League: Hunts County U18 Cup
v 
St Ives Town U18 Midweek v Eynesbury Rovers U17 Youth
v 
Offord United Kingfishers U18 v St Ives Town U18 Midweek
v 
Park Farm Pumas U18 v St Ives Town U18
Park Farm Pumas U18 v St Ives Town U18
Huntingdonshire U18 County Cup Semi-Final 25-01-20
The young Ives reached the semi-finals of this competition without playing a game as previous round opponents dropped out one by one. They were never really tested in the semi-final either as they did just enough to beat a battling Peterborough Sunday morning side Park Farm Pumas. The Pumas to their credit battled throughout and did grab a consolation goal from the spot fifteen minutes from time. The Lawson Avenue Council pitch in Stanground did not look great and the long grass was quite effective in hiding the worse of the bobbles and it was no surprise that both sides were struggling to come to terms with the surface early on.
The first opportunity of the game went the way of the visitors in eleventh minute as Tom Wakley battled hard to win the ball deep in Pumas territory and fed in Joe Cobb who raced into the box before flashing a shot across the face of goal from a narrow angle. Cobb’s pace and direct running style were causing the hosts a few problems down the left and in 20th minute he returned the complement setting up an opportunity for Wakley but the bouncing ball would not drop and he was forced to try and lob keeper Bailey Baker but did not quite get the ball high enough.
The opening goal arrived five minutes later as the hosts struggled to clear a free kick from their box the bouncing ball eventually being nodded down to the feet of Ewan Young by Wakley and the big centre back finished like a striker poking the ball over the keeper from six yards.
Cobb fired a good opportunity into the side netting in 33rd minute. It was a chance that he created himself by jinking past three defenders down the left before cutting in from a narrow angle but failing to hit the target as Baker came to meet him. Young should also have added to his tally five minutes later as a corner from the left was knocked down to him at the back post, but this time he finished like a defender screwing his effort horribly wide from close range.
Kai Bradley had been a virtual spectator up to this point but the young keeper showed that he had kept his concentration well as he made two vital saves in the last five minutes before the break. In the fortieth minute Dec King battled his way into the heart of Ives defence before feeding in the dangerous Jamal Shenille. Bradley was off his line in a flash to block the shot but the loose ball fell to Dom Chrominski following up who really should have scored but curled his shot over the top. Chrominski was also denied by Bradley right on the break after the Pumas number eight had been put through by King but the Ives keeper was again quick to close and block the effort.
Ives came out for the second half determined to kill the game off and substitute Jamie Stork should have doubled their advantage only two minutes after the restart as a Mihayl Mitkov corner from the right fell to his feet inside the box but as a few before it the chance went begging as he carefully curled the ball wide.
Mitkov made a big impression of all the wrong sorts only seconds later as he found himself sent to the sin bin for ten minutes after disagreeing a little to loudly with a decision in the centre of the park by referee Piotr Juszczyk. With Ives now temporarily down to ten men a quick reshuffle took place to reinstate a full back four by adding Leon Quinsee and sacrificing Connor Gibbs.
Going down to ten did not affect the visitors flow at all and two goal in four minutes whilst with the reduced number quickly ensured the victory. The first of the two was a gift from the Pumas as Stork was needlessly bundled over inside the box as he was going away from goal by Dontae Martin. The Ives sub got up from the deck and coolly slotted the penalty low past Baker. Four minutes later Wakley turned a harmless looking bouncing ball down the middle from skipper Karl Frans into a goal simply by his bravery and persistence. The Pumas defenders left it to their keeper but Wakley bravely challenged him for the ball right on the edge of the box and won the battle his prize to simply roll the ball into the empty net.
The chances continued to come for Ives Mitkov had a shot well saved by Baker after a swift one two with Wakley had set up the chance in the 61st minute. Zac Hope fired well over after picking up the resulting corner in space deep inside the box. Wakley beat keeper Baker to a Joe Purse free kick in 71st minute but flicked his header over the top.
