Match Report

Royston Town v St Ives Town

Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central  10-04-2023

Easter can so often be a pivotal period in any season and it looks like that is very much going to be the case for Ives in the 2022/23 season. Going into the Bank Holiday weekend on a run of ten games without a win had seen them slip to a position that left them on the precipice of falling into the relegation places. But what a difference 72 hours can make as two cracking performances and excellent results now sees them going into their last two games realistically needing just one more point to ensure themselves of an eighth successive season at step 3.

There was hope that the momentum gained from their hard fought victory against champions elect Tamworth on Saturday could be taken into this game but to counter it the pessimists amongst us were worried that may have taken a bit to much out of the players and Garden Walk is always a tough place to come. For once the optimists were proved correct as right from the off Ives playing with a strong breeze at their backs were getting into the faces of their near neighbours and rattling them. 

Both sides struggled to come to terms with the strengthening wind early on with Ives over hitting attempted balls over the top and the hassled Crows simply struggling to get the ball forward at all. The first noteworthy moment came in 12^th minute when Luke Harris picked up an attempted clearance only just outside the box and chose to run at the home defence weaving his way past two before going down under challenge from Ronnie Henry but referee John Perry did not get a good view through the crowd of players and waved the appeals away.

The first real chance of the game fell to the hosts in 19^th minute when Charlie Castle cleverly fed in Crows danger man Matt Bateman through the left channel. Fortunately Ives keeper James Dadge was alert to the danger and closed him down quickly to make a vital block at close range.

As the half wore on Ives began to realise that their real route through the Crows back line was probably best to be found by going around the outside. Tyrone Baker’s pace and trickery was finding some joy down the left and twice in a six minute spell he carved out good opportunities which with a little more composure from those given the shooting opportunities could have seen the visitors get their noses in front. In 25^th minute the speedy winger got around Fernando Bell-Toxtle to the bye line before picking out Michael Richens arriving at pace on the edge of the box but the skipper got it all wrong and his shot ended up worrying the neighbours in the houses behind the goal more than Crows stopper Dimi Kyriatzis. Six minutes later Baker repeated the feat this time his attempted pull back ricocheted off a defender and was retrieved by Enoch Andoh wide on the right. He precisely picked out full back Paddy Casey just inside the box, sadly Casey’s effort was only a little better than Richens a few minutes earlier.

Battling against the wind and a resilient Ives defensive line the hosts opportunities were very limited in the first period and their only other noteworthy attempt before the break was a half chance in 32^nd minute where Adam Murray dropped off to the back post to get on the end of Cole Dasilva’s free kick but the Crow’s skipper could only direct his header wide of the post under pressure from Ben Toseland.

The best chance of the first half fell to Ives skipper Richens seven minutes before the break and it had an element of good fortune about it as Johnny Herd’s free kick from half way drifted over everyone on the breeze and landed at the feet of the unmarked Richens at the back post. He had time to take a touch but was quickly closed down by Kyriatzis who made an excellent save.

Home supporters were perhaps the more positive group at the break as their side were now playing with the strong breeze at their backs and to back up this theory it was the hosts who started the second period on the front foot. A 48^th minute ball over the top caught Dadge in two minds as to whether to come, or not. Bateman got on the end of it but fired wide from a good position. But the keeper redeemed himself three minutes later as Kian Harness weaved his way into the Ives box and got in a close range shot that Dadge did well to block before also making a brilliant recovery to smother the loose ball before Bateman could pounce.

That save proved even more vital when the visitors went straight down the other end and took the lead. Harris won the ball in the centre of the park before feeding in Edwards through the right channel. Henry came over to try and block but only succeeded in deflecting the effort over the body of Kyriatzis as the keeper spread himself. The ball bobbled on goalwards from the grounded group of players and just had enough impetus to find the net before Bell-Toxtle could hack it away.

The goal lifted Ives and they tore into their hosts for the next few minutes creating a couple more shooting opportunities. Almost straight from the kick off Andoh robbed George Hoddle in the centre circle and strode forward before unleashing a stinging effort from 25 yards that Henry bravely blocked with his body. Five minutes later more good hassling from Harris again won him the ball inside the Crows half, again he fed in Edwards but this time Kyriatzis was equal to the striker’s effort saving well low down to his right.

The wind had been creating problems for both sides throughout the afternoon and it gifted the Crows a route back into the game on the hour as with more than half the players on the pitch inside his six yard box Dadge found no room to move to prevent Tom Newman’s in-swinging corner from the left curling straight in at the back post to level the scores.

But Ives were not to be denied and only three minutes later they got themselves back in front. An almighty scramble in the hosts box saw shots from Andoh and Edwards blocked by the bodies of flying defenders before the ball eventually ricocheted to Baker just inside the box, the winger showed a level of composure way beyond that of his colleagues in the first half as he calmly curled his shot around the bunch of players between him and the goal and past the unsighted Kyriatzis to find the bottom corner of the net.

Now behind again Crows manager Steve Castle instantly made a triple substitution that bore a hint of desperation. James Brighton, Alfie Williams and Franco Cluffa replacing Castle, Isa Rotimi and Hoddle respectively. But the changes did little to change the flow of the game and Charlie Johnson was unlucky not to increase the lead with fifteen minutes to go as he lost his marker to get on the end of Herd’s deep free kick at the back post. His goal bound header struck Kyriatzis at point blank range and rebounded wide with the keeper unaware that he had made the save.

As the clock ticked down the nerves at the importance of the result began to show a little and the Crows began to threaten. Jordan Williams misjudged a long wind assisted free kick from Kyriatzis in 82^nd minute allowing Murray to get on the end of it but the Crows skipper directed his header straight at Dadge.

A couple of corners in the 90^th minute provided further threat as the Crows again crowded the six yard box. Johnson rose highest to the first to head the ball to safety over his own crossbar. The second in-swinger from Dasilva rattled the near post and rebounded to the edge of the box where Bell-Toxtle teed up Harness who skied his effort well over the top as Ives defenders threw themselves across the potential line of the shot.

With five added minutes there was still a little bit of time to chew the finger nails left but substitute Nabil Shariff who had only been on the field two minutes did what he does best to relieve all of the potential pressure. In the third of those added five, with most of the Crows players forward, Edwards seized the chance to break into the box. He scuffed his left foot effort, but crucially it was on target and the diving Kyriatzis could only get a hand to the ball pushing it back into play straight to the feet of the lurking Shariff six yards out. He duly obliged by rolling the ball home to spark wild celebrations amongst the large contingent of travelling Ives supporters.

Final Score:  Royston Town  1  St Ives Town  3      

Goals: 

ROYSTON: Newman 61,

ST IVES: Edwards 52, Baker 64, Shariff 90+3

Team Line Ups:

ROYSTON: Kyriatzis, Bell-Toxtle, Dasilva, Rotimi (Williams 65), Murray (capt), Henry, Castle (Brighton 65), Hoddle (Cluffa 65), Bateman, Harness, Newman, Unused subs: Hall, Marsh-Brown, 

ST IVES: Dadge, Casey, Herd (Fox 89), Richens (capt), J. Williams, Toseland, Andoh (Shariff 90), Harris, Edwards, Johnson, Baker, Unused subs: Hottor, Cowling, Kaziboni

Cards: Yellow:  ROYSTON: none     ST IVES: none 

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH:  Jonny Edwards

Attendance: 409

Report by Nigel Howlett. Match highlights by Ollie Jones.