Match Report

Deeping Rangers U18s 6 St Ives Town U18s 0  

Thurlow Nunn Youth League – Western Division  13-09-18

For the second year in a row the young Ives took a pasting at Deeping. The game was all over as a contest after only twelve minutes in which the rampant hosts exposed gaping holes in an inexperienced Ives back line to race into a three goal lead.

Manager Lloyd Groves made two very early substitutions to give a couple of the shell shocked defenders a chance to recover and things improved a little, however the well drilled hosts continued to play through the Ives back line and doubled their score by half time. The second half proved a more even contest with the recovering visitors even managing to carve out a couple of chances of their own.

Right from the off it was quite clear that the hosts were not only bigger and stronger they were also very well organised and every man knew his job. The route started in only the third minute as Ives tormenter from last season Harrison Dee was allowed to run through three poor challenges before feeding the ball into the path of Rangers skipper Sam Green inside the visitor’s box. Green made no mistake steering the ball into the bottom corner past the exposed Shay Griffiths.

It was almost two five minutes later as Ives struggled to clear a Dee cross into their box from the left. The ball eventually fell to left back Jared Carver who fired a powerful drive from a narrow angle straight at Griffiths who held on well.

Carver was only to be denied for a matter of seconds as he found space at the back of the box as Ives struggled to clear a long throw. The ball eventually squirmed out of the mass of bodies around the penalty spot and rolled to the unmarked Carver who slotted home from close range.

The third goal which arrived in 12^th minute was a cracker as Green picked up possession in centre of the park glanced up to see Alex Moroz in space cutting in from the right. With no one closing him down Green had time to clip his pass over the out of position Hadyn Brown, Moroz ran on taking the ball down with his first touch and firing a fierce drive past Griffiths from the edge of the box with his second.

The hosts should have had a fourth in 19^th minute as Griffiths was slow off his line allowing Moroz to get on the end of another Green through ball but this time the speedy winger spurned a much easier chance than his previous one by rolling the ball past the exposed keeper but also just past the post.

The hosts fourth in 28^th minute was a disaster for the Ives back line Green delivered a dangerous ball from the right into the box that had to be dealt with. Louis Bald covering at the back of the box thought that his keeper was coming to claim it, but again Griffiths was hesitant and with Carver lurking Bald felt obliged to take action. Unfortunately he got it completely wrong as his attempt to get the ball over his own crossbar ended in dismal failure with the ball ending up in the roof of the net.

The hosts fifth goal in 32^nd minute came from a well worked free kick routine that completely outfoxed the Ives. The free kick from the left corner of the box was fed in low to the feet of Kai Haggett-King with his back to goal eight yards out. Haggett-King simply laid the ball back into the path of Moroz who had peeled off the opposite end of the Ives wall completely losing his marker in the process. The flying winger completed his brace by firing home from close range.

The Ives comedy of errors continued as the hosts added a sixth in 38^th minute. Yet again they failed to clear a ball into their box and a defender allowed himself to lose possession deep inside his own box allowing Kever Spindari a run at goal. Griffiths narrowed the angle but Spindari unselfishly rolled the ball across the six yard box to set up Carver for a tap in for his second.

The half which had been completely dominated by the hosts ended with one of the best players on view Green slamming a 35 yard effort against the foot of Griffiths right hand post. This time Ives escaped further punishment as the ball rebounded to safety.

Manager Groves made three further changes at the break introducing more of his younger contingent at the expense of some of his more experienced players. This seemed like a desperate measure but it was effective in stemming the tide. Ives did however have a fortunate escape in 51^st minute as Spindari turned home a Green cross from the right only to be denied by an assistant’s flag.

The youngsters were very willing to put their bodies on the line for the cause efforts from Spindari and substitute Will Gore were blocked at point bank range by Ives defenders in 63^rd minute. Gore went close again three minutes later forcing Griffiths into a smart save at his near post.

The game evened up as it entered it’s final third and Ives began to carve out a few half chances to grab something back. An audacious lob from 45 yards by Billy Mobbs almost caught out keeper Fabio D’Agnano in 67^th minute. The Rangers stopper had to back peddle furiously before leaping to claw the effort away from the top right hand corner of his net.

Mitchell Pillin thought he had got a goal back ten minutes from time. A driven Bald free kick from the left got right through the box and Pillin sliding it at the back post made good contact and was unlucky to see his effort rebound from the upright to safety.

Bald proceeded to carve out Ives best chance of the night in 85^th minute as he sprinted forward from midfield and slid a pass through the channel to put substitute Jamie Stork away. The Ives striker unleashed his shot from the edge of the box but was denied a consolation goal as D’Agnano hurled himself to his left to make a good save.

Last seasons Ives recovered from their early season mauling at Outgang Road to move up the table and eventually finish third holding this evening’s winners to a goal less draw at Jubilee Park in the return fixture. I still say that this seasons group will improve and matching last seasons return result and finishing position are a realistic proposition but that will take a lot of hard work.

Final Score  :  Deeping Rangers U18  6  St Ives Town U18  0  

Goals : none

St Ives team : Griffiths, Bald (Quinsee 45), Brown (Mitkov 13), Pillin (capt), Paine, Perreira (Gibbs 13), Cawte (Wakley 45), Garlick, Sargent (Stork 45), Mobbs, Hope

Other subs roll on roll off : Brown for Hope 54, Perreira for Paine 69, Hope for Mobbs 76, Bald for Garlick 76

Unused Subs : none

Attendance  : approx 60

Report by Nigel Howlett