Match Report

Rushall Olympic v St Ives Town   

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 16-11-2021

Even the most ardent Pics fans would have been hard pressed to convince themselves, or anyone else, that they deserved to be in front at half time in this game as Ives played some of their best football of the season with a high tempo passing game that ensured that the hosts had to work very hard to stay in the game. A deserved early lead arrived in the twelfth minute courtesy of a cracking strike from Ben Toseland. But despite pressing their hosts into errors their passing generally lacked that crucial final ball and they failed to deal with two Owen Parry long throws into their box late on in the first period to undo their good work in an instant. A much more even second period saw both sides create chances but hosts substitute Danny Glover being the only person to convert one of them.

Another new face arrived in the Ives line up at the start with recent signing from Chesham United Kyle Davison-Gordon coming in at left back with Camron McWilliams moving across to the right and Eniola Agemoh-Davies missing out completely. The changes at the back also saw the versatile Ben Toseland freed up to take a more forward role in the number eleven shirt. 

Ives started on a very positive foot with the ball being moved around at pace on Rushall’s 3G surface and it was no real surprise when they went in front in twelfth minute. McWilliams and Dylan Williams combined well on the right with the latter delivering a deep cross to beyond the back post where Toseland managed to head it back into the mix. Urijah Gordon-Douglas rose above the crowd but rather than head the ball towards goal he directed back in the direction of Toseland who met the dropping ball on the volley and fired it home across the keeper into the far corner of the net.

The visitors continued to press and Gordon-Douglas forced Mitchell Clarke into an error in 19^th minute but his touch let him down as he closed on goal just allowing home keeper Tom Palmer to sprint off his line and bravely slide in to claim the ball at the big strikers feet.

The hosts first opportunity to deliver a dangerous ball into Ives box came only seconds later as McWilliams was adjudged to have brought down Jourdain Masidi thirty yards out on the left even though the Pics wide man looked to have lost his footing prior to the challenge. Tyler Lyttle decided to go for goal with the free kick which was well blocked by the leaping Ives three man wall.

Ives continued to work hard and move the ball around at pace but without managing to find a telling ball in the opposition’s final third and the next chance of a shot on goal fell to the hosts in 29^th minute. Tyrone Ofori cleverly played in Callum Coyle through the left channel but the strikers shot from 20 yards lacked power and was straight at keeper Paul White who made a comfortable save.

With the clock ticking down towards the break and Ives looking comfortable thoughts began to turn to the chance of a warming half time mug of soup. The visitors had already dealt with a couple of long throws from Parry but when another one arrived from the left six minutes from the break they seemed to have switched off allowing Kristian Green to rise highest at the near post and head down just inside the upright to level things up.

Having conceded from one long throw the nerves were certainly jangling when another opportunity to deliver an arching throw was given to Parry from almost exactly the same spot just seconds before the interval. This time the ball went a little further and arrived in the centre of the packed goalmouth. With the number of bodies in there it was impossible to tell who got a touch, suffice to say it was not cleared and the ball arrived at the feet of Ofori at the back post who gleefully prodded it home.

Ives made a half time change with Gordon-Douglas giving way to the pacy Jason Dwumfuo who was no doubt given instructions to run at the hosts defence at every opportunity. But it was the Pics who had the first opportunity of a shot on goal as Parry seized on a poor defensive header from Brett Solkhon but he fired well wide from 25 yards.

Amazingly the first corner of the game did not arrive until 57^th minute and it was cleverly laid back to Reece Mitchell to deliver deep to the far post where a back peddling White just managed to punch it away from the waiting crowd at the expense of a second flag kick. This one was met at the back post by Ofori who directed his header just wide.

Ives introduced another debutant in 64^th minute as winger Tyrone Baker replaced centre back Callum Milne forcing a re-shuffle with Toseland dropping back and Baker slotting in on the left. The visitors were still very much in this game, but still struggling to find that crucial well timed run or threaded final pass to pick out the run if it came. They were forced into resorting to log range efforts. Ed Hottor blazed a thirty yarder well over in 71^st minute after Michael Richens and Toseland had combined well to set up the opportunity. Four minutes later Richens failed to beat the wall with a twenty yard free kick after Baker had been upended cutting in from the left. Toseland was still finding opportunities to get forward and he went closer only ninety seconds later as he was given space to break into before unleashing a dipping thirty yarder that was only inches over the top.

But as Ives struggled to create chances inside the box their hosts showed them how it could be done as only moments later Pics substitutes Danny Glover and Rackeem Reid exchanged passes cutting in from the left. Glover’s final ball picked out Reid at the near post but fortunately for Ives his side footed effort flew just past the post. The visitors were almost caught out again as they tried to play the resulting goal kick out from the back. substitute Nathan Hicks had only been on for a few moments and his poor ball was cut out and fed into the feet of Glover who tested White with a powerful drive from just outside the box that the keeper did well to push away diving full length to his left.

With time ticking down and Ives pushing forward in search of an equaliser they were always likely to leave gaps at the back and a side riding high in the table always seems to find a way to kill off their opponents. Sure enough there were six minutes left on the watch when the Pics did just that and it was Glover who started and finished the move. Initially combining with Tom Thorley to put Reid away down the right then continuing his run into the box before getting on the end of Reid’s low cross pivoting and firing home via the inside of White’s left hand upright.

But even finding themselves two goals in arrears Ives did not get their heads down as they had done earlier in the season and excellent work down the right by Williams saw him get to the bye line before picking out Nabil Shariff arriving at pace at the near post. His flick beat Palmer but deflected to safety off the top of the crossbar.

Overall this was a cracking performance, particularly in the first half. But once again Ives were undone by brief periods when the concentration wains. At this level that is all it takes as any lapse will be punished by the high flyers in this division. With the ultimate test scheduled for Saturday as ex Ives skipper Jimmy Dean brings his table topping Peterborough Sports to Westwood Road. If Ives can find a way of eliminating the errors and play as they did in the opening period it could be a game well worth watching.  

   

Final Score : Rushall Olympic  3  St Ives Town  1       

Goals : 

RUSHALL: Green 38, Ofori 44, Glover 84

ST IVES: Toseland 12

Teams

RUSHALL: Palmer, Green, Mitchell, Thorley, Lyttle, Clarke, Parry, Moore (Reid 15), Ofori (Glover 64), Coyle (Batchelor 75), Masidi Unused subs: Graham, O’Sullivan 

ST IVES: White, McWilliams Davison-Gordon, Richens, Solkhon (capt), Milne (Baker 60), Gordon-Douglas (Dwumfuo 46), Hottor (Hicks 75), Shariff, Williams, Toseland, Unused subs : Rhaman, Heath

Ives Supporters man of the match : Ben Toseland

Attendance : 257

Report by Nigel Howlett.