Match Report

St Ives Town v Huntingdon Town 

Huntingdonshire FA Senior Cup – Quarter Final  01-11-2022

Despite the gallant efforts of their step six opponents injury hit Ives cantered through to semi-finals of Hunts FA Senior Cup. With Tyrone Baker joining the long list of players on the treatment table, Kane Lewis and Michael Richens rested there was a first start for the hosts for 21 year old London based right back Lewis Lembikisa. The visitors gave a debut to ex St Neots Town striker Julinho Gomes and otherwise made two changes from the starting line up from Saturdays League defeat against Norwich CBS. 

The game started very quietly with both sides seemingly happy to just move the ball around on the rain slickened quattro-tech Westwood Road surface. Enoch Andoh had tested out his marker a couple of times down the left before leaving Jay Chilvers in his wake as he sprinted away to deliver the games first shot in 15^th minute. His prod at goal from just inside the box forced Hunters keeper Conor Barton into his first save of the night reacting well to tip the rising effort over the top.

The Ives had been on top and looked very comfortable without really creating much threat. That changed in 24^th minute when Ravi Shamsi showed his class to thread an inch perfect ball into the run of Andoh. The tricky winger was taken down by the struggling Chilvers just outside the box. The free kick was perhaps a little to close to get the ball up and down over the wall so Jonny Edwards went for power instead but his well struck effort cannoned off the Hunters six man wall. The loose ball was fed back into the mix where it struck the arm of Lil Francisco to give Ives another opportunity. This one was further out just outside the D setting up a perfect opportunity for Shamsi who found the top corner past the outstretched arms of Barton to open the scoring on the evening and his account for his new club.

The goal lifted Ives to change up a gear for a short period of time during which Andoh again went close with a strike from just outside the box that Barton clung onto well and Ed Hottor fired one of trade mark 30 yard screamers but this one flew just over the top. Barton produced another excellent save to deny Shariff four minutes before the break after the Ives striker had been fed in by Johnny Herd.

Home keeper James Goff had been enjoying a very quiet evening until the visitors managed to fashion a quick break out just ninety seconds before half time. The move ended with Charlie Minchella teeing up Mario Neves for a clean strike from just outside the box. But Goff showed that he had kept his concentration during his long periods of inactivity as he leapt high to his right to paw the effort away and preserve Ives slender advantage at the interval.

Lembikisa’s debut for the Ives only lasted 45 minutes as he was replaced by Lewis at the interval. It was also a much more purposeful hosts that started the second half and within four minutes they had doubled their advantage. Shariff was brought down wide on the right by Francisco giving Shamsi chance to deliver another ball into the box, and it was right on the money, met cleanly by Shariff just outside the six yard box. His powerful header was brilliantly kept out by Barton but Edwards was on hand to slam home the loose ball before anyone else could react.

Now it was all Ives with the hosts harrying their visitors into errors in dangerous areas. The third goal arrived in 66^th minute as Shariff harried and robbed a dallying Francisco inside his own box before calmly rounding Barton and rolling the ball into the empty net.

It was almost four two minutes later as the hapless visitors again lost possession deep in their own territory. This time the ball was fed back to Dylan Williams fully forty yards from goal. Seeing keeper Barton off his line he went for an audacious chip that beat the struggling Barton but sailed wide on the strong breeze.

By the time the game entered its closing stages the hard working visitors were running out of steam and the pressure on their goal became incessant. It could so easily have been four in 79^th minute as Shamsi fed in Andoh cutting in from the right. His powerful shot was brilliantly saved by the diving Barton who recovered his position well to block Shariff’s follow up with his legs. 

Two more chances came and went in 81^st minute as initially Edwards low cross from the right was turned just wide by a fast arriving Andoh in the centre. The ball was quickly returned down the left from the goal kick and Williams showed his pace against tiring defenders to get to the bye line and deliver a teasing cross that was met by Shariff but his header deflected wide off a defender. But the Ives striker was not to be denied his second for long as the resulting Shamsi corner dropped in the six yard box and the first man to react was Shariff who prodded the ball home with all looking on.

The dam had now really broken and two more goals followed in quick succession. Shariff was involved again in 88^th minute as he held up the ball well before feeding in Shamsi cutting in from the right. Ives new striker made no mistake firing across Barton and into the far corner of the net to claim his second of the night.

The final act of the evening saw Shariff complete his hat trick with the last kick of the game. Andoh tore into the heart of the visitors back line and scythed a route through it before unselfishly knocking the ball sideways to Shariff by the penalty spot. His shot took a deflection off a defender before looping into the net past the bemused Barton but there is absolutely no doubt it was the striker’s goal.

So even with a weakened team the holders march on in the cup in very emphatic style without ever really getting out of second gear. There are 63 places between these two sides in the football pyramid and for all Huntingdon’s gallant efforts I am afraid that gap really did show. Good things from the evening were no further injuries were picked up, Nabil Shariff got back to scoring form and Ravi Shamsi got in his first full ninety minutes for a long time, hopefully without any reaction. The semi-final should come around in January and we wait to see who we get out of the hat. 

Final Score: St Ives Town  6  Huntingdon Town  0

Goals: 

ST IVES: Shamsi 26 & 88, Edwards 49, Shariff 66, 84 & 90

HUNTINGDON: 

Team Line Ups:

ST IVES: Goff, Lembikisa (Lewis 46), Herd, Hottor, Johnson, Milne, Andoh, Shariff, Edwards, D. Williams, Shamsi, Unused subs: Richens

HUNTINGDON: Barton, Adams, McSkelly, Francisco, Chilvers (capt), Arnold, Minchella (Waterworth 60), Neves (Nicholson 60), Gomes, Stringer, Rhaman (Shortland 67), Unused subs: Venters

Cards: Yellow: ST IVES:  none   HUNTINGDON:  none

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Nabil Shariff 

Attendance: 102 

Match report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Ollie Jones. Photos by Louise Thompson