The fourth goal arrived one minute later as Cobb went on yet another of his surging runs down the right before feeding the ball into Gibbs who fired his effort on target. There were a few seconds of controversy as a defender appeared to clear the ball off the line but even without goal line technology the officials were able to decide that the ball had crossed the line prior to his intervention.
A moment of panic by the usually reliable Young presented the Pumas with a consolation goal fifteen minutes from time as he pulled back the tricky Cai Taylor inside the box to give away a penalty. King beat Bradley low to his right with the resulting spot kick but was perhaps a little relieved as the ball hit the inside of the post and almost ran along the goal line before creeping just inside the opposite post.
Referee Juszczyk almost presented Pumas with a chance to get back into the game nine minutes from time as he pulled up Bradley for delaying his clearance for two long nine minutes from time. The resulting indirect free kick was touched sideways by King to Kadan Al-Gharabally who curled his effort millimetres wide of the far post with an unsighted Bradley looking on.
There were an added seven minutes at the end but the only noteworthy event in that period was Ben Smith hammering an effort against the crossbar after being set up by the persistence of Cobb who had harried and robbed a lone Pumas defender with his colleagues all pushing forward in a vain hope of another consolation goal.
So a third final in four years for the young Ives which will be at Eynesbury on 3rd April against either arch rivals St Neots Town or Godmanchester Rovers.
Final Score : Park Farm Pumas U18 1 St Ives Town U18 4
Goals : Young 25, Stork 52 (pen), Wakley 56, Gibbs 73
St Ives team : Bradley, Frans (capt) (Paine 85), Mitkov, O’Donovan (Purse 37), Young, Darnell, Smith (Stork 45), Gibbs (Quinsee 47), Wakley, Hope, Cobb
Unused Subs : none
Other Subs (roll on/roll off) : Gibbs for Mitkov 68, Smith for Wakley 78, Wakley for Purse 83
Attendance : approx. 30
Report by Nigel Howlett.
v St Ives Town U18 vs St Neots Town U18
St Ives Town U18 v St Neots Town U18
Huntingdonshire FA U18 County Cup – Final @ Eynesbury Rovers FC 05-04-19
Conceding inside the first 30 seconds gave Ives a mountain to climb in this game. To their huge credit they settled themselves, battled hard to get back into the game, scored a cracking equaliser before the break, got on top in the second half only to have all of their endeavours undone by a late, late winner from the Saints.
Having won the Cambridge Division in Thurlow Nunn League with two games to go St Neots came into the game as hot favourites against the mid table Ives who were also missing their injured talisman Harry Sargent. The Saints lived up to their billing straight from the kick off as the ball was instantly fed down the right where Rief Clarke found a bit of space and delivered a testing cross that a nervous Ewan Young misjudged allowing the ball to fall to towering centre forward Joseph Rider. He took a touch before steering the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net past a bemused Shay Griffiths.
Griffiths did a lot better in twelfth minute as he spread himself well to keep out a close range effort from Jacob Joseph after a corner from the right had dropped to the feet of the tricky Saints winger on the edge of the six yard box.
Ives were slowly working their way into the game and their first opportunity of a shot on goal came two minutes later as Billy Mobbs managed to get on the end of a clip over the top. He tried the difficult skill of taking the shot on first time as the ball dropped over his shoulder but although he got the effort on target it lacked sufficient power to test Ash Brewer in Saints goal.
As the half passed its midway point it had become a much more even game with the probing runs of Zac Hope causing problems for Saints defence on the right. In 23rd minute the pacey winger sped his way past Jake Wood before being taken down clumsily by Owen Dunnett just outside the right hand corner of the box. Dunnett was perhaps lucky to escape further punishment from referee Cliff Mills given the cynical nature of the foul. His action was proved right from a Saints point of view though as Billy Garlick’s free kick was easily cleared.
