Tividale 1, Loughborough University 1

TIVIDALE'S wait for their first league win of the season goes on after they played out a draw with Loughborough University at The Beeches.

Steve Weaver had opened the scoring with a sublime lob from the halfway line on 29 minutes before the visitors hit back just before the break through Josh Hill.

But it was a contest that never really got going as both sides toiled to maintain any real pressure throughout.

It was Loughborough that started the brighter as they passed the ball around neatly in the opening moments.

But it was Tivi that worked the first real chance when Weaver turned well in the box before forcing keeper James Stallan into a good save at his near post after 10 minutes.

The game entered a quiet spell at a rain-soaked Packwood Road until Weaver brought it to life with his brilliant effort from the halfway line.

He pounced on a loose ball in the middle of the park, spotted Stallan off his line and lobbed the keeper to hand his side the lead in eye-catching fashion.

The game was broken up further after Craig Tibbetts was forced off with injury after a tackle in the build up to the opening goal.

Neither side could get into a rhythm as half time approached.

But, with just two minutes until the interval, Loughborough hit back.

Tom Barnes got in down the right and crossed into the Tivi box. Defender Jacob Wedderburn missed his clearance to allow Josh Hill to fire past Tom Hayward and level matters.

Hill was injured when firing home as Craig Stevens dived in to try and block his shot. Hill had to be replaced soon after but had got his side back on level terms.

The second half was again an even affair as both sides battled for possession without working any clear openings for long periods.

It was the hosts that did work the clearer opportunities when the chance did arrive.

Sub Matt Jukes headed wide from a corner before Liam Smith then forced Stallan to claw away his goal-bound header from another corner soon after.

However, the best chance of the half fell to Luke Morris on 87 minutes. The substitute burst into the box from the left flank, cut onto his right foot but curled his shot just wide.

Ultimately, a draw was probably a fair result between two sides that cancelled each other out in the wet conditions.

If Tividale could have got in at the break with their lead intact then it may have been a different story, but attention now quickly turns to Monday's home clash with Lye.

Tividale: Hayward, Stevens, Smith, Gardner (c), Wedderburn, Grainger, Potter, Hunt, Tibbetts (Jukes 30), Weaver (Morris 78), Martin (Hurdman 70) Unused Subs: Edwards, McPike.

Loughborough: Stallan, Trotman, Bridge, Brenan, Jackson, Rankin, Hill (Dinsmore 43), Legg (c), Crookes, Barnes, Dasaolu (Johnson 60).

Unused Subs: Cullum, Wright, Carpenter.