FA Cup qualifying: Rushall Olympic 1 Potton United 0
Tividale produced a tremendous performance, led twice but in the end just came up short and succumbed to a hat-trick from AFC Rushden & Diamonds striker Nabil Shariff.
It was a sluggish start to the game for Tividale, and Diamonds striker Chris Dillon saw his effort hit the crossbar after just three minutes.
Then a Shariff header from a Joe Curtis corner was cleared off the line by Tividale defender Tom Hurdman. Ben Farrell then somehow scooped the ball high over the bar after being played in by Dillon.
Tividale finally started to get their act together and in the 11th minute had their first chance, but Chris Bladen fired over a Darragh Bustin cross.
At the other end, Shariff was put through on goal but Tividale keeper Ryan Cheshire spread himself brilliantly and blocked the striker’s shot.
Tividale were now beginning to become more of an attacking force and Diamonds keeper Ben Heath had to get down sharply to turn a Bustin shot around his far post on 26 minutes.
And the hosts’ pressure brought fruition on the half-hour mark when Bladen flicked the ball into the space behind the Diamonds back four and the jet-heeled Dan Smith sprinted on to it and fired across Heath and into the back of the net.
Ryan Cheshire then produced the save of the game in the 41st minute when he flung himself at full stretch across his goal to palm away a Dillon volley that looked destined to hit the back of the net.
After the chances they had and missed in the first half, Diamonds quickly made amends after the interval.
Ben Ford played the ball into Shariff and he bent a beauty into the top left-hand corner of Cheshire’s net from 25 yards.
However, in the 62nd minute, Tividale were back ahead.
A Joe Lawley free-kick from the right touchline was headed back across the box from Bladen at the back post and, as Heath tried to get back across his goal, Smith headed it back over the keeper and into the back of the net.
On 67 minutes, it was all square again, Shariff sidefooting home a Joel Gyasi cross.
Cheshire did well on 70 minutes to deny Gyasi effort, but on 78 minutes Diamonds snatched what proved to be the winner.
It started with another fine save from Cheshire, this time denying Diamond sub Claudio Hoban, but the ball fell to Shariff, who managed to stab the ball home at the second attempt to send the visitors into the next round.