The equaliser just after the half hour came from the move of the evening as Mobbs picked up a ball deep inside his own half before speeding through the centre leaving a couple of defenders in his wake. The ball he rolled into the run of Tom Wakley just said spank me and that is exactly what the Ives striker did with his right foot the rasping drive from 20 yards arrowing into the top corner of the net giving Brewer no chance.
Four minutes later Ives almost went in front as Mitchell Pillin climbed above keeper Brewer to get on the end of a Louis Bald free kick from the half way line. Unfortunately the Ives centre back got a little to much contact on the ball and directed his header just over the vacant net.
In 41st minute another quick break out of defence saw Wakley and Hope combine well down the right. The move finishing with the latter unleashing a powerful low drive from a narrow angle that Brewer did well to cling onto.
Brewer’s opposite number Griffiths was also called into more action three minutes later as Joseph curled a free kick from 25 yards over the three man Ives wall with pace and dip. The Ives keeper only just managed to hold on at the second attempt just ahead of the fast closing Rider.
The final effort of the first half in the second added minute came as Mobbs lost possession inside his own half allowing Rider to get away down the right his pull back was just behind Joseph but the youngster swivelled well on the ball and forced an excellent save out of Griffiths as the well positioned stopper blocked the effort with his legs.
Ives came out with much more purpose at the start of the second half but the only early chance came ten minutes after the re-start when a poor clearance from Bald fell to Joseph 20 yards out. The Saints front man took a touch before firing in a rising drive that a full stretch Griffiths just managed to tip over the crossbar.
As the half wore on Ives began to get on top but try as they might they could not find a way through the resolute Saints back line although the Saints composure and belief was certainly beginning to slip at times as Ives applied the pressure a verbal rant from Saints skipper Leon Fulianty aimed at one of his own team mates Tom Leagas who had rather needlessly chopped down Jordan Locke in 62nd minute gave a big clue that this game was proving much tougher than Saints had anticipated it would be.
But try as they might Ives could not find a way through and as Hope began to tire and drift out of the game the Saints slowly began to exert a bit of pressure on Ives back line which had looked equally resolute until the game entered the final ten minutes. In 86th minute a ball inside from Joseph picked out substitute Markel Cousins he in turn got his head up and spotted that Rider had dropped off his marker to find a bit of space at the back post. A clever ball floated over the last Ives defender found Rider who looked like he must score but Griffiths spread himself well to block the effort at close range and Pillin was on hand to complete the clearance.
The goal that broke Ives hearts arrived in spectacular fashion in the final minute of ninety as the earlier beleaguered Leagas found space on the right and delivered a teasing cross that Rider attacked but missed in the centre. The centre forwards movement was enough to bring other players into the ball creating a little space for Clarke who had just re-entered the field of play as a roll on substitute to come powering in and hurl himself at the ball full length to head it home past the exposed Griffiths from ten yards. The little winger picked himself up a yellow card for peeling off his shirt as he raced away to celebrate but he did not care he had just won the cup for his team.
It was a cruel way to lose for the gallant Ives who gave it their all only to get minimal reward when the opportunity of a penalty shoot out that was only moments away was the least they deserved. Strangely enough this game mirrored the final from two years ago between these same two teams when early and late goals from Saints had ensured Ives left with that same what might have been feeling.
Final Score : St Ives Town U18 1 St Neots Town U18 2
Goals : Wakley 31
St Ives team : Griffiths, Locke (capt), Bald (Darnell 64), Purse, Young, Pillin, Mobbs, Cawte, Wakley, Garlick (Gibbs 67), Hope (Paine 88)
Other subs roll on roll off : Hope for Young 90
Unused Subs : Frans, Sargent
Attendance : 232
Report by Nigel Howlett
v 
ICA Sports U18 vs St Ives Town U18
ICA Sports U18 v St Ives Town U18
Huntingdonshire FA U18 County Cup – Semi Final 20-01-19
Ives youngsters progressed to the final of the Hunts County Cup without ever getting out of second gear as they only just beat the weather but perhaps more comfortably beat their gallant opponents on a frosty morning in Peterborough.
