St Ives Town 5 Berkhamsted 0
Emirates FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round 14-09-2024
Nigel Howlett reports
It is not often in a game with such an emphatic scoreline that you could say the match hinged on one pivotal moment but this was such a game. Ives got in front early before coming under heavy pressure from the previously unbeaten Berko. They grabbed a second on the hour but that cushion looked like being deflated ten minutes later when Jonathan Lacey stepped up to take a spot kick. An exciting final twenty minutes looked on the cards. But the visitors number ten fired horribly wide to knock the stuffing out of his side who went on to concede a further three goals in the last ten minutes.
With Theo Alexandrou playing his last game for Ives it was fitting that a man who has always given his all should conclude his time at quattro tech Westwood Road prior to completing his transfer to step two Dorking Wanderers with a parting gift of the opening goal and it was a typical Alexandrou finish as the Ives wide man cut inside before curling a right footed effort out of the reach of Josh Bowler in the visitors goal and into the bottom corner of the net.
After that opener in seventh minute Ives found themselves pushed back by their visitors. Berko skipper Jordon Frederick should have equalised two minutes later. Jordan Williams fouled the busy Bernard Christie just outside the right hand corner of the box. Ross Oulton curled the perfect free kick into the centre where Frederick had somehow ghosted in unmarked much to the hosts relief he could only direct his close range header over the top with the goal at his mercy.
Berko had their first shot on target in eleventh minute when Louis Collier picked up a deep cross from the right and turned inside past Paddy Casey before firing straight at Dan Wilks from 15 yards. Frederick spurned another good opportunity for the visitors in 16th minute. Roger James picked him out perfectly with a clip to the back post. The visitors skipper arriving at pace made clean contact with the dropping ball but again failed to trouble Wilks with his close range effort.
Ives front line had been fairly quiet since Alexandrou’s early goal but the trio of them almost combined to carve out a second on the break in 20th minute. Kobe Chong battled well to win the ball back high up the park and put Jonny Edwards away down the right. Edwards got past Dan Newton and drove in a low cross that just evaded Alexandrou sliding in at the back post.
There was soon more action at the other end of the park as just after the half hour James went close to levelling the scores. Lacey threaded a ball through Ives back line that put in James but like his teammates before him the Berko number seven failed to hit the target blazing over from a good position. The visitors had a second try at getting something out of the chance appealing long and hard for a penalty as Williams clattered into James after the forward had unleashed his shot. Referee Luke Scott was not to be persuaded that this should be a case of double jeopardy.
The hosts began to look a little more threatening as the half ticked away. Edwards was working hard and in 34th minute he closed down Bowler to block the keeper’s attempted clearance and win the ball before unselfishly feeding it to Chong on the edge of the box but the youngster could only screw his first time effort wide much to the relief of the scrambling keeper.
There was one final chance for Ives to double their advantage before the break. Chong curled in a delightful clip from the right that Collard attacked at the back post. Ives skipper forced his way in front of Sam McClelland but his header flew wide of the post. But the powerful centre back was more successful in similar circumstances on the hour. Chong was fouled by Simeon Olarerin as he tried to dance his way into the box. Ives tricky midfielder picked himself up a curled in an inviting free kick to the back post where the battle was again between Collard and McClelland. Both ended up on the deck as the ball dropped between them. Collard was first to react stabbing the loose ball goalwards. Bowler had the effort covered but McClelland stuck out a boot and deflected the ball past the outstretched hand of his keeper.
By this point Silvano Obeng had joined the fray in place of the tiring Benji Mensah and the big man was quick to make an impact winning the ball in the centre of the park in 67th minute before feeding it on to Chong who in turn fed in Edwards through the right channel. But under pressure from Newton Edwards fired over the top.
Then came the moment that looked like it was going to give Berko a massive lift going into the last 20 minutes. Substitute Luke Andrews nicked the ball off the toe of Collard inside Ives box and was unceremoniously upended as Ives skipper went through with his intended attempt to clear the ball. Referee Luke Scott had the simple task of awarding the spot kick. Lacey stepped up but as Wilks started to go the right way he felt that he had to direct the ball further away from the big keeper and ended up firing well wide of Wilks left hand post.
The air immediately went out of the Berko balloon and Ives showed no mercy as they tore into their struggling opponents scoring three more goals in the final ten minutes of the game. The first of those came in 80th minute as referee Scott awarded his second spot kick of the game and again it was a fairly simple decision. Alexandrou ran at the Berko back line but he had been diverted and was running away from goal when Jack Tompkins needlessly bundled him over. Edwards sent Bowler the wrong way from the spot.
Obeng was influential in the next Ives goal four minutes from time when he robbed a dallying Frederick before sliding the ball into Edwards who in turn picked out the well time run of Chong. A toe poked finish from 15 yards was sufficient to beat the exposed Bowler and make it four.
The icing on the cake and arguably the best goal of the game was a well deserved first for the club for the impressive Obeng. Edwards picked him out on the edge of the box and the big man simply spanked it first time past the despairing dive of the over worked Bowler.
Ives can now wait to see who they pull out from the hat in the Third Qualifying round draw on Monday lunch time. Another home draw would be ideal with the carrot of a first ever First Round Proper appearance for the club now only two games away.
Final Score: St Ives Town 5 Berkhamsted 0 Half Time 1 – 0
Goals:
ST IVES: Alexandrou 7, Collard 61, Edwards 80 (pen), Chong 86, Obeng 90
BERKHAMSTED:
Team Line Ups:
ST IVES: Wilks, Mensah (Obeng 59), Herd (Smith 46), Meade, J. Williams (Creary 87), Collard (capt), Alexandrou (Adegbola 83), Hottor (O’Keefe 76), Edwards, Chong, Casey, Unused subs: Lawrence, Kaziboni,
BERKHAMSTED: Bowler, Tompkins, Olarerin, Oulton (Andrews 65), McClelland, Newton, James, Frederick (capt), Christie, Lacey, Collier, Unused subs: Thorpe, Tearle, Toomey, Chamberlain, Burch
Referee: Luke Scott
Cards: Yellow: ST IVES: none BERKHAMSTED: none
SPONSORS MAN OF THE MATCH: Theo Alexandrou
Attendance: 228