St Ives Town v Royston Town

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Match Report

St Ives Town v Royston Town

Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central  26-12-2022

There was little festive cheer for Ives as their near neighbours Royston came and did a very effective job on them courtesy of what a number of their travelling faithful were eager to tell us was the Crows best second half performance of the season. 

The opening 45 minutes of this game was one where it looked like both sides were simply working off any Christmas excess they may have partaken of the day before. Neither side registered a legitimate shot on target in a half that I would challenge anyone but the most ardent statistician to remember at all. I will list my notes on the action below, but most of these are pushing the point a little to really be called highlights.

First chance of the game in seventh minute fell to the visitors but the way that it was spurned gave us a good insight of what was to follow. Cole Dasilva delivered a long ball into the box from the right that evaded everyone in the centre and arrived at the feet of Connor Furlong at the back post. But he was perhaps as surprised as everyone else that the ball had got through to him and rather than shoot allowed it to bounce of his shins and straight into the hands of a grateful James Goff in the Ives goal. Goff had to be much more alert to deny the same player in 16th minute racing off his line at full speed to just pip Furlong to a long ball out of defence after Ives skipper Michael Richens had fired a 30 yard free kick straight into the Crows three man wall.

The third chance of the game arrived exactly midway through that first period and it to fell to the visitors. Richens was adjudged to have brought down Nathan Tshikuna 25 yards from goal in a central position. The tricky midfielder picked himself up and went for goal with the free kick, although he beat the Ives wall with his effort it did not trouble Goff as it sailed well over the crossbar. Another opportunity from a free kick came along on the half hour after Dylan Williams was robbed inside his own half by Tshikuna who was again upended by the covering Richens. This time Alfie Williams was given the responsibility from the resulting free kick. He got a little closer than his team mate but still failed to hit the target.

The hosts carved out their first chance two minutes later after Callum Milne galloped down the left past Dasilva before delivering a teasing cross to the back post where a stretching Enoch Andoh was unable to keep his effort down. Ives thought that they had got their noses in front five minutes before the break only to be denied by an assistant’s upraised flag. Kieran Higgs was brought down just outside the box in a wide left position. Richens delivered a perfectly weighted clip to the back post where an unmarked Milne was lurking. His powerful header from close range gave Crows keeper Louis Chadwick no chance but the host’s celebration was cut short as Milne had gained the space by starting from an offside position.

Ives were almost caught out on the counter attack as many of their players were still out of position when the resulting free kick was delivered down the park giving Matt Bateman chance to run at the defence and he was only stopped by a desperate challenge from Richens that earned the Ives skipper the game’s first yellow card. Taking one for the team to prevent Bateman getting clear proved worthwhile though as Tshikuna overhit the resulting free kick and the ball sailed out for a goal kick.

The Crows had been forced into an early substitution in 25th minute with centre back Will Hall limping out of the game to be replaced by Adam Murray. They made a second, perhaps more tactical change at the break with Shaun Keane joining the action to replace Joel Nakatani-Brown.

A spark of Ives usual style saw them put together a flowing move five minutes after the re-start that saw the ball passed through the Crows from one end of the pitch to the other, unfortunately the move ended with Richens pulling his effort from 25 yards well wide of keeper Chadwick’s right hand post. Ives supporters in the large Boxing Day crowd were hopeful that was to be a sign of things to come. But those hopes were very soon dashed as only five minutes later the visitors went ahead in the simplest fashion with a goal that Ives will be very disappointed to concede. Tshikuna delivered his in-swinging corner from the left to the back post where Murray had somehow ghosted in completely unmarked to power home a header from close range.

The Crows could not believe their luck and almost managed to double their lead only seconds later as the Ives defence which still seemed to be more focused on arguing with the match officials than stopping a Royston attack allowed a long ball down the centre to bounce letting Bateman run through. Goff came to meet him but the centre forward beat the keeper to the ball and took it down before attempting to shoot. Centre back Jordan Williams saved Ives blushes by getting around behind his keeper and clearing the shot off the line.