The car thermometer still said it was minus two degrees but fortunately the sun had just got high enough in the sky to lift the early frost out of the ground sufficiently to allow the game to commence on a decent looking pitch in this small oasis of green at South Bretton. Home to ICA Sports who have a decent record in Peterborough Sunday morning Youth League with only two defeats in their season to date. The Italian roots of the Club are still visible in their nickname of Azzurri.
At a point in time when most of these lads are usually still in bed they needed to be on their game and Harry Sargent showed that this message had got through to the lads as with the game only twelve seconds old he closed down a back pass to keeper Matt Wilshire and was unlucky as his block of the clearance ballooned up in the air allowing the keeper to recover and claim the dropping ball.
Only one minute later Sargent was clattered in the back by the big Azzurri centre back Oliver Piddington just outside the box. Billy Mobbs beat the wall with his curling free kick but it went just the wrong side of the post. Piddington was struggling to keep Sargent in check in these early stages and picked up a very early booking for taking him down again in sixth minute. Billy Garlick’s free kick was flicked on at the near post and arrived at the feet of Mitchell Pillin who should probably have done better but screwed his first time effort wide from six yards.
Having survived these early scares the hosts began to come into the game a little more but Ives back line looked strong and anything that did get through was handled comfortably by Lucas Morton in Ives goal. Ives continued to look the more likely to score and Mobbs went close in 19th minute as he fired a snap shot from 15 yards over the top after a Karl Frans long throw had arrived at his feet.
Keeper Wilshire kept his side level as he stood up well to deny Thomas Wakley in 28th minute after the Ives wide man had been put clear by an exquisite ball over the top from Garlick. He had a more comfortable save to make to keep out a Joe Purse effort from 25 yards after the resulting corner had been headed clear to him.
Although Ives continued to enjoy the majority of possession it was beginning to look like they were not going to be able to get in front before the break but Sargent changed things with a solo goal in 39th minute. He picked up a ball from Louis Bald just inside the opposition half before turning and running at the defence jinking left and right to try and find an opening through the retreating Azzurri back line he eventually found just enough of a gap to fire a bobbling effort on goal that looked little threat but keeper Wilshire’s vision was obscured by his own defenders and he reacted to late to stop the ball rolling in by his right hand post.
The goal was the signal for Ives to lift themselves another gear and they tore at the struggling hosts back line for the remaining six minutes of the first half. Pillin and Sargent both went close with headers before Wakley doubled the visitor’s lead. Garlick clipped a ball through the gap between centre back and full back and Wakley burst through outmuscling Ciaran Millen before firing under the body of Wilshire from ten yards.
Mobbs was denied a third goal which would have killed the game by an excellent save from Wilshire right on the half time. Having outpaced his marker Mobbs cut in from the left and fired in a low drive that the diving Wilshire just deflected around the post.
The half time whistle had come just in time to save the hosts from the knock out blow but that blow arrived five minutes after the restart. A free kick from the left was half cleared to substitute Connor Gibbs on the edge of the box. He miss hit his attempted shot but the ball fell to Mobbs by the penalty spot and he smartly turned on it and slammed home a low right footed effort giving Wilshire no chance.
Having gone three in front Ives relaxed perhaps a little to much and only nine minutes later the powerful Azzurri substitute Charlie Jenkins made them pay as he chased down a long ball down the middle outmuscled Locke and slotted it in the bottom corner past the exposed Morton to give the hosts a glimmer of hope of getting back into the game.
They could have had that hope exponentially increased only three minutes later as James Ware clipped a ball inside Bald to put Ben Denton away but the hosts striker snatched at his opportunity hammering his shot well over the top as Morton came to close him down.
Having survived that scare Ives settled down to professionally see out the remaining half an hour keeping possession wherever possible and moving the ball around in the middle of the park. They achieved this fairly effectively and still managed to create a few more opportunities to increase their lead. George Cawte set up a shooting chance for Mobbs in 68th minute but he could only fire into the side netting from the right hand side of the box. Sargent continued to battle and was unlucky not to score in 72nd minute as he outmuscled Tom Baxter to get on the end of a long ball down the middle. He was driven wide by keeper Wilshire who eventually did well to block his shot when it finally came in.
The hosts had one final opportunity to make the last ten minutes very interesting as Tyler Munns outpaced Connor Paine down the left and cut in before firing in a low drive that Morton did well to cling onto with Denton in close proximity.
The final goal of the morning arrived just after the game entered added time and was a deserved reward for the hard working and very disciplined Sargent who was scythed down by Sam Bloodworth as he was running across the box for a blatant penalty, referee Michael Dunkley agreed with that opinion and pointed to the spot. Sargent picked himself up and grabbed the ball to ensure he got his just reward and made no mistake slamming the ball home emphatically from the spot.
So Ives can look forward to a final against their arch rivals St Neots on what we hope will be a much warmer April evening. Let’s hope they can go one better than their predecessors of two years ago who were unfortunate to lose a tight final against the same opponents.
Final Score : ICA Sports U18 1 St Ives Town U18 4
Goals : Sargent 39 and 90+1 (pen), Wakley 44, Mobbs 50
St Ives team : Morton, Frans (Paine 50), Bald, Purse (Gibbs 32), Locke (capt), Pillin, Mobbs, Cawte, Sargent, Garlick (Rudd 61), Wakley (Lee 56)
Other subs roll on roll off : Purse for Cawte 77, Cawte for Locke 87
Unused Subs : Stork
Attendance : approx 35
Report by Nigel Howlett
v 
St Ives Town U18 vs St Neots Town Youth Navy U18’s
St Ives Town U18 v St Neots Town Youth Navy U18
Huntingdonshire FA U18 County Cup – Quarter Final 29-10-18
Having received a bye in the first round the young Ives found themselves up against Royston Crow Under 18 Division Two side St Neots Town Youth Navy who for the uninitiated in the intricacies of St Neots Youth football are not associated with the St Neots Town club that the first team meet in Southern League but a separate Youth Club within the town.
On paper there is a gulf between the two sides and that was exactly how things worked out for the young Ives against their gallant opponents. The home side found themselves one in front after 39 seconds and three up inside the first seven minutes to effectively kill the game as a contest after which it became almost a training session although to their credit the visitors continued to battle throughout and kept the score line within a reasonable margin considering the first few minutes.
Ives started the match like a train taking the game to their nervous looking opposition right from the off Thomas Wakley could have scored after only eleven seconds as he got clean through and was unlucky to see his clip past keeper Tom Tristram cleared off the line. But the clearance took the ball straight back to him and he somehow managed to hit the same player with the return effort. The resulting corner was half cleared wide to Billy Mobbs whose clip to the back post was spectacularly volleyed home by Zac Hope to put Ives in front.
The hosts second followed in 5th minute as Hope and Louis Bald exchanged passes to scythe through the centre of Saints defence. The former playing the ball into the feet of Wakley inside the box. He turned and hit a right foot effort that keeper Tristram let spill from his grasp Wakley did not need a second invitation pouncing on the loose ball to ram it home from close range.
Two minutes later it was 3 – 0 as Mobbs battled his way inside from the left before unleashing a shot from the edge of the box that took a huge deflection to deceive keeper Tristram and find the back of the net.
