Match Report

St Ives Town v Hitchin Town

Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central  04-02-2023

Both sides played their part in this cracking game that ultimately swung the way of the Ives courtesy of skipper Michael Richens powerful header to force home Johnny Herd’s in-swinging corner deep in added time. There had been plenty of entertainment at quattro tech Westwood Road ahead of that late winner with three goals in pulsating first half which had seen Ives go in front in 17^th minute when Ben Toseland’s near post flick to another Herd corner had been deflected past his own keeper by a Hitchin defender. The Canaries levelled things up in 34^th minute thanks to Ashley Hay’s well taken back post header that turned in a Layne Eadie corner from the left. But Ives were back in front two minutes later when Enoch Andoh cleverly rounded the visitors keeper to claim arguably the goal of the game. 

Ives defended resolutely throughout the second half only for it to look like they had thrown away two points when James Dadge was caught out by Diogo Freitas-Gouveia’s long range free kick. But the skipper was on hand to send the home crowd into raptures with that late, late header.

Home manager Ricky Marheineke made three changes to the starting eleven from the team that battled so hard at league leaders Tamworth on Tuesday evening. The first one was an enforced one with Callum Milne recalled to the centre of defence to replace the suspended Jordan Williams. The other two more tactical with fit again Myles Cowling replacing Ed Hottor in the centre of the park and Tyrone Baker recalled in place of Kieran Higgs wide on the left. Canaries manager Mark Burke made two enforced changes to his starting eleven following with the visitors 0 – 0 draw with Bedford. Jack Morell and Josh Coldicott-Stevens coming in for the injured Ciaren Jones and Steve Gleeson respectively.

The game started brightly with both sides firing in early shots just off target inside the first three minutes. The visitors then came agonisingly close to going in front in 9^th minute as Hay bustled his way through Ives back line before unleashing a powerful effort from just outside the box that beat Dadge but rattled the crossbar. Bradley Bell was following up and his attempt from the rebound was deflected wide. Centre back Lewis Barker managed to lose his man inside the box to get on the end of the resulting corner but directed his header straight into the hands of the well positioned Dadge.

Ives first effort on target arrived four minutes later as Richens powered through the right channel before delivering the ball into the box. It found a way through to Baker beyond the back post and he exchanged passes with Cowling before firing in a rising shot from a narrow angle that was straight at Charlie Horlock in the visitors goal.

The hosts kept up the pressure and almost got in front two minutes later when Milne rose above his marker at the back post to get on the end of a Baker corner from the left. He directed his header down well and it took an excellent diving stop from Horlock to just prevent the ball crossing the line. But the keeper had no chance seconds later as Toseland arrived at the near post to flick on Herd’s corner. The ball struck a defender inside the six yard box and ricocheted past the startled Horlock.

The Canaries were still very much still in the game and went close to an equaliser in 26^th minute when Dadge failed to hold onto a driven cross from the right by ex Ives man Jack Snelus. Hay pounced on the loose ball, before the keeper could recover it, but fired over the top from close range. The visitors kept pushing forward and it took a very good save from Dadge to deny them in 33^rd minute. A fierce 30 yarder from Morell was destined for the bottom corner only to be kept out by the keeper’s diving save low to his right. The resulting corner was delivered to the near post where it was initially blocked but Freitas-Gouveia hooked it back into the mix at the back post where Hay rose highest to force the ball home.

But the parity between the two sides only remained for two minutes when Richens won the ball in the centre of the park and knocked it to Cowling who powered through before feeding in the run of Andoh who outpaced the defence before cleverly rounding the exposed Horlock and rolling the ball home from a narrow angle.

Burke made a change at half time with Finley Wilkinson replacing Ex Ives striker Jack Snelus and it was the visitors who started the second half on the front foot and in an early period of pressure Coldicott-Stevens and Bell both had shots blocked before the ball was eventually cleared. Fortunately for Ives Freitas-Gouveia and Bell got in each other’s way as they tried to force home a deep Eadie cross from the left in 50^th minute.

