Match Report

St Ives Town Ladies 1 Corby Town Ladies 0 (AET)

SSE Womens FA Cup Preliminary Round – 26-08-18

There is late, very late and very, very late. Katie Stancome’s well taken winner that broke the Steelwomen’s hearts fell very much in the latter category as it arrived with just 15 seconds left of the extra half hour on substitute referee Alex Stechell’s watch.

This felt like the day when summer eventually ended as the teams were greeted with driving rain and a strengthening breeze from the car park end. Ives chose to go with the breeze and the rain first half and the first effort on goal in 13^th minute was a 25 yard free kick by Katherine Speed that came with the elements but was well held by Corby keeper Georgia Summerfield.

Keeper Summerfield came to the rescue of her team mates again in 26^th minute as a fast Ives breakaway saw Speed flick a ball over the top that Hannah Seymour-Shove got on the end of. The Ives midfielder was through one on one with the athletic keeper who spread herself well to block the initial shot she also stayed alert to pounce on the loose ball.

The remainder of the first half turned into a midfield battle with both defences looking solid and it took until six minutes before the break before either keeper was called into meaningful action. Once more it was the ever alert Summerfield who this time plunged in bravely at the feet of Tierney Coulson to deny the Ives striker from close range after she got on the end of a near post cross from the right by Caitlin Jarman.

The Steelwomen’s first half chance arrived right on the break as Ardyn Sanderson got away down the right and delivered a dangerous low cross across the box that just evaded a late arriving Nicole Andrejczuk in the centre and skipped off the wet surface to safety.

The first notable incident of the second half was an injury to referee Oliver Potter who went down in considerable pain in the centre circle with no one near him. A lengthy delay followed before the unfortunate official was stretchered off with an ankle injury apparently incurred as he twisted. Senior assistant Alex Stechell took over the whistle with a volunteer taking over the flag.

Speed continued to try her luck with free kicks from 25 yards and she went close again in 63^rd minute as she beat the admirable Summerfield with her well struck effort but the ball clipped the outside of the post.

The visitor’s won their first corner of the game two minutes later Kim Sadler delivered it well to the near post where it took a brave header from Anna Hicks running back towards her own goal to knock in away from the inrushing Rebecca Jones. Keeper Kira Markwell came positively to meet the follow up corner and did just enough to push it away from danger her defenders did the rest to complete the clearance.

The game began to open up a little more in the last twenty minutes. A quick Sasha Smith free kick carved out an opportunity for Ives in 70^th minute as she picked out Hicks who drove into the heart of the Steelwomen’s defence before unleashing a powerful drive from 20 yards that brought the best out of Summerfield who dived to her right to push the ball around the post.

The all action Seymour-Shove created another opportunity with a surging run down the right two minutes later. Coulson got on the end of her cross to the near post, but again Summerfield was equal to the effort bravely blocking the shot at point blank range.

Having failed to take their chances when they were on top Ives suddenly found themselves under some pressure. The dangerous Sadler delivered a cross from the right in 78^th minute that picked out Sanderson in space, but although the visitor’s striker struck her effort well the ball was always rising and went over the top.

Two minutes later the powerful Jones burst her way through a couple of tackles played a one two with Zoe Watkins in the centre of the park before trying her luck from fully 35 yards with a dipping effort that had keeper Markwell scrambling, but just cleared the crossbar.

Thanks to the injury to the referee and another injury to Corby captain Nicole Coull there was twelve minutes to add at the end of the ninety. Eleven of these had gone when a rash tackle by Kira Lauder on Hicks just inside the Steelwomen’s box handed Coulson the chance to save us all the added half an hour as referee Setchell pointed to the spot. Coulson was perhaps a little rushed in preparation but suffice to say her spot kick did not trouble Summerfield clearing the crossbar with plenty to spare.

So we entered the extra 30 minutes, the first half of which was entirely uneventful as both sides continued to struggle to find a break through.

Sadler showed her class by twice going close in the second period. In 110^th minute she took in a ball from the right inside the box and cleverly turned her marker before firing in a powerful shot that was fortunately straight at Markwell who did well to tip the effort over the top.

Five minutes later Markwell had to make a more routine save low to her right as the same player again found space to turn in the box and get her shot away.

There were two minutes to go when Speed brought another good save out of Summerfield as the keeper plunged to her left to keep out the Ives striker’s effort from 25 yards. 

It looked like we were heading for the dreaded penalties until Stancome picked up a ball on the right midway into the Corby half outpaced a defender and drove on into the box. Keeper Summerfield made probably her only error of the afternoon taking up position for the anticipated cross. Stancome spotted the vacant near post and unleashed a low drive that beat the out of position keeper and billowed the back of the net to win the Ives a plumb home tie against Peterborough United in the next round.

Final Score  :  St Ives Town Ladies 1  Corby Town Ladies  0  after extra time

Goals : Stancome 120

St Ives team : Markwell, Hicks, Smith, Hannah Seymour-Shove, Brown (capt), Flack, Stancome, Stow (Stephenson 45), Coulson, Speed, Jarman (Chapman 45)

Unused Subs : Liddiard, Munden, Marjoram

Player of match : Hannah Seymour-Shove

Attendance  :  65 approx

Match report by Nigel Howlett