Match Report

AFC Rushden & Diamonds v St Ives Town  

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 01-01-2022

Ives good run of form ran into the buffers as they were blown away in the first half by a home side who adapted much more quickly than their visitors to a very heavy Hayden Road pitch. Going down to ten men just after the hour as Callum Milne had to walk for pushing over Ben Diamond just as the hosts striker was about to head home a dropping ball from a couple of yards did not help but in truth the game was all but over by then with the hosts already sitting on a three goal cushion.

There were a couple of tactical changes in Ives starting line up with Nabil Shariff returning in place of Ed Hottor up front and Callum Westwood recovered from Covid to make his first Ives start at full back in place of Kyle Davison-Gordon. But the major enforced change that saw the visitors field their third different goalkeeper in three games was an injury in training to James Goff that meant a late replacement had to be sourced and Lewis Patching came in on dual registration from Hemel Hempstead. The hosts on the other hand had called off their scheduled Boxing Day visit to Peterborough Sports for Covid so had not played since mid-December.

Patching had to show that his was alert and agile as early as the third minute as he plunged low to his left to turn away a speculative 25 yarder from Nathan Tshikuna. A couple more early chances fell to the hosts in the eight minute as initially Fernando Bell-Toxtle burst through the centre before teeing up Ty Deacon who spun and fired inches wide from the edge of the box. Only seconds later Deacon and AJ George combined to find another gap through the middle of Ives back line, but this time Brett Solkhon did just enough to recover and prevent Deacon getting his shot away.

Ives first dangerous sortie into Diamonds territory came in tenth minute when Michael Richens managed to battle his way to the bye line on the right hand side before firing in a low cross that was just behind Ethan Johnston, the striker did well to take the ball in but failed to hit the target with his effort.

The hosts went in front in 16^th minute as the dangerous Tshikuna took in a pass to feet fully thirty five yards from goal, easily turned Callum Milne before striding forward and planting a shot low past the left hand of the diving Patching. Less than sixty seconds later the Diamonds doubled their lead in the simplest fashion. A long ball out of defence by Liam Dolman was misjudged in the air by the usually reliable Solkhon leaving Deacon clear to slot past the exposed Patching from just inside the box.

Going two down to goals that would both be considered poor goals to concede rocked Ives for a little but with Richens and Nathan Hicks battling hard in the quagmire in the middle of the park they did manage to create a few half chances to find a route back into the game. In 23^rd minute Richens delivered a delightful clip into the box that picked out Dylan Williams in a little bit of space. The Ives wide man took the shot on first time as the ball dropped over his shoulder but pulled his effort a couple of feet wide. Three minutes later Williams was again involved as he found Shariff inside the box the centre forward got his shot away through the crowd but keeper Dean Snedker was equal to it plunging low to his left to push the ball away.

While Ives generally continued with their usual patient style the hosts tried to avoid the heavy centre of the park by going long when possible. They carved out another chance in 28^th minute as Tshikuna played in George through the left channel the striker’s effort was well saved by Patching low to his left. 

Tshikuna continued to cause Ives defence problems and he was involved again in 37^th minute when the hosts almost increased their lead. This time he played the ball into the feet of Deacon on the edge of the box his lay off gave George the chance to get a shot away from the edge of the box that curled inches wide of the post. But the Diamonds did not have to wait much longer before they were three up as less than a minute later a flowing move down the left ended with George delivering a low cross into the box that the unmarked Jesse Akubuine emphatically slammed home at the back post.

Three down and seemingly out of the game Ives needed to start the second half with an early goal to have any hope of an unlikely recovery and to their credit they went at their opponents from the off. Richens fired an early 25 yard free kick well over the top. Hicks and Williams combined well to work their way into the box in the 55^th minute the move ending with the latter firing over from a good position. Only moments later a heavy touch prevented Tyrone Baker getting in one on one with Snedker.

Ives best chance to get back into the game came in an amazing ten second spell on the hour as they went close three times as the ball from a Ben Toseland corner bounced around the Diamonds box. Keeper Snedker did well initially to tip the ball off the head of Shariff but it fell to Johnston at the far post, his close range effort was brilliantly blocked by Snedker who did even better to keep out the follow up effort from Shariff. Finally the ball dropped to Richens who hammered in an effort from six yards that hits Diamond on the line and is scrambled clear. Ives shouts for handball against the host’s number eight are waved away by referee Matthew Jackson.

One could say that the game turned on that moment but in truth the hosts were already well in control and only one minute later they should have further increased their advantage as Tshikuna put George clear he rounded Patching on the outside but failed to find the empty net from a narrow angle hitting the post with his effort.

The already tough task for Ives became a whole lot harder in 63^rd minute as Patching’s initial block to a George effort sees the ball loop up in the air to where Diamond is waiting to head it home from a couple of yards out. In his effort to intervene Milne only succeeds in bundling over the midfielder leaving referee Jackson with little choice but to award the penalty and send the Ives defender off for an early bath. Tshikuna stepped up to take the spot kick only to be denied as Patching dived to his right to push the ball away.

Even down to ten men Ives continued to go in search of at least a consolation goal and Shariff was did manage to get the ball in the net with twenty minutes to go only to be denied by an offside flag. Snedker was also in no mood to give away his clean sheet bonus and he twice kept out well struck Richens efforts in 74^th and 76^th minutes. 

The hosts added icing to their cake ten minutes from time as Richens was caught in the mud and robbed by Tshikuna 25 yards from his own goal. The Diamonds striker burst forward into the box leaving struggling Ives defenders in his wake. Patching saw a slightly heavy touch and seized his chance to bravely dive in and try and claim the ball. He appeared to get quite a lot of it, but referee Jackson is right on the spot and sees it differently awarding the hosts a second penalty. Tshikuna is again given the responsibility and is a little fortunate to find the net as Patching almost second guesses him and although diving right still manages to get a hand to his clip down the middle but cannot quite keep it out.

There was still time for Richens to sum up Ives afternoon as he did brilliantly to rob a dallying Sam Warburton 25 yards out, burst forward into the box and try to unleash a screamer as Snedker came to meet him. Only to be completely undone but a huge bobble off the sticky mud and end up completely missing the ball.

The final noteworthy event of the game was another brilliant save from the acrobatic Patching who did fantastically to hurl himself full length to tip a dipping 25 yard effort from substitute Will Jones onto the crossbar and then recover quickly enough to smother the loose ball.

With a vital game against relegation rivals Nuneaton coming up on Tuesday evening on a surface that will be no better than this quagmire one has to hope that Ives have learnt their lesson on how to play on such a surface and can make any necessary adjustments to their approach ahead of the fixture.

Final Score : AFC Rushden & Diamonds  4 St Ives Town  0       

Goals : 

RUSHDEN: Tshikuna 16 & 81 (pen), Deacon 17, Akubuine 38

ST IVES: 

Teams

RUSHDEN: Snedker, Casey, Warburton, Bell-Toxtle (capt), Dolman, Hughes, Tshikuna, Diamond, Deacon (Jones 82), George (Garwood 85), Akubuine (Slinn 77), Unused subs : Nixon

ST IVES: Patching, Milne, Westwood, Richens, Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Baker (Dwumfuo 82), Hicks (Hottor 75), Shariff, Johnston, Williams (Davison-Gordon 68), Unused subs : Rhaman, Manangu

Ives Supporters man of the match : Michael Richens 

Attendance : 539

Report by Nigel Howlett