Match Report

Deeping Rangers U18 v St Ives Town U18   

Thurlow Nunn Youth League – Western Division  12-09-19

Outgang Road is always a tough place to come particularly for Ives U18’s who have taken a hiding almost every time they have travelled to this Fenland market town in recent times and the hosts shaped up as if they will prove to be a very competitive outfit in this competition again this season so make no mistake this well deserved point on the road suggests the Ives will also be a match for all. 

Right from the outset Rangers skipper Ryan Olbromski looked a threat and it was he who had the first shot of the evening as he found a bit of space to cut inside and curl a shot from the corner of the box just over in the ninth minute.

Connor O’Donovan set up Tom Wakley for Ives first effort three minutes later as the visitors centre forward forced home keeper James Hogg into a low diving save to his left to keep out Wakley’s well hit shot from 20 yards.

The opening goal arrived just two minutes later as Jack Brumfield did well to keep the ball alive by the left corner flag and delivered a curling cross to the back post which just carried on the strong breeze over the head of Mihayl Mitkov to allow the waiting Olbromski to stoop and head home.

Ives had struggled to deal with dead ball deliveries into their box against the giants from March in their previous game and the jitters emerged again in 16^th minute as Rangers first corner of the evening from the left by Olbromski flashed across the visitors six yard box with no one able to get a touch on it including Ben Roberts who arrived at the back post and looked like he must nod home.

The visitors first corner of the night did not arrive until 28^th minute when Wakley’s near post flick on Connor Gibbs flag kick caused panic in the hosts goalmouth but no one was able to force the ball over the line in the scramble that followed and it was eventually hacked clear.

Kai Bradley’s distribution was excellent all evening and his quick roll out to the feet of Ryley McDougald set up Ives next chance in 31st minute, McDougald strode forward into the space on offer before clipping a ball over the top that the ever willing Wakley ran onto. The presence of Laurence Wood forced Wakley to take his shot on early and Hogg made another good save to keep out the well struck effort.

Each side managed to rattle the woodwork in the run up to half time. Rangers were the first to be denied by the frame of the goal as Roberts curling 37^th minute effort from 25 yards beat the diving Bradley but rebounded back into play off the base of the keepers left hand upright. Having escaped that scare Ives were similarly denied two minutes before the break as skipper Karl Frans put Wakley away down the right. The big striker burst past a defender and fired past the fast retreating Hogg from a similar distance to Roberts and was equally unlucky to see his effort beat the keeper but rebound to safety off the upright.

Rangers had probably just about shaded the first half but it was Ives who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck to get on top right from the start in the second period. There were only ninety seconds gone when a well rehearsed short corner routine saw Mitkov deliver a low ball into the box that Ewan Young cleverly back heeled into the mix McDougald got on the end of it to fire in a shot from point blank range that Hogg somehow blocked with his body.

Three minutes later a wind assisted punt down the middle by Bradley was allowed to bounce deep in Rangers territory giving Wakley chance to try and lob Hogg but he did not quite get enough on his effort allowing the keeper to make a comfortable save. 

The pressure from Ives continued to mount in 67^th minute an in-swinging McDougald free kick from the left just evaded everyone and flashed past the far post. A goal was beginning to look inevitable as the hosts defence continued to creak and it finally cracked 20 minutes from time. Gibbs was given the freedom of the park to receive a throw in midfield, he weighed up his options before picking out the well timed run of Jamie Stork cutting in from the right. The pass was perfect and Stork burst past his man before running on into the box and calmly slotting the ball under the diving body of the exposed Hogg.

Everything to play for with twenty minutes to go and it was the hosts who initially rose to the occasion to try and grab a winner and they should have really gone back in front three minutes later as Ethan Allen and Oscar Benson combined down the right with the latter sending a dangerous curling cross into the danger zone between defenders and goal keeper. Bradley could not come and his defenders were struggling, substitute Joe Burborough arrived at the back post looking like he only had to side foot it home from six yards but he went for glory and somehow blazed the ball over the top much to Ives relief.

Following that escape the visitors had two good efforts of their own to claim a winner Wakley was denied by an assistant’s flag as he went just to soon in 84^th minute and two minutes later a swift break saw McDougald feed Smith down the right and his first time cross was only just deflected away from the waiting Wakley by a struggling Wood.

There was one agonising heart in mouth moment to survive for the visiting supporters before the hard earned point could be claimed as deep in added time a Burborough cross arrived at the feet of fellow substitute Sam Ogden whose shot from the edge of the box took a big deflection off an Ives defender before curling agonisingly wide of Bradley’s left hand upright with the keeper and his fellow defenders all looking on. The corner was successfully dealt with and overall the draw was probably a fair result.

It was good to see that Ives had learnt well from their previous defeat and things from the training field were being taken onto the pitch some of the football played was very impressive and although this division looks very tough this season it is an environment which will provide a good opportunity for the development of these lads and a top three finish looks a realistic target. The next challenge for the boys is an FA Youth Cup tie at home to Biggleswade Town on Monday evening get along and give them a bit of support. 

Final Score  :  Deeping Rangers U18  1  St Ives Town U18  1  

Goals : Stork 70

St Ives team : Bradley, Frans (capt), Mitkov, O’Donovan, Quinsee, Young, Smith (Stork 26), McDougald (Roberts (90+2), Wakley, Gibbs, Cobb 

Other subs used roll on roll off : Smith for Cobb 73

Unused Subs : Darnell, Hope

Attendance  : Approx 50

Report by Nigel Howlett.