Match Report

St Ives Town U18s 3 Wisbech St Mary U18s 0

Thurlow Nunn Youth League – Western Division  08-10-18

An inspired goalkeeping display from visiting stopper Ash Clarke and some erratic Ives finishing ensured that the goal scoring in this one sided affair was amazingly completed by 23^rd minute.

The hosts tore into their bottom of the table visitors right from the off and Zak Hope fired a very early chance inches over the top with only ninety seconds on the clock. The young winger did not take long to make amends as he scored in the very next attack. Billy Mobbs cleverly fed the ball into him inside the penalty area and Hope unleashed a first time right footed effort from fifteen yards that deceived keeper Clarke and just trickled inside the far post in spite of the efforts of Will Pentelow to keep it out.

Hope showed his explosive pace to return the compliment for Mobbs five minutes later. The speedy wide man burst down the left flank leaving two defenders in his wake got to the bye line then showed his composure as he picked out Mobbs in space just inside the box. The Ives striker showed equal composure as he picked his spot side footing the ball into the bottom corner of the net beyond the despairing dive of Clarke.

The visitors were now in complete disarray and Hope should have made it 3-0 only two minutes later a ball in from the right by Thomas Wakley created panic in the Wisbech box and attempts to clear ricocheted off other defenders before the ball eventually fell to Hope by the penalty spot. He struck his effort well but was denied by Clarke in unorthodox style as the ball deflected wide off the keeper’s outstretched leg.

Kai Bradley was making his competitive debut in goal for the Ives and apart from fielding a few tame long range efforts he had little to do. His only real action of the first half came in 18^th minute as he sprinted from his line to get to a through ball just ahead of Arran Buckley who looked like getting clear.

Hope continued to cause havoc in the Wisbech back line and another pacey run to the bye line and accurate pull back created a well taken third goal that was emphatically finished from eight yards by Wakley in 23^rd minute. 

Ives continued to pressurize their struggling opponents and it looked like more goals were guaranteed as the pace and movement of Hope, Mobbs and Wakley was carving regular openings in the Wisbech back line. In 28^th minute Mobbs cleverly turned his marker and sprinted away down the right cutting inside and firing an effort from just inside the box that flashed just wide of the far post.

Substitute Connor Gibbs got in on the act within seconds of coming on in 33^rd minute as he picked up a ball in the centre circle and drove into the heart of the Wisbech back line playing a one two with Mobbs to go clear into the box but a slightly heavy touch allowed Clarke to close him down and the keeper made an excellent block with his legs at point black range.

Mobbs failed to finish two more good opportunities before the break. In 38^th minute he ran into the gap between wall and defence to get on the end of a clever George Cawte free kick. He had a clear shot on goal from 15 yards but did not get a clean contact allowing keeper Clarke to initially parry the effort and then pounce on the loose ball.

Clarke’s save to deny Mobbs again right on the half time whistle was either a fantastic reaction save, or perhaps a little fortunate. Joe Purse threaded a ball down the left to put Hope away again this time his ball to the edge of the six yard box picked out Mobbs arriving at pace but with the whole goal to aim at Mobbs managed to hit Clarke with his effort and the ball deflected wide off the body of the keeper.

Everyone was expecting more goals to come after the break and Ives came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders as a flowing move was finished with Purse feeding the ball into the feet of Wakley on the edge of the box. His clever touch put in Mobbs again and once more the Ives striker was denied by keeper Clarke as the Wisbech custodian spread himself to knock the ball away with his outstretched leg.

At this point in the game it almost seemed to be Clarke versus the Ives front line and the keeper was winning. In 51^st minute another flowing Ives move was finished with Mobbs setting up Hope for a shot on goal from just inside the box but again Clarke was equal to the effort parrying the powerful strike away.

Clarke was beaten two minutes later but the woodwork came to his aid as Wakley played in Mobbs for a left footed effort from the edge of the box that beat the diving keeper but deflected to safety of the outside of his right hand upright.

The woodwork again denied Ives in 58^th minute as Hope skinned Ryan Chilton by the corner flag before cutting in and going for goal from a narrow angle. The sheer power of the effort beat Clarke but for the second time in five minutes the ball thudded the upright and rebounded to safety.

Shay Griffiths had replaced Bradley in the Ives goal at half time and like his predecessor Griffiths was more an interested spectator than an active participant in the second half. His one noteworthy involvement came in 65^th minute when his clever distribution picked out Mobbs in space on the right a swift one two with Wakey down the wing then saw the ball pulled back to Hope 20 yards from goal his well struck effort just scraped over the crossbar and another chance was gone.

The pace began to drop out of the game as substitutes rolled on and off and Ives appeared to settle on their comfortable lead. There was only one more noteworthy chance and it fell to the hardworking Mobbs in 79^th minute. Ives skipper Mitchell Pillin met a goal kick on the half way line and his powerful header back into Wisbech territory was chased by Mobbs. The Ives striker beat the onrushing Clarke to the bouncing ball and although he managed to get it past the exposed stopper it sailed a couple of feet wide of the post.

We all thought that the Wisbech boys would tire as the game wore on but to their great credit the visitors continued to battle right to the end and can take some positives from their performance throughout the second half. Ives on the other hand must learn to be much more clinical against such sides. This was an opportunity to get their goal difference back on track after the Deeping defeat, but it was sadly missed!. 

Final Score  :  St Ives Town U18  3  Wisbech St Mary U18  0  

Goals : Hope 6, Mobbs 11, Wakley 23

St Ives team : Bradley (Griffiths 45), Bald (Frans 56), Mitkov, Cawte, Paine, Pillin (capt), Wakley, Purse (Assuncao 56), Mobbs, Garlick (Gibbs 32), Hope

Other subs roll on roll off : Garlick for Cawte 68, Bald for Mitkov 82, Cawte for Mobbs 82

Unused Subs : Stork

Attendance  : 59

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.