Match Report

King’s Lynn Town 2 St Ives Town 0  

Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division Central – 10-11-18

In spite of putting in a battling performance Ives were unable to keep up their good record again Lynn’s new manager Ian Culverhouse and could not prevent the Linnets prodigal son celebrating a successful return to the Walks.

With goalkeeper Sam Wilson ending his loan spell from Mansfield Town early new signing from Kempston Rovers Martin Conway made his Ives debut between the sticks and there was also a new face on the bench where former Northampton Town youngster Ben Jackson took his place amongst the substitutes.

Ives line up also had a slightly unfamiliar look as with Mark Coulson injured and Charlie De’ath unavailable Danny Kelly took the number three shirt alongside Sam Cartwright and Jarvis Wilson in what appeared to be a back three with Joe Hood playing a little further forward. 

After a poor start to the season the Linnets have been running into a bit of form in the League recently and having won away at Alvechurch in Culverhouse’s first game back they came into this match eager to give him a welcome homecoming. 

After a bright opening few minutes that saw Ollie Snaith fire an early shooting chance well over the top Ives soon found themselves pegged back as Frazer Blake-Tracy and Michael Clunan combined well on the left the latter delivering a dangerous cross to the near post that Michael Gash glanced inches wide in seventh minute.

Ben Baker was busily buzzing around at the other end and in 18^th minute he almost managed to nick a misplaced cross field pass. His toe poke fell to Ryan Fryatt who unceremoniously delivered the ball straight down the park. Striker Adam Marriott showed a fantastic touch initially to bring the ball down and burst into the box away from Jarvis Wilson. But having done the hard bit Marriott’s touch then let him down as he got the ball tangled in his feet allowing Wilson to recover.

Whilst looking pretty solid at the back Ives meaningful attacks into the Linnets final third were only sporadic the best of these came mid-way through the first period when skipper Robbie Parker managed to thread a ball through the hosts back line to get Munashe Sundire to the bye line just inside the box. Sundire had three players to pick from in the box but delivered his low cross between the trio allowing Blake-Tracy to make a hurried clearance.

Owen Wallis picked up a yellow card for hauling down Chris Henderson in the centre circle in 24^th minute but he made a much better timed and more crucial tackle to deny the same player a run into the box six minutes before the break. Gash had knocked a long ball down to the feet of Henderson and would have put him clear but for Wallis’s timely intervention.

With half time approaching the hosts started to build up the pressure on the Ives back line and they went close on three occasions in quick succession. In 41^st minute the dangerous Ryan Hawkins managed to burst through attempted tackles from Snaith and Cartwright before slamming a powerful drive into the side netting from the right hand corner of the box.

Three minutes later Conway was called upon to make his first real save of the game as he used his feet well to recover his position and tip over a viciously dipping cross shot from Blake-Tracy on the left. The overlapping full back had got on the end of an intricate Linnet’s move which came from an Ives attack breaking down just outside the hosts box.

The hosts thought that they had grabbed the lead right on half time as Marriott rose unmarked to power home another Blake-Tracy delivery from the left. Much to Linnet’s dismay the well positioned referee Tom Hancock ruled the effort out as just in front of Marriott Gash had pushed Kelly in the back to prevent him clearing the ball.

During half time the promised heavy rain arrived and instantly had the effect of speeding up the surface which made moving the ball around at speed vital unfortunately Ives continued to waste good possession as they too often misplaced the final ball. The opening goal in 54^th came from just such a situation as an Ives corner was quickly channelled away from danger and fed down the park where Henderson looked like getting away only to be denied by an excellent covering tackle from Jarvis Wilson. Unfortunately for the Ives youngster the ball rebounded to Clunan following up and his low cross into the centre was turned home at close range by Craig Parker.

In response Ives managed to carve out their best chance of the afternoon three minutes later as Sundire seized an opportunity to run at the Linnets back line. He delayed his pass to release George Bailey into the box on the left. The Ives centre forward did everything right as he fired in a low first time effort that looked likely to beat the spreading keeper Alex Street only for the ball to rebound away off his left heel.

Only sixty seconds later Henderson spurned a golden opening to make it 2-0 as Hawkins picked him out to perfection with a cross from the right. The Linnet’s midfielder rose at the far post, but with the goal at his mercy he directed the ball just wide of Conway’s right hand upright from eight yards. Henderson’s miss did not prove to costly as from the Linnet’s next meaningful attack just after the hour the midfielder made amends for his earlier miss. Hawkins was again involved in the move as he took on Snaith on the right before laying the ball back to substitute Jordan Richards who found Henderson between defenders and this time he directed his downward header past Conway and in the bottom corner of the net.

Man of the match Hawkins continued to torment Ives back line from his wide right position. In 66^th minute he again outpaced Snaith on the outside and got to the bye line before laying the ball back to the ever willing Henderson on the edge of the box. This time the midfielder fired his low drive straight at Conway who held on well.

Manager Ricky Marheineke made a double change with twenty minutes to go replacing the tiring Snaith with Jordan Patrick and deep lying midfielder Wallis with another attacker Dylan Wilson but in spite of the changes it was the Linnets who looked more likely to get a third rather than Ives pull one back. In 74^th minute Gash rose well above his marker to power a header wide from eight yards after he got on the end of another Hawkins cross from the right.

The hosts continued to press forward looking to add to their tally but the gallant Ives battled to the end although it took an excellent one handed diving save from Conway to deny Harry Limb in 86^th minute after the Linnets substitute had seen his first effort blocked and had fired in a powerful follow up that Conway dived low to his left to tip around the post.

Jackson came on for his Ives debut two minutes from the end of the ninety going into the centre of defence to release Kelly to join the front line. But it took another good save from Conway to deny Gash as he stayed solid to parry away a stinging drive from the Linnets centre forward just into added time.

This reverse in a game that was always going to be a tough one for the Ives has seen them drop to just one point and one place above the relegation zone. With three of their next four games against sides in the lower reaches of the table all at Westwood Road there is a massive period that could decide the direction of the entire season looming in the next few weeks. Your support will be vital to cheer them on to success and a move in the right direction in the table. 

Final Score : King’s Lynn Town  2  St Ives Town  0

Goals :  none

Team : Conway, Hood, Kelly, Sundire, Cartwright, Jarvis Wilson, Wallis (Dylan Wilson 79), Parker (capt), Bailey (Jackson 88), Baker, Snaith (Patrick 69)

Unused subs : Moyes

Supporters Man of the match : Munashe Sundire

Attendance : 714

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson