St Ives Town 0 Bedford Town 1

Pre-Season Friendly – 28/07/17

The Ives continued their build up to the new season as they welcomed the Eagles to Westwood Road. This meant a return visit for ex assistant manager Jack Cassidy and former fans favourite Jordan Jarrold.

The summer heatwave had broken with a thunderstorm the evening before to give a fresher and less humid feel to the day, but the grass was still looking more brown than green in spite of the efforts of the ground staff to get as much water onto it as possible.

With a large influx of new players Ives were still very much in a building process and as is always the case at this time of year these games are seen as an opportunity to improve the player’s fitness and get them some useful pitch time. With that in mind manager Ricky Marheineke took the opportunity to use all 18 fit players in his squad including a first call up from the scholars for seventeen year old Billy Mobbs.

The hosts looked to set the early pace and Danny Kelly went close after only seven minutes as he outmuscled Mason Watkins-Clark to get on the end of a Tom McGowan clip through the middle. But the Eagles centre back did just enough to force Kelly into snatching at his effort that flew well over the crossbar.

The resulting goal kick from Kyle Forster cleared the Ives back line with assistance from the strong breeze blowing straight down the pitch. Ives keeper Tim Trebes was a little slow to leave his line giving Jermaine Hall chance to get onto the bouncing ball on the edge of the box. He tried to lob it over the exposed Trebes first time, but whilst he cleared the out of position keeper well he also cleared the crossbar much to the relief of the embarrassed defenders.

After those early opportunities for each side the game settled into a midfield battle with Ives central pairing of new skipper Robbie Parker and McGowan just about shading the possession, but not able to carve out any real opportunities against the solid Bedford back line.

The next chance went the way of the visitors and it should have seen them go in front in 25^th minute. Dan Walker found some space by the corner flag on the right hand side and delivered a low cross to the near post which picked out Paul Benson in space only ten yards out. The big centre forward took on the effort first time, but much to the relief of Ives defenders he blazed the ball well over the top with the goal at his mercy.

The home side responded well to the let off and went close themselves five minutes later as the unusually quiet Ben Seymour-Shove sparked into action on the left and delivered a deep hanging cross to the back post where Kelly climbed above a struggling Forster and sent a looping header goal bound. The effort was kept out in spectacular fashion by covering defender Jarrold as he acrobatically hooked the ball away from under his own crossbar.

The final noteworthy effort of the first period went the way of the visitors as Benson fed Hall through the left channel and it looked like the nippy striker was clear only for Jamie Short to come across with a saving challenge to deflect Hall’s shot just past the post and out for the game’s first corner.

Both Ives wide men had looked a little out of sorts in the first period and it was no surprise to see Ollie Snaith who is still recovering from illness be the first man replaced at the break as ex Cambridge United man Jordan Patrick entered the fray.

The only goal of the game arrived in simple fashion only six minutes after the restart. Jarrold delivered a high ball into the box from the left and Benson showed his skills as he found just enough space to bring down the ball, turn and fire a low right foot effort past the right hand of the diving Trebes and into the bottom corner of the netfrom twelve yards.

The Ives continued to just shade the possession but to many moves broke down as they started to journey into the Eagles defensive third of the pitch. As the game wore on substitutions by both sides constantly broke up the play and it was one of the Ives substitutes that came closest to grabbing an equaliser 15 minutes from time. Charlie De’ath powered onto a Declan Rogers corner from the left. He met the ball perfectly ten yards out and his header beat keeper Forster all ends up only for well positioned covering defender Dean Dummett to show why it is so important to have a man on the post as he leapt to head the net bound effort away.

Another corner immediately followed as Ives continued to put pressure on the Eagles back line. De’ath again looked favourite to get on the end of it only to be taken out by his team mate Lewis Leslie who was attacking the same ball. The inviting ball sailed on to safety as both men picked themselves off the deck claiming to have been fouled by a mysterious Eagle when the only people preventing each getting to the ball was his colleague.

The final opportunity to grab something from the game was little more than a near miss as Joe Hood fired in a powerful cross from the right that Patrick just failed to get on the end of. The mere presence of the Ives man did enough to make substitute keeper Kye Andrew take his eye off the ball and he was mighty relieved as the wind assisted effort sailed inches past his right hand upright. 

This is very early days, but the new squad showed tremendous work rate and there is certainly solidity about the midfield and the back line. However the lack of penetration in the final third is a bit of a worry. But we must take into account that the most exciting forward players in the side were all missing with injury as Ty Clark only got five minutes, and Manashe Sundire and Tyler Wilson both missed out completely. With that in mind it would also have been interesting to see young Mobbs get more than his few minutes. His direct running style and pace may just have unsettled the Eagles back line.

I suppose the result should not have been a great shock to any of us that remember Mr Cassidy who was probably the master at plotting a 1-0 away win!!. 

Final Score : St Ives Town  0  Bedford Town  1 

Goals : none

St Ives team : Trebes (Smith 87), Hood, Coulson, McGowan (Torkornoo 85), Short (De’ath 65), Jarvis Wilson, Snaith (Patrick 45), Parker (capt), Kelly (Clark 85), Rogers (Mobbs 87), Seymour-Shove (Leslie 68)

Attendance  :  105

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson