Halesowen Town 1 v St Ives Town 0
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 24-08-2024
Nigel Howlett reports from The Grove
Keeper Dan Wilks was again in imperious form and his efforts and the teams battling display deserved more but for the second successive away game in a row Ives found themselves beaten by a single goal that once more took a huge deflection on its way past Wilks.
Having suffered a heavy defeat in their previous home game the Yeltz supporters were going to be looking for a big reaction from their players. But Ives knew that if they could get their noses in front the vocal home support could quickly heap pressure on their own team.
With Alex Collard and Jordan Nicholson both absent there were first Ives starts for Ethan Cleary and Kobe Chong respectively. Following their home defeat last time out Yeltz manager Russ Penn had also been quick to bolster his squad and they had ex Gloucester City and Banbury United midfielder Josh Smile making his debut for them.
The first half chance of the game fell to Ives skipper Jonny Edwards who was fed in through the right channel by the lively Chong. But the big centre forward was quickly closed down by his opposite number Ryan Wynter and could only find the side netting with his 12th minute effort from 15 yards.
The hosts first effort at goal came from Kieren Donnelly only moments later as the tricky number ten bustled his way into the heart of Ives defence but fired well over from 25 yards. Wilks had his first bit of action five minutes later when he comfortably held a Conor Tee effort from 25 yards.
It was not all one way though and Ives worked themselves another shooting opportunity halfway through the first period as Chong combined well with Paddy Casey down the right to work their way into the box but Casey’s eventual effort from a good position was miss hit and bobbled into the hands of keeper Dan Platt.
Wilks first big save came in 33rd minute as he hurled himself full length to his left to tip around Donnelly’s flick to Tee’s in swinging free kick from the left. But from this point the hosts enjoyed a purple patch up to half time. A 36th minute flowing move down Yeltz right involving Jak Hickman and Todd Parker ended with the former picking out Tee just outside the box. But his strike lacked conviction allowing Wilks to make a comfortable save.
Ives keeper denied the hosts again three minutes before the interval. Hickman fed in Donnelly down the right and the speedy striker got around the outside of Aaron Smith before laying the ball back to Tee just inside the box, Creary reacted quickly to make a vital block. But the ball was only half cleared and fed back in to Tee who again tested Wilks with a crisp shot that the keeper got down smartly to his left to save.
In a repeat of the first half the initial chance after the break fell to Edwards only three minutes after the restart. Theo Alexandrou did well to get down the right and delivered a teasing cross to the near post where Edwards got in front of keeper Platt but could only steer his header wide of the post.
Wilks was called into more action only moments later as Josh Smile combined well with half time substitute Reece Mitchell to get down the left. Mitchell’s clip inside found Tee but Wilks was again equal to the effort palming over the midfielder’s power strike.
The only goal of the game came in 51st minute as Ives struggled to clear a ball down the right. Donnelly pounced on it and ran into the box going down under challenge from Smith. Referee Elliott Kaye waved away the Yeltz shouts for a penalty but the ball ran on to Tee whose first time effort from ten yards struck a defender and looped over Wilks into the net despite the keeper’s desperate attempts to recover and claw it away.
Getting their noses in front lifted the boisterous home crowd to spur on their charges further and Ives came under a period of home pressure. A poor defensive header from Creary almost gifted Tee a second in 56th minute but again Wilks was equal to the effort clinging on to powerful drive from 20 yards.
Wilks was still keeping Ives in the game and he again did well to keep out Ben Cassidy’s clever header just before the hour. The host’s number eleven got on the end of Tee’s deep cross from the left and tried to steer his header over Wilks but the big custodian was again equal to the effort quickly back peddling to tip the ball over the top. Ives had a big let off from the resulting corner as Ryan Woollacott ghosted in unmarked at the back post but steered his free header wide from eight yards.
But Ives steadied the ship and as the clock ticked down they finally began to carve out some chances to grab something from the game. Edwards 77th minute challenge on Wynter as the pair battled to get on the end of a Wilks punt saw the ball drop to the feet of Peter Abimbola just outside the hosts box. The all action midfielder had time to take a touch but then snatched at the opportunity and fired well over the bar.
Four minutes later substitute Silvano Obeng slid a ball through to Edwards who again failed to hit the target from the edge of the box. Back up the other end Wilks performed more heroics in 83rd minute. Nat Kelly got on the end of another Tee free kick at close range but Wilks reacted brilliantly to dive to his left and keep the ball out with Casey scrambling the loose ball clear.
It looked like Donnelly was going to kill the game as he was put clear in 87th minute but a brilliant recovery tackle by substitute David Adegbola robbed the tricky striker just as he was about to shoot.
The final action of the game saw Edwards come within millimetres of grabbing Ives a point. Put through by Alexandrou in third of four added minutes he beat the keeper with his clip but saw the ball bobble agonisingly wide of the post. It could have been worse as the linesman’s flag had gone up so had it gone in the “goal” would have been chalked off anyway.
Another tough defeat to take on the road but once more Ives have travelled to a team who will be fancied to challenge for a play off place this season and matched them for long periods of the game. With a little change in fortune these are the sort of games where a point, or even more reward is well within their grasp. They will get a quick opportunity to get the result out of their system in only 48 hours time as they host Spalding United at quattro tech Westwood Road on August Bank holiday Monday.
Final Score: Halesowen Town 1 St Ives Town 0 Half Time 0 – 0
Goals:
HALESOWEN: Tee 51
ST IVES:
Team Line Ups:
HALESOWEN: Platt, Hickman (Mitchell 46), Kelly, Smile (Holmes 86), Wynter (capt), Woollacott, Parker, Tee, Yussuf (Boothe 90), Donnelly, Cassidy, Unused subs: Postle, Lokeba
ST IVES: Wilks, Meade (Hottor 86), Smith (Lawrence 61), Herd (Kaziboni 86), Williams, Creary, Alexandrou (Obenga 89), Abimbola, Edwards (capt), Chong (Adegbola 66), Casey, Unused subs: none
Referee: Elliott Kaye
Cards: Yellow: HALESOWEN: Parker (81), Donnelly (85) ST IVES: none
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Dan Wilks
Attendance: 749