AFC Telford United 3 v St Ives Town 1
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 23-11-2024
Nigel Howlett reports from the New Bucks Head Stadium
A poor start cost Ives this fixture as they were completely blown away by their host’s three goal burst in the first 25 minutes. But two of those goals have to go down as errors from two of the most experienced players in the visitor’s side. As it turned out Ives showed real character in the second half with Josh Allen opening his account five minutes after the restart to give them a sniff and it then took two superb saves from home keeper Brandon Hall to prevent them grabbing a very unlikely point.
With skipper Alex Collard serving a one game ban having clocked up five yellow cards manager Ricky Marheineke pulled Will Glennon back into the centre of a back three with youngster Albie O’Keefe returning into the centre of midfield. Even with Collard missing this still felt like a good time to face the inconsistent Bucks coming off two losses in a row and Storm Bert blowing a gale through the West Midlands.
Ives started with the gale and driving rain at their backs but it was the hosts who started on the front foot with Matty Stenson heading over Ricardo Dinanga’s clip from the right only ninety seconds in.
The visitors only real opportunity in what turned into a torrid first half for them came in forth minute. Allen tried to feed in Amir Hadi through the centre with the powerful centre forward being taken down clumsily just outside the box by Orrin Pendley. Johnson Gyamfi curled his free kick precisely around the hosts four man wall but with keeper Hall beaten the ball flashed inches outside his left hand post.
From that point on the Bucks took over and they went in front three minutes later. Remi Walker curled a dangerous cross from the right into the danger zone between keeper and defenders. Jordan Williams stretched to try and cut it out but only succeeded in knocking the ball onto his own post. Stenson was first to react to bundle the loose ball home from close range.
It was 2-0 in 17th minute as Stenson timed his run to perfection to glance Walker’s near post corner past Dan Wilks from close range. Only sixty seconds later it probably should have been three as Stenson brought down a long ball and fed it into the feet of Dinanga on the edge of the box. He in turn shuffled it on to Jakub Kruczybski who beat Wilks from eight yards with a fierce drive that rebounded off the post.
Stenson was searching for his hat trick and it took a brilliant sliding block from Benji Mensah to stop him claiming it midway through the first half. The Bucks centre forward strode through the centre to latch onto a long ball over the top which held up on the breeze. He looked to be clear only for the speedy Mensah to come sliding in to bravely block the shot away.
A flowing Bucks move almost made it three in 24th minute. The move ending with Walker playing Dinanga in through the left channel. It took an excellent diving save from Wilks to keep out the number ten’s crisp low drive from just inside the box. The big Ives keeper came out powerfully to punch away Jordan Cranston’s resulting corner but he was left red faced seconds later as Walker was allowed time and space to fire in an effort from fully thirty yards that squirmed through the keepers fingers and trickled over the line much to the delight of the home supporters.
The Ives stopper somewhat redeemed himself with an excellent save to prevent Dinanga making it four seven minutes before the break. Walker was again the provider as the visitors struggled to get the ball away. The silky midfielder threaded a pass through to put Dinanga in again but Wilks spread himself well to deflect the effort wide at point blank range.
The game looked over at the break with the hosts coming out for the second half with the wind and rain at their backs and their big home support spurring them on to more goals. But it was not to be as Josh Allen’s well taken goal five minutes after the restart quietened the home fans. Allen’s first goal since his move from Sudbury came at the end of a swift Ives counter attack after a Bucks corner. The ball was cleared to Gyamfi 30 yards from his own goal his run and pass picked out Hadi in the centre circle and he in turn fed the ball through into the well timed run of Allen who beat Hall at his near post with a low drive from just outside the box.
Was a very unlikely comeback on? It began to look possible as Ives suddenly lifted their game and took it to the now stuttering hosts. Mensah fired a 25 yard effort just wide on the hour. Gyamfi was given time and space to range forward three minutes later but he to failed to hit the target from a similar distance three minutes later.
Now well on top but not able to find a way through Ives were still susceptible to the break and almost got caught out in 68th minute as a wind assisted punt from keeper Hall was missed by Kymani Skyers allowing Stenson to get away down the right. Dinanga was arriving in the centre ready to side foot home his low cross but substitute Ethan Creary, who had only been on the pitch a few minutes, had other ideas and slid in to turn the ball over his own crossbar before Dinanga could force it home.
The first of Hall’s brilliant saves came with 15 minutes to go and had he been beaten at that point things could have ended very differently. Allen battled with Pendley to gain possession of Jernade Meade’s clip over the top which had held up in the breeze. Having robbed the big centre half Allen laid the ball into the path of the fast arriving Hadi. His fierce drive from 20 yards was destined for the top corner before the outstretched fingertips of the diving Hall deflected it around the post.
There was one more chance for Wilks to show his usual prowess again in 82nd minute when Dinanga outmuscled Creary before cutting in from the left and slamming in a shot from 15 yards that a well positioned Wilks parried away.
Hall again showed his reactions and agility to deny Williams what would only have been a consolation at that point. Mensah’s ball in from the right bounced off a defender and fell to Williams by the penalty spot. He struck the ball cleanly and expected the net to billow but Hall reacted amazingly to leap high to his right and palm the shot away.
The result seeing the Bucks move into third place six points behind league leaders Kettering. Ives drop a place to thirteenth but in this season’s amazingly tight table that leaves them only four points above the bottom four, but also only five points off a play off place.
The visit of relegation haunted Hitchin Town to quattro tech Westwood Road next week will not be easy as the Canaries have hit a bit of form in recent weeks but it is looking like a vital game to get Ives back on track ahead of the very busy Christmas period which is now looming.
Final Score: AFC Telford United 3 St Ives Town 1 Half Time 3 – 0
Goals:
TELFORD: Stenson 7, 17, Walker 25
ST IVES: Allen 50
Team Line Ups:
TELFORD: Hall, Piggott, Cranston, Storer (capt), Pendley, Whittall, Walker (Armson 74), Moore, Stenson (Brown 84), Dinanga (Styche 89), Kruczynski (Hilton 89), Unused subs: Jones,
ST IVES: Wilks, Mensah, Smith (Adegbola 74), Abimbola (Meade 74), Williams (capt), Glennon, Gyamfi (Obeng 85), O’Keefe (Creary 59), Hadi (Wilson 78), Allen, Skyers, Unused subs: none
Referee: Kieran Forrest
Cards: Yellow: TELFORD: Storer (43) ST IVES: Mensah (52)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Josh Allen
Attendance: 1012