Although Ives continued to pour forward they went through a period where they seemed unable to score partially through ill luck, partially through the hard work of the battling Saints back line and keeper and partially through some poor finishing. The most noteworthy efforts during this period were in 12th minute when Joe Purse put Mobbs clear only for the striker to fire powerfully past the keeper, but also past the post, from just inside the box. Purse went a whole lot closer six minutes later as he latched onto a dropping ball 25 yards from goal and unleashed a rasping volley that beat Tristram all ends up but rebounded to safety off his left hand post.
Wakley rattled the frame of the goal again with an equally spectacular effort two minutes later as he latched onto a poor defensive header and hit a dipping volley that flew over Tristram but rebounded back into play off the crossbar. Hope continued to give left back Alfie Edwards problems down the right flank and in 24th minute he burst past his marker before cutting inside and flashing a powerful drive across the face of goal.
The battling visitors carved out one opportunity of their own in the first half and that arrived in 26th minute. Ives skipper Jordan Locke was caught dallying on the ball just outside the box by the Saints hard working lone striker Pedro Garcia. Garcia then appeared to do everything right drawing the exposed Shay Griffiths towards him before slotting the ball past the keeper low to his left, unfortunately for Saints the effort just crept outside the left hand upright.
Ives forth goal arrived just before the half hour and in the simplest fashion. Hope powered away again down the right despite the desperate efforts of a defender to pull him back. Referee Paul Gregory played an excellent advantage allowing Hope to get to the bye line from where he laid the ball back into the path of Jamie Stork who swept it home from eight yards.
Wakley again rattled the crossbar in the 35th minute as he cut in from the left and curled an exquisite effort over Tristram only to be denied by the woodwork. But the big striker was not to be denied again as only seconds later he forced the ball home from close range after it was shifted back into the box by Hugo Katz.
That completed the scoring before the break although there was still time for Garcia to go close again as Ives failed to deal with a long free kick into their box allowing Garcia to get on the end of it by the penalty spot but he fired his crisp half volley just over the top.
Wakley completed his deserved hat trick two minutes after the re-start as he latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball by Connor Gibbs and fired past the luckless Tristram from just inside the box.
In the next few minutes substitute Harry Sargent went close twice both times denied by good saves from Tristram. In 54th minute a flowing Ives move down the left was finished by Mobbs delivering a low cross to the edge of the six yard box where Sargent tried a clever back heel that almost deceived the keeper but he did just enough to block it out for a corner. Nine minutes later Sargent got completely clear onto a ball through the right channel but Tristram was quickly off his line and bravely spread himself to block the Ives striker’s effort at point blank range.
A seventh goal arrived in simple fashion from the resulting corner. George Cawte delivered the flag kick from the right to the edge of the six yard box where centre back Locke rose unchallenged to power home a header between the defenders on the line.
Bald delivered a noteworthy effort in 72nd minute as he went on a mazy run from the half way line that ended in spectacular fashion as he unleashed a howitzer from fully 30 yards that Tristram did very well to tip over the top. The final goal of this one sided contest arrived four minutes later as Sargent and Mobbs interchanged passes at pace down the right the move ending with the latter driving in a low cross along the six yard line that the late arriving Stork fired home at the back post.
The remaining fifteen minutes saw Ives continue to enjoy heaps of possession but all the fire had gone out of the game and it simply wound down to it’s inevitable conclusion. Ives march on into the semi finals where I am sure that the challenge will be much greater and a final word for the gallant losers who came and battled throughout never throwing in the towel we wish them all the best for the rest of the season.
Final Score : St Ives Town U18 8 St Neots Town Youth Navy U18 0
Goals : Hope 1, Wakley 5, 36 & 47, Mobbs 7, Stork 29 & 76, Locke 64
St Ives team : Griffiths, Pillin, Bald, Purse, Perreira (Kelly 67), Locke (capt), Hope (Lee 61), Katz (Cawte 47), Wakley, Stork (Gibbs 29), Mobbs (Sargent 31)
Other subs roll on roll off : Mobbs for Wakley 47, Stork for Gibbs 67
Unused Subs : none
Attendance : approx 35
Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.
v 