Ives continued to look dangerous from dead ball situations and Milne headed another Herd corner inches over in 53^rd minute. But play quickly swung back to the other end and Frietas-Gouveia went close from 20 yards on the hour. Paddy Casey did brilliantly to block a fierce drive from just inside the box by Eadie three minutes later. 

The visitors continued to pick up free kicks inside Ives half but the hosts generally dealt well with these with their only real scare being in 66^th minute when Freitas-Gouveia delivered a teasing ball to the back post where Lewis Barker rose highest but could only direct his header wide from ten yards.

The pace and trickery of Andoh was still causing problems at the other end and with a little more composure he could perhaps have done better than scatter the supporters beside the goal with his fierce shot from just inside the box after he had been fed in by substitute Kieran Higgs. An even better chance to kill the game came Ives way with fifteen minutes to go. Jonny Edwards rose at the near post to flick on a Herd long throw and the ball arrived at the feet of the unmarked Milne at the back post. But as Horlock came to close him down the centre back flicked the ball past him but it drifted inches over the angle of crossbar and post.

Dadge was almost caught out by an error when taking a free kick from the left touchline in 78^th minute. Not striking the ball cleanly it fell to the feet of Bell 60 yards from goal and he took on the shot, fortunately he did not get sufficient power, or accuracy in it and the young Ives keeper was able to quickly recover his ground and make the save.

With time ticking down it was beginning to look like Ives were going to claim a hard earned three points only for Freitas-Gouveia to catch out Dadge from a 35 yard free kick with three minutes of the ninety remaining. The young keeper only lined up a two man wall and took position at the back post anticipating that the ball would be delivered into the box. But Freitas-Gouveia seized his opportunity and went for goal beating the scrambling keeper low to his left to apparently snatch a point for the Canaries.

But Ives had other ideas and they were the side looking for a winner in the added four minutes. Herd came forward to hurl another projectile into the box where Edwards again won the flick but the ball was eventually scrambled clear. The very next attack won a corner on the right which Herd delivered perfectly to the edge of the six yard box where Richens timed his run to perfection to meet the ball cleanly and force it home to spark wild celebrations amongst the Ives faithful and claim maximum reward against a top six team for the first time this season. 

The only black cloud on an otherwise sunny afternoon was the six bookings picked up for a variety of offences that will incur a hefty club fine from the FA.

Richens claimed the man of the match accolade from those behind the goal with Andoh a very worthy runner up and a special mention to Milne recalled into the side after an absence of a month he did an excellent job as the kingpin of a back four that were at times stretched by the pace and movement of the Canaries front line but generally held firm.

Final Score:  St Ives Town   3   Hitchin Town  2 

Goals: 

ST IVES: Toseland 17, Andoh 36, Richens 90+2

HITCHIN: Hay 34, Freitas-Gouveia 87

Team Line Ups:

ST IVES: Dadge, Casey, Herd, Richens (capt), Milne, Toseland, Andoh (Hottor 90), Cowling, Edwards, Hickinson (Higgs 62), Baker (Kaziboni 72), Unused subs: Johnson, Johnston

HITCHIN: Horlock (capt), Bell, Eadie (Dasilva 68), Syme, Morrell, Barker, Freitas-Gouveia, Coldicott-Stevens (Allen 76), Hay, Idiakhoa, Snelus (Wilkinson 46), Unused subs: Georgiou, Crawley 

Cards: Yellow:  ST IVES:  Casey (10), Hickinson (40), Toseland (43), Dadge (61), Andoh (87), Richens (90+5)      HITCHIN: Coldicott-Stevens (24), Idiakhoa (77)

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH:  Michael Richens 

Attendance:  289

Match report by Nigel Howlett. Interview by Andrew Dunn. Video highlights by Ollie Jones. Photos by Louise Thompson.