Match Report

Bromsgrove Sporting v St Ives Town  

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 11-12-2021

A game that showed plenty of endeavour but lacked a little quality was decided in the fashion it was probably most likely to be by an own goal from the unfortunate Callum Milne who could only knock a driven cross from Jamie Molyneux past his own keeper from close range as he tried to prevent Will Shorrock forcing it home at the back post just before the half hour.

Looking to build momentum from their deserved win over high flying Banbury the previous Saturday Ives started on the front foot and Ethan Johnston spurned an excellent opportunity in only the second minute having been fed clean through by Dylan Williams he delayed his shot to long giving Charlie Wise chance to get back and block the shot when it finally came.

Ives Oxford United loanee keeper Mackenzie Chapman had a dodgy moment on a back pass in fourth minute last week and exactly the same thing happened to him in this game. Kyle Davidson-Gordon under hit a pass back that Chapman managed to beat Connor Taylor to but his attempted clearance rebounded off the Rouslers centre forward and went inches wide of the post.

Even at this early stage of the game Molyneux was beginning to look dangerous on the right and he combined well with Josh Dugmore in sixth minute. Molyneux’s final ball inside put the full back clear into the box and it took an acrobatic save to his right by Chapman to keep out Dugmore’s fierce drive.

Ives best chance of the game arrived five minutes later as Johnston timed his run to perfection to get on the end of a long ball from Brett Solkhon. The striker showed great skill to take down the ball and run on into the box before unleashing a rising drive that was kept out by the body of the fast closing keeper Aaron Clayton. The resulting corner was cleverly played short between Williams and Johnston. Keeper Clayton struggled to get to Williams cross when it came and although he finger tipped it away from Nabil Shariff in the centre the ball arrived on the head of Milne at the back post but the full back’s header lacked power and Dugmore headed it away off the goal line.

Clayton was struggling to deal with crosses into his box and made an even bigger hash of another Williams corner in 15^th minute. This time calling for the ball, but completely missing it. He was saved by Nathan Hayward who was covering behind him and flicked the ball off the head of Milne again arriving at the back post.

An excellent advantage by referee Tom Staten allowed the Rouslers to create a very good chance to get their noses in front in 27^th minute. Hayward was clipped by Tyrone Baker just outside his own box but manager to stay on his feet and carry the ball to half way before feeding it out to Molyneux who in turn played it on into the run of Shorrock bursting into the box. It took another excellent save from Chapman to turn his powerful shot away. Home skipper Joel Kettle managed to lose his marker to get on the end of the resulting corner but only succeeded in steering his header wide.

What proved to be the decisive goal arrived in 29^th minute as the speedy Molyneux burst past Gordon-Douglas on the right before firing a low cross into the box that looked like it was going to be turned home by Shorrock arriving at the far post but Milne slid in ahead of him and got the final touch just ahead of the Rouslers number eleven.

Getting in front seemed to lift the hosts and they enjoyed a good spell for the next fifteen minutes. Joe Willis came within inches of increasing the lead five minutes before the break as he pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the box firing off a first time effort that beat Chapman but rebounded to safety off the top of his left hand post. Moments later the dangerous Molyneux carved out another golden opportunity for one of his team mates as he again burst down the right and drove in a low cross that Taylor should have steered into the net but he completely missed his kick from ten yards out at the back post.

The hard work of Johnston almost grabbed an unlikely equaliser out of nothing right on the break. Picking up the ball fully 35 yards from goal he decided to take on the defenders in front of him before bursting past them into the box. Keeper Clayton was alert to the danger and closed him down blocking the shot but the ball ricocheted across the face of the open goal had someone gambled and gone with Johnston they would have had a tap in but sadly no one had and the chance went begging.

The second half continued in similar vain in its early stages with Molyneux still causing problems down the right. There were only ninety seconds on the watch when he again burst past the struggling Gordon-Douglas before firing off a fierce drive from just inside the box that stung the hands of Chapman as he leapt to his right to palm it away.

Ives best chance of getting on level terms in the second period came in 56^th minute as Nathan Hicks slid in a perfectly weighted pass through the left channel to play in Shariff. With the hosts defence vainly appealing for offside the Ives centre forward closed on goal but again Clayton was smartly off his line to close down Shariff and the shot deflected off his legs and looped over the crossbar. Milne was again the target for the resulting corner but his header lacked power and looped harmlessly wide.

The heavy surface was taking its toll on both sides and the pace of the game dropped off as the half wore on chances at both ends became more of a rarity. A slip by Solkhon on the saturated ground almost presented Willis with a site of goal but his centre back partner Toseland did brilliantly to react quickly and slide in to block the shot.

A mistake by substitute Jack Snelus losing possession deep inside his own half in 71^st minute allowed Chapman to once more show his acrobatic abilities. Hayward picked up the ball and fed in Willis who was once more denied as the keeper flung himself to his right to palm around the Walsall loanee’s powerful twenty yarder.

Ives had one final half chance to deny the hosts a victory seven minutes from time as Baker showed that he still had some energy left on the sapping surface, bursting forward on the left he fed the ball inside to the feet of substitute Chris Manangu who had only just come onto the field to replace the tiring Shariff. Rather than try and turn and shoot he laid the ball back to Snelus but his fellow sub scuffed his shot and the ball bobbled wide.

The win moves the Rouslers up to a mid table position but still only five points above the drop zone. Ives sit seventeenth three points behind them, far from comfortable but still above the dreaded red line. Every game is vital now and with three of the next four against teams in and around them at the wrong end of the table it would be a very good time to hit some form.

Final Score : Bromsgrove Sporting  1  St Ives Town  0          

Goals : 

BROMSGROVE: Milne (own goal) 29

ST IVES: 

Teams

BROMSGROVE: Clayton, Dugmore, Quaynor, Hayward, Wise, Kettle (capt), Molyneux (T. Taylor 90+4), Newell, C. Taylor, Willis, Shorrock (Wilson 68), Unused subs: O. Taylor, Ebbutt, Brown

ST IVES: Chapman, Milne (Dwumfuo 88), Davison-Gordon, Hottor (Snelus 62), Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Baker, Hicks, Shariff (Manangu 82), Johnston, Williams, Unused subs : Heath, Atcha

Ives Supporters man of the match :  Ben Toseland

Attendance : 553

Report by Nigel Howlett