Match Report

Lowestoft Town 0 St Ives Town 1

Evo-Stik League South Premier Division Central – 14-08-18

A solid defensive performance topped off with a brilliantly taken Dylan Wilson goal seconds into added time ensured that the Ives kept their perfect start to the season going as they made a first ever visit to the home of the Trawlerboys and came away from the seaside with all three points.

The visitors started very positively winning two corners in the opening four minutes. From the second of those Declan Rogers picked out Sam Cartwright rising powerfully by the penalty spot but he could only direct his header just over the top.

The hosts first real attack came in the eleventh minute but a deep cross from the left by Ben Fowkes was well defended at the back post by Mark Coulson at the expense of a corner. Jacek Zielonka picked out Josh Curry who rose powerfully at the near post, but only directed his header over the top.

Two minutes later ex Norwich City striker Kieran Higgs found some space cutting in from the right before unleashing a low skimming drive from 20 yards which fizzed just wide of Tim Trebes’s right hand post and thudded the boards.  

The best opportunity of the first period fell to Munashe Sundire in 20^th minute as he was allowed to run clear onto a long ball curled into the box from the left by Charlie De’ath. Both keeper Elvijs Putnins and centre back Rossi Jarvis hesitated and Sundire got between them. He met his header cleanly from just inside the box, but only managed to steer the ball just over the top.

The end to end first half continued as the hosts again went close in 37^th minute. Connor Ingram combined well with Matt Brown on the left the move finishing with the full back cutting in and firing in a powerful drive that keeper Trebes did well to cling onto low to his right.

Brown was again involved four minutes later as he drilled in a cross from the left that Ives struggled to clear the ball eventually falling to fellow full back Josh Curry also up from the back. He took a touch before curling in an effort from 20 yards that just crept outside Trebes right hand post.

The final action of the first period was another Sundire burst that almost got him clear as he pounced on an error by Curry and then beat keeper Putnins to the loose ball. But the keeper did just enough to force him wide allowing defenders to cover around behind him and Jarvis blocked the shot when it eventually arrived.

After an open first half Ives decided to change their tactics a little in the second period ensure they tightened things up by keeping a better defensive shape and defending their box more resolutely. This allowed the hosts more possession but made sure they had a much more difficult task to find a way through. Keeper Trebes was maintaining a high starting position to ensure that he was in place to gather anything over the top. He took a clattering from Connor Deeks as he just beat the Trawlerboys striker to a ball over the top in 55^th minute fortunately he had fully recovered one minute later as he dived to his right to cling onto a snap shot from 20 yards by the same player.

The hosts came closest to getting on the score board five minutes later as a quick throw on the left was channelled across the park to Zielonka 20 yards from goal he unleashed a rasping drive that flashed past Trebes desperate dive but only skimmed the crossbar on its way over the top.

In spite of continuing to enjoy the lion’s share of possession the hosts were finding it harder and harder to make inroads into the resolute Ives backline and were beginning to resort to pumping hopeful balls into the box which was proving food and drink to the powerful Ives centre back pairing of Jarvis Wilson and a back to his best De’ath who won everything that came his way both in the air and on the deck. These two and their hard working colleagues were so effective in snuffing out the Trawlerboys attacks that Trebes only had one more comfortable save to make in 82^nd minute.

With time fast running out Ives began to realise that there could be a full three points for the taking and they went perilously close to grabbing them in 90^th minute as substitute Dan Moyes got in front of the keeper to a Robbie Parker free kick from the left causing Putnins to completely miss the ball which bounced just millimetres wide of the far post.

Ives had one more chance to grab the hard earned victory only ninety seconds later as the willing running of young Dylan Wilson allowed him to capitalise on an error from Jarvis who misjudged a long ball out of defence allowing the Ives substitute to gain possession. Wilson was 25 yards out with his back to goal but he showed the true touch of a striker who knows where the goal is as he took the ball in turned and curled it left footed past the despairing dive and grasping fingers of keeper Putnins and into the bottom right hand corner of the net to stun the home crowd into silence whilst sending the small travelling contingent into raptures.

Ives played out the remaining four minutes without further scares to claim a memorable three points on the road. The celebrations at the final whistle showed just how much it meant to players and supporters alike. Six points from the opening two games against two “big club” teams who were both playing a higher level in the recent past must have exceeded the expectations of even the most ardent Ives supporters. But all who have seen the two games will realise just how hard working this group of players are and that level of commitment and passion makes anything possible.

Result :  Lowestoft Town  0  St Ives Town  1

Goals : Dylan Wilson 90+1

Team : Trebes, Cartwright, Coulson, McGowan, De’ath, Jarvis Wilson, Snaith (Seymour-Shove 73), Parker (capt), Bailey, Rogers (Moyes 86), Sundire (Dylan Wilson 64)

Unused subs : Short, Leslie

Man of Match : Charlie De’ath

Attendance : 393

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Gemma Thompson