St Ives Town 2 v Banbury United 1
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 17-08-2024
Nigel Howlett reports
A late brace opened Jonny Edwards account for the season and claimed Ives second home victory of the week. The success over pre-season favourites to win this division was entirely down to the hard work and camaraderie within this side but they can all thank goalkeeper Dan Wilks for an amazing double save six minutes from time that proved to be the catalyst for Edwards late heroics.
With Paddy Casey coming through a late fitness test prior to kick off manager Ricky Marheineke had the rare luxury of being able to name an unchanged starting eleven. There was more good news pre-kick off with summer signing Byron Lawrence recovered sufficiently from the injury picked up pre-season to take his place on the bench with youngster Evan Watkins making way.
With both teams fired up from Monday night victories over Lowestoft and Barwell respectively the crowd were expecting plenty of entertainment to add to the suntans that they were getting on another gloriously August day. Ives were first out of the traps and Peter Abimbola went close in the second minute. Jordan Nicholson showed good pace down the right before feeding inside to Abimbola who stung the fingers of Puritans keeper Jack Harding with a fierce rising drive that the keeper turned around his near post.
The visitors first opportunity materialised in eleventh minute as AJ George robbed Johnny Herd in centre of the park before putting Keon Lewis-Burgess away down the left. His low cross picked out Dylan Reason at the near post but the Puritans centre forward steered his first time effort wide.
The two sides continued to work very hard but both defences remained on top with chances few and far between at both ends of the park. Theo Alexandrou was trying hard to create something as he constantly probed the visitors back line. Tia Fleming was generally dealing well with the young wide man’s runs but he was caught out in 27th minute and was forced to bring down Alexandrou to concede a free kick wide left. Herd delivered it to the near post where Edwards got in front of his man but he got to much on the header and powered it well wide.
Casey was working well to support Nicholson and Abimbola on the right and he managed to win the ball high up the park to set up a shooting opportunity for Nicholson in 32nd minute. But Ives number ten curled his effort a metre wide from the corner of the box.
The first real save for Wilks came only moments later when Jernade Meade was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the D. George Ball fired the free kick low around Ives five man wall but Wilks was equal to it diving to his left and holding on well as attackers closed in on him.
The final opening of the first half also went the way of the visitors four minutes before the break when Ball played in Dylan Reason. But the Puritans striker had started his run just to soon and much to Ives relief the flag went up.
So ended a first half which had it been a boxing match Ives would have edged on points but in football parity remained. The visitors were first out of the blocks at the start of the second half and carved out an opportunity only a couple of minutes after the restart. George combined well with Reason down the left working a shooting chance that the former curled wide from just outside the box.
Ives first half chance after the break came four minutes later as patient build up down the left saw Meade thread a ball through to Alexandrou. The youngster drilled his low cross but Harding was equal to it plunging bravely in to claim it on his six yard line just ahead of Edwards arriving in the centre.
Manager Ricky Marheineke went to his bench early as he made a double change in 56th minute. Jordan Williams had tweaked his groin and was replaced by Ethan Creary with the tiring Nicholson replaced by the exciting talent of Kobe Chong.
Chong had made an instant impact off the bench on Monday and he almost did it again as only four minutes after his introduction he combined well with Edwards to get the striker to the bye line. But Harding was again equal to the cross leaping high to his right to claim the ball off the head of Alexandrou.
A similar move in 74th minute saw Chong combine with Abimbola. This time his inviting low cross to the centre evaded all and was just begging for someone to arrive and fire it home but no one appeared allowing the defence to scramble the ball away. Ives continued to probe and all action Abimbola was again involved in 81st minute. This time he picked out Edwards in the centre with his cross from the right. But the big centre forward was stretching and could only direct his header from six yards over the top.
It was beginning to look like the game was destined to end goalless but then the action really ramped up with six minutes to go. First to star for Ives was Wilks as he made a fantastic double save, initially denying George at close range then doing even better to recover his position and bravely block the same players follow up attempt at point blank range.
Almost immediately play swung to the other end where a brief period of Ives pressure ended up with Edwards opening the scoring. Abimbola was once again the provider and this time Edwards was in the perfect place to thump home his low cross from close range.
Falling behind forced the Puritans hand and as they threw players forward they left themselves vulnerable at the back. Two minutes after the opener Alexandrou put Edwards clear cutting in from the left. The big striker very cleverly diverted his path to go across the desperate covering attempt from Yaw Ofosu forcing the visitors skipper to clumsily take him down just inside the box giving referee Mario Stetakovic a simple decision to make. Coolness personified Edwards picked himself up and calmly sent Harding the wrong way from the spot.
It looked like Ives were very cleverly playing out the added seven minutes to claim an excellent three points and a clean sheet into the bargain only for them to lose concentration in the last of those added minutes and allow their visitors a consolation goal. Harry Reilly delivered a low cross from the right into the feet of George who found room inside the box to turn and fire high past keeper Wilks from 15 yards.
The second win in a week moves Ives up to sixth in the embryonic early season table and the games come thick and fast at this time of year. Next weekend sees a Saturday trip to Halesowen Town which is quickly followed by a Bank Holiday Monday home fixture at quattro tech Westwood Road against Spalding United.
Final Score: St Ives Town 2 Banbury United 1 Half Time 0 – 0
Goals:
ST IVES: Edwards 85, 88 (pen)
BANBURY: George 90+7
Team Line Ups:
ST IVES: Wilks, Meade, Smith, Herd (Hottor 89), Williams (Creary 56), Collard (capt), Alexandrou (Obeng 90+2), Abimbola (Lawrence 89), Edwards, Nicholson (Chong 56), Casey, Unused subs: none
BANBURY: Harding, Reilly, Okito (M. Donaldson 64), Fleming, Ofosu, Jones, Lewis-Burgess (C. Donaldson 86), Hollyhead (Dias 74), Reason (Westwood 64), George, Ball, Unused subs: Ferguson
Referee: Mario Stetakovic
Cards: Yellow: ST IVES: Edwards (37), Meade (52), Alexandrou (55), Collard (83) BANBURY: Fleming (27), Lewis-Burgess (55), Ofosu (88)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Peter Abimbola
Attendance: 274