Match Report

Coalville Town v St Ives Town

Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central  21-02-2023

If this was a boxing match Ives would have taken the first half on points, sadly it was football and they went in at half time a goal in arrears despite enjoying good periods of possession, creating chances and forcing ex Ives stopper Paul White into a world class save to deny Kieran Higgs early on. The likable Irishman’s brilliant reaction save high to his left was worthy of the rendition of “Ireland’s number one” that it got from the large youthful group of Ravens supporters behind his goal.

A 16th minute wonder strike on the half volley from Tom McGlinchey then put the hosts in front. But Ives continued to press although they only tested White once more as he had to palm over a Michael Richens free kick from 25 yards four minutes before the break. Returning to the boxing analogy Ives then dealt themselves a knockout blow conceding two poor goals early in the second half to end the contest.

There was mixed news on the virus that has been decimating the Ives camp over the last few weeks as Charlie Johnson became the latest to fall to it. To counter that there was a return to the squad for a couple more recovering players as Jonny Edwards and Tyrone Baker were both deemed fit enough to start. The high flying hosts made only one change from their goalless draw with fellow promotion chasers Leiston three days earlier with Luke Shaw coming into midfield to replace George Wilson who dropped to the bench.

The visitors started very positively taking the game to their hosts and that wonder save from White came only six minutes in as Edwards did well to battle through the middle before laying the ball off to Higgs on the edge of the box. The winger hit the ball cleanly and it was destined for the top corner before the outstretched fingers of the flying White tipped the ball around the post. Even before that chance had come and gone Jordan Williams had forced his way through the crowd in the box to get on the end of a first minute in-swinging Richens free kick from the left but directed his header from ten yards wide of the target.

The early chances continued to go Ives way and Edwards missed a golden chance to put them in front in 11^th minute. Johnny Herd delivered a free kick from the left that forced Herve Pepe-Ngoma into a poor defensive header that looped up into the air inside his own box and dropped to the feet of the Ives centre forward just outside the six yard box. But he snatched at the chance and completely missed his kick with the goal at his mercy. 

Only four minutes later Tom McGlinchey showed him exactly how it should be done at the other end. Elliot Putman’s corner from the right arrived into a very crowded six yard box where Williams won the header and managed to get much better distance on his header than Pepe-Ngoma. But the ball dropped to McGlinchey just outside the box and he struck it perfectly on the half volley to send a screamer into the top left hand corner of James Dadge’s goal before the young stopper could move.

Ives reacted well to going behind and were soon back putting pressure on the Ravens back line. Only two minutes after the hosts got in front another Herd long throw, this time from the left, was flicked on at the near post to Williams arriving in the centre but his header from eight yards was straight into the grateful hands of White.

Mobile centre forward Tim Berridge was putting in a real shift for the hosts constantly making probing runs that he hoped that his team mates would pick out and Eliot Putman did just that in 21^st minute. Fortunately for Ives Dadge was alert to the danger and got down smartly to his left to hang onto the strikers first time effort.

A very promising break by Baker just before the half hour was halted unfairly by Jake Eggleton in the centre of the park. The Ravens centre back earned himself a yellow card and also injured himself sufficiently in the process to require replacement by Alex Dean.

The final action of the half was Richens 25 yard free kick that dipped over the hosts four man wall but was comfortably dealt with by White as he palmed the ball over the top.

The hosts showed a little more of why they are in the promotion race at the start of the second period as they came at Ives and started to create chances. Only ninety seconds after the re-start McGlinchey fizzed a shot across the face of goal and only inches wide as he cut in from the left. Less than a minute later Shaw and McGlinchey combined well on the left before the latter delivered a low cross to the near post where Joe Doyle-Charles poked it just wide.

The pressure continued and in 51^st minute Tendai Chitiza and Doyle-Charles exchanged passes down the right before the latter cleverly floated a ball to the back post to pick out McGlinchey who probably should have scored, but like his colleagues before him he failed to hit the target from close range.

However the reprieve was only short lived as the hosts did finally succeed in doubling their advantage in 54^th minute in very unfortunate circumstances. A low bouncing cross shot from the left by Berridge got right across the face of goal. Dadge seemed slow to react to it and with Ash Chambers fast closing in was then caught in two minds as to whether to try and claim it or push the ball around the post and only succeeded in pushing the ball onto the inside of the post from where it rebounded into the net.

Rattled by his initial mistake the young keeper then went on to make a second error four minutes later as he needlessly took down Chambers as the striker closed him down on a ball that looked like it was running out for a goal kick. Ever deadly from the spot Putman made no mistake finding the bottom corner as Dadge went the wrong way.

Those two goals took the steam right out of the contest and both sides started to make substitutions to try and sharpen things up a little without any real success. The tiring Ives did not manage a single shot at White’s goal in the remainder of the second period. The hosts on the other hand did twice go close to adding further to their lead.

Dadge showed his ability to much better effect in 70^th minute as he pulled off a remarkable point blank save to deny Ravens substitute Billy Kee. The chance had been created by a flowing move down the left with Doyle-Charles originally feeding in McGlinchey who in turn picked out the well timed run of the tireless Berridge. He got to the bye line before picking out Kee with his pull back. The striker’s shot from ten yards was destined for the roof of the net before being deflected over by the outstretched arm of Dadge.

The young keeper also did well two minutes from time as he got his positioning spot on to block Doyle-Charles effort from just inside the box with his legs. The Ravens number eight had been fed in by Chitiza.

Ives will not be sad to see the end of this run of four tough games on the road in eleven days which has only gleaned the return of a single point. But there are some excuses with the virus decimating their small squad at a time when it was least wanted. Injuries and suspensions have also played their part. To add to that woe Nabil Shariff will miss this Saturdays home game against Barwell as he serves his one match ban having been sent off very unluckily at Alvechurch last Saturday. On top of that Ed Hottor needlessly picked up his tenth yellow of the season late on in this game and will miss the Ives upcoming trips to Basford and Stourbridge. Hopefully to counter those problems more of the squad will return to full fitness to enable the lads from Cambridgeshire to get their season properly back on track and finish strongly.   

Final Score:  Coalville Town  3  St Ives Town  0   

Goals: 

COALVILLE: McGlinchey 16, Berridge 54, Putman 58 (pen)

ST IVES: 

Team Line Ups:

COALVILLE: White, Pepe-Ngoma, Putman, Eggleton (Dean 30), Robertson, Shaw, Chitiza, Doyle-Charles, Berridge (Wilson 74), Chambers (Kee 66), McGlinchey, Unused subs:, Laban, Dean, Smith, Shaw, Kee

ST IVES: Dadge, Casey, Herd, Richens (capt), J. Williams, Toseland, Higgs, Hottor, Edwards (Johnston 76), Baker (Kaziboni 76), Shariff (Hickinson 65).

Cards: Yellow:  COALVILLE:  Eggleton (27),  ST IVES: Hottor (84)

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Kieran Higgs 

Attendance: 465 

Report by Nigel Howlett.