Match Report

Grantham Town 0 St Ives Town 2   

Emirates FA Cup 2^nd Qualifying Round Replay – 25-09-18

St Ives Town printed another chapter in the Club history on a clear and chilly night at the soulless South Kesteven Stadium in Lincolnshire as an inspired double substitution by manager Ricky Marheineke found the goals to deservedly take the Club through to the third qualifying round of the FA Cup for the first time in its 131 year history.

Having got within ten minutes of progressing in Saturdays initial tie at Westwood Road Ives were fully aware that this fixture held no fears and with the carrot of a trip to the once mighty York City in the next round it was a night for the brave to stand up and be counted.

Ives management team decided that a positive formation attacking with pace down the flanks was the way to get at the Gingerbreads and with this in mind Ben Baker and Ben Seymour-Shove both came into the starting eleven at the expense of holding midfielder Owen Wallis and striker Munashe Sundire.

The change of tactics seemed to catch the Gingerbreads unawares and it was the visitors who got the best of the early exchanges. A push on Dylan Wilson by Tom Ward in fifth minute gave Ives an opportunity to load the box. The free kick eventually arrived at the back post where Jarvis Wilson turned his man well but his left footed effort from just inside the box lacked power and was a comfortable save for Theo Richardson in the hosts goal.

Ives went close again in twelfth minute as Baker fed Mark Coulson on the overlap down the left Dylan Wilson tried to get across his marker at the near post but was denied the space by Ward who knocked the ball out at the expense of a corner.

The hosts first opportunity arrived two minutes later as Ives struggled to clear a corner and the ball ricocheted around their box before Max Watters teed up Oliver Luto at the back post but the full back blazed over from a narrow angle.

Baker and Seymour-Shove continued to cause problems in the hosts back line and the pair combined to go close twice in two minutes around the twenty minute mark. On the first occasion Seymour-Shove got down the left and delivered a teasing cross into the no man’s land between keeper Richardson and his back line. Baker got between defenders but just failed to get the all important touch to steer the ball home as Richardson hesitated. Two minutes later Baker returned the compliment setting up Seymour-Shove for a left footed curler from the right corner of the box that just crept wide of Richardson’s right hand post.

Having failed to get in front Ives now found themselves pegged back as the Gingerbreads enjoyed a purple patch. In 28^th minute Joe Hood had to show all of his defensive qualities to just prevent Ryley Thompson getting on the end of a dangerous Luke McCormick cross from the right bundling the ball out at the expense of a corner.

The resulting flag kick was taken short between McCormick and Jack McGovern with the latter finding space to deliver a cross onto the head of Cenk Acar ten yards from goal his downward header beat Sam Wilson in the Ives goal but rebounded to safety off the foot of the post. The hosts continued to press forward looking for the all important opener and McGovern went close with a looping header after a Ross Barrows cross from the right was deflected to him invitingly two minutes later.

Sam Wilson pulled off his best save of the evening in 36^th minute as he plunged to his left to keep out a powerful Watters header as the Gingerbreads striker found a little bit of space inside the box to attack a Luto cross from the right. At this point in the game Ives were a bit like a boxer looking for the bell as they continued to work hard to hang on until the half time whistle. Tom McGowan personified that fighting spirit as he gallantly tracked back deep into his own penalty area to take the ball off the toe Tom Curtis after Watters had burst down the right and pulled the ball back into the run of the midfielder who looked like he was going to get in a clean strike but McGowan did just enough to ensure that the scores remained level at the break.

Having finished the first half well on top it was no surprise when the hosts carved out the first opportunity of the second period in 53^rd minute when shots from around the box were bravely blocked by Ives players throwing themselves across the ball Jarvis Wilson, Robbie Parker and Sam Cartwright were all to the fore in this rear-guard action. The ball eventually fell to McGovern who drilled it wide from a good position.

Wilson pulled off another good save in 59^th minute as he kept out a close range Cenk Acar shot on the turn after a corner from the left had been headed down inside the six yard box by Tom Ward.

Only two minutes later manager Marheineke made the double substitution that swung the game Ives way as he replaced his two strikers Dylan Wilson and George Bailey with Danny Kelly and Ollie Snaith. Within a couple of minutes of their introduction Jarvis Wilson went close as he ghosted around the back to get on the end of a Parker free kick deep inside the Gingerbreads box but he was always stretching and could not get his free header on target.

The opening goal came from a 66^th minute corner on the right delivered into the mix by Seymour-Shove, Kelly rose majestically above the crowd at the back post and headed the ball down into the six yard box where centre back Cartwright bravely went in amongst the flying boots to force the loose ball home from point blank range.

Having got in front Ives suddenly took complete command of the game and doubled their advantage only five minutes later as Parker robbed a dallying Watters in the centre circle and fed the ball out to Baker who tore down the right leaving Luto in his wake and cleverly picked out Seymour-Shove in space inside the hosts box with his pull back. The Ives wide man took a touch and fired in a rising drive that beat the diving Richardson but rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced down. With the Gingerbreads defence in complete disarray Snaith reacted first and slammed home the loose ball to spark joyous celebrations amongst the travelling faithful.

Now two behind the hosts heads seemed to go down and Snaith should have made it three in 73^rd minute as he gathered a poor clearance 30 yards from goal and fed the ball out to Baker who again found space on the right before delivering an inviting cross into the run of Snaith who found himself with a free header eight yards out but he failed to hit the target with Richardson at his mercy.

By this point the deflated Gingerbreads seemed to only have one tactic left and that was to pump every ball long down the middle. This proved to be simple meat and drink to the Ives eighteen year old centre back pairing who again showed composure well beyond their years to win everything in the air decisively and instantly remove it as far as possible from danger.

Ives had another golden opportunity to put the icing on the cake two minutes from time as the substitute pair of Kelly and Snaith broke out at pace and combined to put their fellow sub Munashe Sundire away down the left. Baker was arriving into the box all on his own but Sundire misplaced his pull back and rolled the ball behind the young striker and the chance was gone.

The missed opportunities mattered little on the evening as referee Wayne Chalmers brought a halt to proceedings a few minutes later to spark a renewed bout of celebrations amongst all concerned with St Ives Town. The squad of heroes on the pitch including the management team came over the running track which surrounds the pitch at the Kesteven Stadium to applaud their faithful followers who responded in kind with another round of the Clubs own version of “the wonder of you”! 

The celebrations went on long into the night but all know that they must quickly get their feet back on the ground ahead of another important League game on Saturday before attention can turn to what will I am sure be a memorable trip to Bootham Crescent. 

Result :  Grantham Town  0  St Ives Town  2    

Goals : Cartwright 66, Snaith 71

Team : Sam Wilson, Hood, Coulson, McGowan, Cartwright, Jarvis Wilson, Baker, Parker (capt), Dylan Wilson (Kelly 61), Bailey (Snaith 61), Seymour-Shove (Sundire 75)

Unused subs : Wallis

Supporters man of the match : Sam Cartwright

Attendance : 294

Report by Nigel Howlett