Match Report

Bromsgrove Sporting v St Ives Town  

Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central  06-08-2022

It is not often that a centre forward will tell you that he has not got a clue how he scored the winner but Jonny Edwards was honest enough to admit just that about his 72^nd minute goal which topped off a deserved come back win on a beautiful sunny day in the West Midlands.

Every side goes into the start of a new season with high hopes and the Rouslers, who struggled last season, welcomed their new manager, ex Kettering boss Thomas Baillie looking for a start that matched their expectations. Ives similarly had a new man in the dug out and that was assistant manager Adam Fisher, holding the reins whilst manager Ricky Marheineke was enjoying a break in Spain (where the weather was probably little different to Bromsgrove).

It was Mr Fisher’s charges that were quickest out of the blocks with an on-target shot from Edwards after only 46 seconds as the powerful centre forward got on the end of Julien Saka’s long ball down the right and warmed goalkeeper Ollie Taylor’s hands from the corner of the box.

Ives next noteworthy effort on goal came in unsual fashion as the hosts struggled to clear Greg Kaziboni’s in-swinging corner from the left. The ball eventually being smuggled out to the right wing where centre backs Callum Milne and Jordan Williams exchanged a couple of intricate passes before the former set the latter away on a clear run into the box. Sadly the finish did not match the set up as Williams lashed high over the top from 15 yards. 

The visitors continued to dominate the game although the elusive opening goal just would not come. Enoch Andoh was causing problems down the left and his jinking run in 20^th minute got him around the outside of Lewis Wright. His pull back was just about to be lashed home by Dylan Williams when the outstretched toe of Rouslers skipper Tom Taylor did just enough to take the ball away from the lurking striker.

Patient Ives build up down the left again in the next attack only ninety seconds later saw Michael Richens teed up for a thirty yard strike that flew inches wide of Taylor’s right hand post with the keeper struggling to get across.

Having come close on so many occasions the visitors then found themselves falling behind 15 minutes before the break as the hosts scored with their first meaningful effort on goal. Ryan Edmunds delivered an in-swinging free kick from the right. Dan Sweeney timed his run to perfection getting in front of his marker to glance the ball home from by the penalty spot.

Now with their noses in front the Rouslers lifted themselves and enjoyed their only purple patch of the game. Five minutes later Charlie Shaw seized an opportunity to run at the heart of Ives back line and found just enough space to squeeze a shot away but he pulled his effort from 25 yards wide of James Goff’s right hand post.

Ives keeper had to be alert right on half time as Andoh was robbed deep inside his own territory by Jimmy Fry who threaded a ball through the centre that Goff did well to slide in bravely to take off the toe of Shaw. Quick distribution from the keeper put Ives on the attack and Edwards fed in Kaziboni whose effort from just inside the box was deflected inches wide with Taylor beaten.

Going in a goal in arrears Ives needed to get themselves back in the driving seat as soon as possible after the restart and the central midfield duo of Richens and Ed Hottor did that straight from the off winning the early battles in that vital central area. The second half was only four minutes old when Richens delivered a cross from the right that Edwards should probably have done better with as he got between Rouslers two centre back to get on the end of it but failed to make clean contact allowing Taylor to gather the ball easily.

But keeper Taylor did not have it so easy in 52^nd minute and he will probably question his own involvement in Ives equaliser. Johnny Herd delivered a long throw from the left that arced into the six yard box. The keeper elected to come and try to punch the ball, but hampered by his own defenders got nowhere near it as the ball landed on Edwards head and looped over the out of position keeper and into the net.

Ives came close to going in front two minutes later as a dallying Tom Taylor was robbed by Edwards deep in his own half and was forced to bring down the big striker to earn himself a yellow card. Richens curled in the resulting free kick and Jordan Williams arriving late at the back post got on the end of it only eight yards out but failed to make a clean contact.

Keeper Taylor produced two excellent saves in ten seconds to maintain the parity in 71^st minute. Initially plunging low to his right to push away a 25 yard pile driver from Hottor the keeper then did even better to recover his composure and leap high to his right to tip over Edwards header from ten yards after Andoh had kept the loose ball alive and clipped it back into the centre.

The life of a keeper can be very fickle though as having covered himself in glory one moment the next keeper Taylor was holding his head in shame as he made a complete hash of the resulting Kaziboni corner. Committing to come for the ball into the six yard box the keeper got there but he chose to punch and only succeeded in punching the ball against the head of the fast arriving Edwards. It ricocheted off the striker’s head and flew high into the roof of the net before anyone else had moved.

That proved to be the winning goal as from that point on Ives very cleverly played out the remaining time with only a couple of half scares. Ten minutes from time Saka took down the tricky Edmunds wide on the left. The same played picked himself up to curl in the free kick Tom Taylor got between defenders to meet the ball but his header lacked power to give Goff a very comfortable save.

Last time Ives came to the Victoria Ground the game was decided by Callum Milne’s unfortunate own goal. But this time the young centre back left the pitch a winner and it was he who did excellently to snuff out Rouslers final real chance in 82^nd minute as he slid in to cut out Callum King-Harmes dangerous low cross from the right after the speedy winger had got around the outside of Herd.

An excellent professional performance from Ives earnt its reward of a very good three points on the road. Lots of pluses to take from this game but as the saying goes one swallow does not make a summer. The momentum needs to be maintained and this result needs to be followed up by a similar performance and result against Stratford at Quattro tech Westwood Road next Saturday.  

Final Score: Bromsgrove Sporting  1  St Ives Town  2       

Goals: 

BROMSGROVE: Sweeney 29

ST IVES: Edwards 52 & 72

Team Line Ups:

BROMSGROVE: O. Taylor, Wright, Perkins, Forsyth, T. Taylor (capt) (Byrne 83), McGrath, King-Harmes, Fry (Gragson 83), Sweeney, Shaw (M. Taylor 69), Edmunds; Unused subs: Dawes, Clayton

ST IVES: Goff, Saka, Herd, Richens (capt), J. Williams, Milne, Kaziboni, Hottor, Edwards (Cowlyn 90+2), D. Williams (Shariff 69), Andoh (Osei-Bonsu 84), Unused subs: Sheriff, Johnston

Bookings: BROMSGROVE: Shaw, T.Taylor, Edmunds:   ST IVES: Saka, Edwards

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jonny Edwards

Attendance: 569

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook.