Match Report

St Ives Town v Tamworth 

BetVictor Southern Premier Central – 10-08-19

Match Sponsor – Cambridge Sensotec 

Match Ball Sponsor – Dynascan Ltd

Bookmakers are rarely far wrong so the point earned from this game by Danny Kelly’s excellent strike just after the half hour may well prove to be an excellent point against this seasons favourites to win the title. 

Last season Ives completed the double against the Lambs but it was clear from the off that the big spending visitors were in no mood to allow the hosts to extend that run. An early foul by Jarvis Wilson on Dan Creaney allowed Ryan Beswick to flash a free kick from the left across the face of goal with none of the inrushing forwards able to get the vital touch to force it home. 

A rash lunging tackle 25 yards from goal by Tom Wood just before the quarter hour mark allowed Beswick to set his sights for goal and the Lambs skipper stunned the home crowd to silence as he cleverly used the wind to curl his well struck free kick over the wall, just beyond the grasping fingers of Martin Conway and into the top left hand corner of the net via the underside of the crossbar.

Ives were giving away a lot of free kicks in these early stages which was allowing the visitors to load the box at every opportunity. It took an acrobatic save from Conway to keep the deficit to one in 24^th minute as Creaney pounced on a poor defensive header from an under pressure Wilson and slammed in a shot from inside the D that Conway did very well to tip onto the crossbar. 

The hosts were slowly working their way back into the game and won their first corner of the afternoon in 28^th minute, but it almost cost them a goal. Ty Ward’s corner was well won in the box by Charlie Johnson but his header was straight at Lambs keeper Jas Singh. Singh had the foresight to release the ball immediately and his wind assisted kick almost put Rhys Hoenes clear fortunately Conway was on his toes to sprint from his line and head the bouncing ball clear just ahead of the visitor’s striker.

Referee Oliver Morris-Sanders was having an excellent game keeping the lid on a contest that was constantly on the boil without resorting to flashing his cards. He was also spot on with most of the decisions he was making and was very alert to spot that Joseph Magunda had allowed the ball to bounce up and hit his hand as he tried to control Chris Cox’s simple throw in back to him by the corner flag on the half hour. Ward delivered the resulting free kick deep beyond the far box where a late arriving Wilson rose high above his marker to head the ball down into the box. Kelly showed excellent technique to get over the bouncing ball and slam it home through a crowd of defenders from by the penalty spot.

Having got level it was now Ives turn to enjoy a purple patch five minutes later the very busy Jack Snelus fizzed a 25 yarder inches over the top. The chance had been created by Snelus’s equally hard working strike partner Ezra Forde who showed an excellent touch to knock down a clip through the centre into his fellow strikers feet the dipping effort had Singh scrambling to cover it and mighty relieved that it just cleared his crossbar.

With half time fast approaching it was Ives turn to load their opponents box and Singh struggled to deal with Robbie Parker’s hanging free kick missing with his attempted punch as he came through the crowd and thankful for the assistance of Magunda who just managed to head it away. But Snelus kept the ball alive on the left and delivered it back to the near post where Johnson slid in to direct it just wide from close range.

There was still time for Forde to fail to take a golden opportunity to send Ives in to the break a goal to the good as Magunda misjudged a ball down the middle allowing the striker to get clear he went for the shot early and hit his left footed effort from just inside the box a little to cleanly as it cannoned to safety off the body of the exposed Singh.

Both sides came out after the break determined to go in search of all three points and it was the visitors who went close to going back in front in 52^nd minute as the tricky Ahmed Obeng cut in from the left and teed up James Fry whose clever clip over Conway from the edge of the box looked goal bound until Johnson covered around behind his keeper to head the ball off the goal line. Creaney climbed highest to the resulting corner but could only direct his header straight at Conway who held on well at the second attempt.

Ten minutes later Ives went one better as they get the ball in the net from their first corner of the second half Ward’s low flag kick to the near post is cleverly flicked into the mix by Ben Jackson but the assistant on the far side ruled that the ball had struck Wood’s arm as he bundled it into the feet of Kelly who forced it over the line from close range but was probably in an offside position even if the flag had not already gone up for the handball.

The end to end action continued and it was Lambs turn to go close again in 68^th minute as substitute Tyrell Waite showed his pace to get around the outside of Jackson on the left. His driven shot from the angle was pushed away by Conway and Bilal Yafai following up should probably have done better as he only succeeded in scooping the loose ball over the top under heavy pressure from Ives defenders.

Ives made a substitution of their own six minutes later as Ben Seymour-Shove replaced the tiring Forde and the busy wide man had an almost instant impact as he harried and robbed Lathaniel Rowe-Turner wide on the left forcing the defender to bring him down. Wood got in front of his marker to win the header from the resulting free kick but powered his effort wide of the near post.

With three minutes of the ninety remaining Kelly failed to make the most of an Ives free kick from an excellent position after Snaith had been bundled over by Rowe-Turner in a central position 25 yards from goal. Kelly beat the wall with his free kick but sent it straight into the grateful arms of the waiting Singh.

With the game now entering added time both sides still continued to go in search of a winner and each had a chance to grab it. Ives went first in 92^nd minute as Snelus and Seymour-Shove combined well to work the latter a shooting position from inside the box but the Ives sub screwed his effort well wide from a narrow angle.

In the last of the added four minutes at the other end Cox found himself a little bit of space on the right and curled in a cross that Yafai hurled himself at but his header from ten yards flew well over the top to leave honours even.

Overall an entertaining opener and a well earned point for the Ives although the jury is still out on whether or not the bookmakers are going to be right that the Lambs will be in top spot come next April, we shall see.   

The games come thick and fast at this stage of the season and a Tuesday evening trip to Lowestoft is next up for Ives. But the early verdict is that Ives have the making of a very good team the four debutants in this game have all added quality to the side and whilst the overall ethos must remain hard work and discipline the addition of a little bit of artistry as well promises much.

Final Score : St Ives Town  1  Tamworth  1 

Goals : Kelly 31

St Ives team : Conway, Jackson, Ward, Jarvis Wilson, Kelly, Johnson, Wood, Parker (capt), Forde (Seymour-Shove 74), Snelus, Clifton (Snaith 83)

Unused subs : Coulson, De’ath & Dylan Wilson

Man of match : Tom Wood

Attendance  :  271

Match report by Nigel Howlett, Video by Dave Hook. Photos by Louise Thompson.