Tividale 1 Ashby Ivanhoe 2

Ashby Ivanhoe's record-breaking FA Vase run continued as they battled to defeat MPL side Tividale in tough conditions.

After a fantastic effort from the hosts to get the match on, the playing surface took time for Ivanhoe to adjust to, and Tividale had the best of the opening half hour.

A heroic challenge from Macauley Holmes prevented the opening goal after just six minutes, and later in the half, Sam Taylor produced an outstanding save, flying to his right to instinctively turn a goal bound strike over the crossbar.

Ivanhoe took the lead with virtually their first sight of goal. Jake Conkay's corner was poorly dealt with and Will Groocock was first to react to the loose ball, stabbing it home from no more than a couple of yards.

The goal settled the visitors down. Buoyed by their lead, Andy Gray's side looked the more likely to get the next goal in the final 10 minutes of the half as more space opened up on the flanks for Josh Thomas and James Harrison.

The second half brought the key introduction of Tividale's top scorer Ryan Snape. Inside 10 minutes at the start of the second half, he brilliantly equalised, cutting inside from the left an unleashing a perfect strike into the top corner.

Having conceded one of the best goals you will see all weekend, and a stretched squad with few options available on the bench, momentum looked to have shifted against Ashby. However, in a repeat of last week's match at Eastwood, their star man up front proved the difference.

It had been a tough afternoon for Sam Grouse, who the Tividale defence had done an excellent job of keeping quiet in the first hour of the cup tie. However, they were unable to keep him out of the match entirely.

Receiving a flick-on from Taylor's long goal kick, Grouse found himself onside having beaten Tividale's high line. Spotting Louis Connor off his line, he unleashed a perfectly weighted half volley, beating Connor over his head and nestling in the net.

Tividale were left stunned but had the majority of the possession in the final 25 minutes. Ashby's back four though remained disciplined, giving the hosts virtually zero sightings of goal.

Jack Robinson was introduced for the sin-binned, and already booked, Liam Donaghy in the closing stages. The midfielder had been out since January with a serious leg injury and produced a stellar cameo after being forced on in a tough environment.

He was joined off the bench by Chris Acott, who had the best chance of the remainder of the match as he found the side netting from a chance which would have put the icing on the cake for Ivanhoe.

They were still able to hold on to the result, which confirms a trip to Stourport in the Fourth Round on January 13. The Swifts sit just outside the playoffs in the MFL Premier League and defeated Eastwood in Round Three to progress to the last 32.