The visitors now had the wind in their sails and were well on top and were winning all the important tackles and looking at least half a yard faster than their out of sorts hosts. With Tshikuna and Furlong pulling the strings more chances to add to the lead started to arrive. In 61st minute the former threaded a pass through Ives back line to put Bateman clear again but this time an assistant’s upraised flag prevented him putting the ball in the net. Keeper Goff was Ives saviour two minutes later as he leapt high to his right to keep out a Bateman header after Furlong had got down the right before picking out his centre forward with a delicate clip to the back post.

The keeper produced an even better double save with 20 minutes to go as another Tshikuna corner was only half cleared to Furlong who struck a sweet low drive from just inside the box that Goff did brilliantly to keep out diving full length to his left to block with a firm hand. Instantly up he was also in perfect position to block the follow up effort from Shomari Barnwell at point blank range.

A sporadic Ives raid only 90 seconds later saw Jonny Edwards force Chadwick into his only meaningful save of the afternoon as the Crows keeper leapt high to tip over the centre forward’s powerful effort from 25 yards.

The game was effectively killed off by the visitors two minutes later as Furlong again jinked his way down the right before cutting inside and whipping in the perfect inviting cross to the edge of the six yard box where Barnwell met it perfectly to power his header past Goff.

Jonny Edwards was one man who was certainly not about to concede defeat and he went close to setting up an exciting last 13 minutes when he received a ball inside from Kieran Higgs before powering his way into the heart of the Crows defence and unleashing a curling effort that Chadwick could only admire as it flashed past him, thudded into his left hand post and rebounded to safety.

Had that gone in a barn storming finish may have been on the cards from the hosts but it did not and the visitors were soon back in control and it was they who went closest to increasing their advantage in the closing stages. Three minutes from time Alfie Williams was fed in by Barnwell only for his control to let him down inside the box. The final chance of the game in added time was perhaps fittingly set up by Furlong who went past substitute Johnny Herd with ease before looking for a colleague with his pull back. Myles Cowling did well to cut out the intended pass but his block sent the ball towards goal where fortunately for the young midfielder Jordan Williams was again on hand to complete his second goal line clearance of the game.

The Crows first win in five moves them up to join Ives on 27 points in thirteenth and fourteenth positions respectively, both five points clear of the relegation zone in a very tight division at almost the half way point of the season. Getting a result at rock bottom Diamonds on 2nd January now looks an essential for Ives but that will not be an easy game as their hosts will no doubt be boosted by the arrival of new manager Chris Nunn.

Final Score:  St Ives Town  0  Royston Town  2

Goals: 

ST IVES: 

ROYSTON: Murray 55, Barnwell 74

Team Line Ups:

ST IVES: Goff, Milne, Casey, Richards (capt) (Herd 86), J. Williams, Johnson, Higgs, Shariff, Edwards, D. Williams (Baker 74), Andoh (Cowling 63), Unused subs: Lewis, Hottor 

ROYSTON: Chadwick, Dasilva, Nakatani-Brown (Keane 46), Bell-Toxtle, Henry (capt), Hall (Murray 25), Furlong, Tshikuna, Bateman (Harness 74), A. Williams, Barnwell, Unused subs: Mentis 

Cards: Yellow:  ST IVES: Richens (42), J. Williams (68), Cowling (79), Shariff (84)                    ROYSTON: Murray (55) 

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH:  James Goff

Attendance:  317

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Ollie Jones. Photos by Louise Thompson.

 

St Ives Town

1James Goff Goalkeeper
2Callum Milne Defender
3Patrick Casey Defender
4Michael Richens 12 Midfielder 42'
5Jordan Williams Defender 68'
6Charlie Johnson Defender
7Kieran Higgs Winger
8Nabil Shariff Striker 84'
9Jonathan Edwards Striker
10Dylan Williams 14 Midfielder
11Enoch Andoh 15 Winger
12Johnny Herd 4 Defender
14Tyrone Baker 10 Winger
15Myles Cowling 11 Midfielder 79'
Goals
0
2
Yellow Cards
4
1
Red Cards
0
0
MOM
1
0

Details

Date Time League Season Full Time
December 26, 2022 13:00 Southern League Premier Division Central 2022-23 90'

Results

Club1st HalfFinal Score
St Ives Town00
Royston Town02