory.

It was a game that saw very few clear cut chances, with both sides limited to the occasional set piece and speculative effort.

A scrappy first half eventually saw Tivi settle the better of the two sides. Sam Williams had a well-struck effort tipped round the post by Coventry keeper Farthing on the 20 minute mark before lively forward Karl Edwards had another low shot gathered.

However, after failing to break through, it was Coventry that broke the deadlock with their first real chance of the game.

Luke Williams beat home keeper Timothy Beech with a good strike from the edge of the area on 25 minutes.

The goal seemed to set Tividale back slightly and they found it hard to keep the ball for the period that followed.

But they got back into their stride as the half time whistle approached and got a leveller when wide-man Michael Wardle's cross found its way in at the far post.

It was a lucky way to beat Farthing, who had made some good saves early on, but it was no more than Tividale deserved for their earlier pressure.

The second period carried on the same as the first, with both teams finding it hard to keep the ball long enough to apply any pressure. As a result, both outfits also found it hard to create any chances of note.

Coventry again struck with a rare move forward. A set-piece from the visitors was spilt by Beech before an attempted Tivi clearance hit a Coventry attacker and nestled in the net.

It was an unlucky passage of play for Tivi who then had to press forward as they looked for an equaliser.

They got it when a cross from advancing right back Andrew Parsons was turned in by midfielder Sam Williams as the clock approached full time.

Tivi could then have taken all three points when Wardle cut in from the left and hit a good shot that was tipped away by keeper Farthing.

But a draw was a fair result in what proved to be a tense match of very few chances. It is also another point towards Tivi's promotion goal.

Tividale: Beech, Parsons, Plows (Foster 7), Field, Smith (c) (How 85), Paskin, Wardle, Williams, Edwards, Downing, Chilton (Miller 71).

Unused subs: Huckfield, Price.

Coventry: Farthing, Dainty, Hill, Fletcher, Dyke, Williams (Fowler), Bilic (c), Baxter, Wilkes, Downie (Cutting 66), Downes.

Unused subs: Muldoon, Jackson.