Match Report

St Ives Town v Barking

Emirates FA Cup 1^st Qualifying Round  03-09-2022

The Ives have struggled in recent years against lower level opposition but any potential banana skin was avoided in the quattro tech Westwood Road sunshine as a thoroughly professional performance from the in-form hosts ensured that they progressed comfortably in the Emirates FA Cup at the expense of Essex Senior League Barking. 

The hosts enjoyed all of the early possession but it took a little while for them to get their noses in front with both Greg Kaziboni and Jonny Edwards going close before hat trick hero Nabil Shariff fired home the opener in 25^th minute. The opportunity arose as skipper for the day Dylan Williams danced into the box from the left. The ball was taken off his toe by a defender but Shariff was on hand to pounce on it before spinning on a sixpence and firing low past the right hand of the diving Dev Singh Bhamra in the visitors goal.

Ives were showing a good degree of patience passing the ball around well and trying to draw out the visitor’s defence. The earlier opportunities were both well worked after slow build up was quickly turned into threat. In seventh minute Kaziboni who usually patrols the right side of Ives attack found a bit of space during a raid on the left. He took the chance to step inside and fired a rasping drive a couple of feet wide from 20 yards. Kaziboni was also involved in the second chance as he fed in the overlapping Callum Milne down the right. His hanging cross to the back post picked out the unmarked Edwards but was just millimetres too high and the stretching centre forward could only direct his header over the top.

Then came Shariff’s opener and only three minutes later it took sharp goalkeeping from Bhamra to stop Kaziboni getting a deserved goal. The keeper was quickly off his line and slid in bravely to take the ball off the striker’s toe after he had been fed in by Shariff.

The visitors enjoyed a spell where they did create a couple of half chances around the half hour mark but an excellent defensive header by Jordan Williams prevented Kenedi Dariri steering home an Elijah Worrell free kick and a brave block by Julien Saka ensured that Alessandro Wisdom’s powerful effort from just outside the box was deflected wide.

With half time approaching Ives lifted themselves again in search of a second. Dylan Williams glanced a header wide from a Kaziboni cross only seconds before Shariff doubled the lead with a powerful header from by the penalty spot right on the break. Kaziboni was again the provider as he outpaced Louis Dillon down the right before serving up the inviting cross that Shariff steered into the bottom corner.

The same pair combined to kill the game six minutes after the re-start as Kaziboni powered past the struggling Dillon again to get to the bye line before picking out Shariff on the six yard line. His first effort was blocked but he made no mistake from the follow up firing home left footed to complete his second hat trick of the season.

From that point Ives controlled the game well moving the ball around smoothly on the excellent quattro tech Westwood Road surface. To give them their due the visitor’s heads did not go down and they continued to battle and created a few half chances of their own as Ives took their foot off the gas. 

In 53^rd minute Sa-Sean Lutumba and George Okoye combined well to work a shooting opportunity for Wisdom but Saka was again on hand to execute his second brave block of the game. Home keeper James Goff had to make his first routine save of the afternoon just after the hour as he comfortably held Okoye’s 25 yarder. Lutumba and Okoye seemed to be the main threat from the visitors and they combined again to get into Ives box in 68^th minute. The move ending with Okoye firing high and wide from a narrow angle.

Goff was called upon to make his only real save of the game fifteen minutes from time. Blues substitute Timothy Monsheju received a ball inside from Dillon just outside Ives box. A clever side step and a well struck right foot drive was heading for the bottom corner but Goff was alert to the danger plunging full length low to his right to grasp the ball.

That scare and the introduction of substitutes with something to prove lifted the hosts again and they once more moved up through the gears to take complete control of the remainder of the game. Tyrone Baker now operating on the left was taking every opportunity to run at the tiring Blues defence. In the 78^th minute his probing run allowed him to draw out defenders and feed in Shariff one on one with the keeper but Bhamra did well making a good save low to his right to keep the ball out. That resulted in three corners in quick succession for Ives. Jordan Williams got the ball in the net from the third of those but the “goal” was struck off as Enoch Andoh was rightly deemed to be interfering with play in an offside position as he jumped over the ball just in front of the keeper.

Keeper Bhamra was very busy in these closing stages and three minutes later he did very well to stretch out his right hand diving full length to just tip a low cross from the right by Andoh away from the waiting boot of Shariff. A more routine save followed seconds later as he comfortably held a 25 yard rising drive from Baker.

The final substitute used by Ives was Ethan Johnston and he opened his account for the season with almost his first touch of the game. Andoh was causing havoc down the right and he sprinted past the struggling Remi Nelson to get to the bye line before serving the ball on a plate to the fast arriving Johnston who accepted the gift and slammed home from six yards to complete a very satisfactory day for the Ives.

For the first time in three years Ives supporters will be eagerly listening out for the 2^nd Qualifying Round draw on Monday lunch time, lets hope for another home tie.

Final Score: St Ives Town  4  Barking  0   

Goals: 

ST IVES: Shariff 25, 45 & 51, Johnston 86

BARKING: 

Team Line Ups:

ST IVES: Goff, Sheriff, Saka, Cowling, J. Williams, Milne, Kaziboni (Andoh 76), Hottor, Edwards (Baker 68), D. Williams (capt), Shariff (Johnston 83), Unused subs: Osei-Bonsu

BARKING: Bhamra, Folan, Lutumba, Dillon, Dickens, Worrell (capt) (Monsheju 65), Dariri, Shaban (Ogunrinde 19), Okoye, Wisdom (Fairhead 76), Unused subs: Baker, O’Brien, Age

Cards: Yellow: ST IVES:  Sheriff (48)    BARKING: none

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH:  Nabil Shariff

Attendance: 201

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook.