St Ives Town 0 Stourbridge 0

Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Central – 15-09-18

Goalkeeper Sam Wilson was the Ives hero for his superb save to keep out Rob Thompson-Brown’s penalty on the hour. Wilson’s save was the pinnacle of a fantastic rear-guard action from the hosts that claimed another vital point against one of the fancied sides in the Division.

The sun came out for the Glassboys first ever trip to Westwood Road and those of their supporters that remembered the first ever clash between these sides in the FA Cup last season certainly came expecting to claim the full three points. However they quickly discovered that this seasons Ives side is a much more resilient outfit than the team that were bundled out of country’s premier trophy in the west midlands last September. 

Just like last season the visitor’s line up boasted more than it’s fair share of muscular six foot plus individuals. But it was lacking the formidable presence of centre forward Luke Benbow and the silky skills of tricky wide man Greg Mills both out with injury. The hosts stuck with an unchanged starting eleven from Tuesdays FA Cup replay success against Saffron Walden.

The Glassboys started well pushing the Ives back right from the off. The first of many important defensive headers was won by Sam Cartwright in the heart of Ives defence as he glanced a Thompson-Brown free kick away from the incoming giants at the back post at the expense of the game’s first corner in sixth minute.

The visitors continued to enjoy the majority of the possession but any attempts to probe a way through were being thwarted by the resilient Ives back line with Owen Wallis just in front of his back four winning a number of important challenges.

Full back Aaron Hayden thought that he had put the Glassboys in front as he rose highest to steer home another Thompson-Brown free kick at the back post in 25^th minute. But his celebrations were cut short as referee Abigail Marriott had already ruled that keeper Wilson had been unfairly blocked off in trying to get to the ball and blown for a free kick.

The only other noteworthy effort on goal in the first half came three minutes later as Kaiman Anderson got on the end of yet another Thompson-Brown free kick this time from the right. The Glassboys striker attacked the ball at the near post but failed to hit the target with his powerful header.

Possession stats at the end of the first half would have probably showed that the visitors enjoyed something around 75% of the ball but in spite of that the hard working hosts dealt with everything that was thrown at them so effectively that keeper Wilson did not have a save to make in the first 45 minutes. 

The second half continued in similar vein with Ives working like Trojans to keep their visitors at bay. Frustrations were beginning to show in the Glassboys ranks as it began to look like things were not going to go their way. But they suddenly thought that their fortunes had changed on the hour. Brad Birch battled into the box from the right and went down under a combined challenge from Wallis and Ollie Snaith. Referee Marriott was right on the spot and immediately blew for the penalty. Thompson-Brown stepped up to the plate and although he struck the kick well the athletic Wilson had anticipated right and made a brilliant save low to his right. 

The flow of the play was not altered by the penalty save, but it clearly lifted the hosts into realising that this could just be their day. Wilson was almost caught out eight minutes later as Anderson beat him to a clip over the top and looked like he was in on goal, but the alert Cartwright came to the rescue covering around behind his keeper to knock the ball away to safety.

Keeper Wilson was called into dramatic action just once more in the game as he pulled off a great double save nine minutes from time. Anderson hit the initial fierce low drive from 25 yards that came through a crowd of players and cannoned off the body of the young keeper. The loose ball rebounded to substitute Darryl Westlake on the edge of the box who hit a first time effort on target but Wilson again showed his agility recovering instantly from the first save to dive to his right and palm away the follow up.

Time was now running down and the frustrations were showing amongst some of the Glassboys players a final opportunity for them came and went two minutes from the end of the ninety as Anderson teed up Leon Broadhurst for shot from the edge of the D but the visitor’s substitute hit his low shot straight at Wilson who held on well to preserve his second clean sheet in three games.

There was still time for Ives to carve out one chance to grab a very unlikely three points. As the game entered added time a long punt down the centre was flicked on by substitute Danny Kelly and fellow sub George Bailey sprinted clear only to be halted by an assistant’s flag as he had set off a split second to early.

A victory in this game would have been just to much to hope for but the point is probably one the majority of us would have taken if it was offered before the kick off. 

Once again it was a day when every player that got on the pitch did a fantastic job for the Ives and ran themselves into the ground for the cause. There were many man of the match contenders and on a day like this one has to give a mention to the whole back line in particular and I would certainly include Owen Wallis as the holding midfielder in that group. Eighteen year old centre backs Sam Cartwright and Jarvis Wilson once again showed maturity and strength way beyond their tender years. Full backs Joe Hood and Charlie De’ath did a remarkable job keeping both the Glassboys wide men quiet throughout to minimise the flow of crosses being pumped into the box. The man who takes the accolade with a unanimous vote from the behind the goal club is keeper Sam Wilson for his fantastic penalty stop and smart double save ten minutes from time.

We are back in search of FA Cup glory next Saturday when we host the Gingerbreads of Grantham Town. Come along and support the boys you can be sure every one of them will be putting in 110% for you.

Final Score  :  St Ives Town  0  Stourbridge  0

Goals : none

St Ives team : Sam Wilson, Hood, De’ath, McGowan, Cartwright, Jarvis Wilson, Wallis,  Parker (capt), Dylan Wilson (Patrick 90), Snaith (Kelly 65), Seymour-Shove (Bailey 65)

Unused Subs : Sundire, Baker

Man of match : Sam Wilson

Attendance  :  266

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson

St Ives Town 0 Coalville Town 1

Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Central – 01-09-18

No one would have bet on these two teams both sitting in the play off places after five games. Judging on the evidence of this game both have got there through sheer hard work and endeavour.

Ives already missing two players through injury and Ollie Snaith serving the first game of his three match ban suffered a further serious blow prior to the kick of as influential defender Charlie De’ath failed a late fitness test. This left the hosts fielding a back four with an average age of 18½, probably the youngest back line ever fielded by the Ives.

The youngsters were tested early on as the visitors showed the confidence of a team on a three match winning run. Alex Dean got down the right and delivered a dangerous cross to the back post in only 2nd minute fortunately Joe Hood was alert to the danger and managed to turn the ball away from Tom McGlinchey at the expense of a corner.

The Ravens early pressure continued as only two minutes later the skilful Tim Berridge played in McGlinchey. A well positioned home keeper Tim Trebes kept out McGlinchey’s low drive with his feet. The resulting corner from the left by Dean was driven in low and somehow managed to evade everyone as it skipped through the six yard box. Debutant loanee from Kettering Jack O’Connor did well to flick it away from danger at the far post. A quick throw then saw the ball channelled back into the box where Tolani Otomola managed to find just enough space to prod in a low shot that Trebes did well to keep out a point blank range.

The dangerous Berridge again showed his skills in ninth minute as he got away down the left and delivered a dangerous low ball into the six yard box that Trebes did well to claim as he bravely dived in at the feet of Otomola.

Ives first meaningful attack of the afternoon came three minutes later as Tom McGowan closed down, harried and robbed a dallying Dean Freeman just outside the box. Having done the hard work through he failed to capitalise as he screwed his right footed effort wide from a good position just inside the box.

The hosts were now enjoying their first period of decent possession inside the opposition half and only ninety seconds later Danny Kelly and Ben Seymour-Shove combined well on the left to set up a shooting opportunity for Robbie Parker. But the Ives skipper dallied momentarily was immediately closed down and the chance was gone.

With Jack O’Connor in the side Ives had a new string to their attacking options as the young full back is capable of delivering a long throw deep into the opposition penalty area. One of these throws in 17th minute was only half cleared to Seymour-Shove in space on the left inside the visitor’s box. He had half a chance to go for goal, but the angle was narrow and instead he tried to pick out Parker in the centre with a pull back but the ball failed to find it’s way through the forest of covering legs.

Parker had another half chance come his way in 20th minute as Ravens full back Kyle Bryant made a complete hash of a long ball out of defence allowing Parker to pick up the loose ball 30 yards from goal. Rather than try to play in Seymour-Shove he had spotted keeper Smith-Varnam off his line and tried to chip the keeper with a first time effort, but he only succeeded in firing the effort well over the top.

The remainder of the first half was a period much more for artisans than artists as both sides worked very hard to prevent their opposition getting even a glimpse of goal and neither side had that little bit of extra quality required to unlock the two very resolute defences. The game was already begining to look like a goalless draw and both sides would have probably settled for a point at this stage.

The endeavour continued after the break when Ives created the first opportunity as Kelly cleverly held up the ball before releasing Seymour-Shove down the left.He cut in on goal, but as keeper Smith-Varnam came to close him down he again went for the pull back rather than go for goal and a covering defender was again able to cut out the intended pass and hack the ball away.

The Ravens went close twice in a two minute spell. In 54th minute a cross from the right by Dean was cushioned down to Joe Doyle-Charles by Otomola. Doyle-Charles tried to carefully pick his spot from the edge of the box but only managed to steer his side footed effort just wide of Trebes left hand post. The move of the match came two minutes later as a quick passing move involving four players saw the ball arrive at the feet of Dean just outside the box. His crisp drive was deflected to the feet of McGlinchey inside the box but the young winger snatched at the opportunity and only succeeded in prodding his effort straight into the hands of a relieved Trebes.

The visitors continued to probe without really looking likely to find a way through. In 63rd minute a deep cross from the left by McGlinchey was headed down by Dean into the run of Steve Towers. His first time effort from 20 yards was always rising and flew a couple of feet over the crossbar.

The decisive goal arrived out of nothing two minutes later. A long hopeful punt into the box by Scott McManus looked like meat and drink for Trebes, but the keeper although under very little pressure was possibly a little late leaving his line and tried to take it a little lower down than he would have liked. Initially it looked like he would just about hang onto it but the ball wriggled free as he landed and dropped to the feet of the lurking Berridge who could not believe his luck. The Ravens striker kept his composure and almost sheepishly rolled the ball into the empty net.

Without the pace and direct running of Ollie Snaith, George Bailey, Dylan Wilson and Munashe Sundire up front Ives were always going to struggle to find a way through a defence as solid as the Ravens and although manager Ricky Marheineke shuffled his cards and threw on all three substitutes to try and make a difference the well marshalled visitors back line stayed firm and the hosts were unable to test keeper Smith-Varnam even once in the remaining time.

The best opportunities in that period fell to the fast breaking visitors. In 74th minute a clever back heel from Berridge put McGlinchey in for a strike on goal, but his right foot effort from the edge of the box flew inches over the top.

Freeman thought that he had doubled the visitor’s lead in 89th minute as he powered home a Courtney Wildin corner at the back post, but referee George Byrne had already blow for a foul on Trebes.

The Ravens extended their winning run to four and consolidated themselves in a clear second place behind run away leaders Kettering. Ives depleted side can still be proud of the level of effort that they put in and a member of the young back four that performed so heroically deserves the man of the match award. It could have been any of them but the behind the goal crowd picked Jarvis Wilson who as always played with his heart on his sleeve for the cause.

With two cup games ahead of them in the next seven days Ives desperately need to get a few more off the treatment table and back in the starting line up if they are to find the goals to progress.

Final Score : St Ives Town 0 Coalville Town 1

Goals : none

St Ives team : Trebes, Hood, O’Connor, McGowan, Cartwright, Jarvis Wilson, Wallis (Patrick 86), Parker (capt), Kelly (Sundire 86), Rogers (Leslie 73), Seymour-Shove

Unused Subs : De’ath

Man of match : Jarvis Wilson

Attendance : 262

Report by Nigel Howlett. photos by Louise Thompson

St Ives Town 1 Needham Market 1

Evo-Stik League South Premier Central – 25-08-18

With manager Ricky Marheineke away on holiday assistant Bully Adams was the man in charge of the Ives for this fixture. Being the positive guy that he is Adams was probably one of the few people in the ground who did not think that the ten man Ives goose was cooked when the Marketmen grabbed the lead five minutes after the break.

The hosts had been reduced to ten men as early as 26^th minute when the all action Ollie Snaith lunged in on Jeremiah Kamanzi right in front of the referee. Although Snaith made little contact with the opposition player referee Andrew Humphries deemed it an out of control and dangerous tackle and swiftly delivered a straight red card to the Ives man.

The one sure thing about this seasons Ives side is that to a man they will always battle one hundred per cent for the cause and their level of effort and energy made it difficult for a late arrival to realise that they had one less player on the park. The remainder of the match continued as a fairly even contest and as the game entered the final ten minutes the ten men began to exert some pressure on the visitor’s goal which culminated in a well deserved equaliser from the spot by skipper Robbie Parker two minutes from the end of the ninety.

Having clocked up twelve goals in their opening three League fixtures it was no surprise that the Marketmen started on the front foot enjoying the majority of the early possession but as has become their style this season the hard working Ives ensured that they had little time on the ball and were unable to build any real pressure on Tim Trebes goal.

The first real item of note was a booking for centre back Jarvis Wilson as he took one for the team in 20^th minute. The pacey Luke Ingram almost got away onto a clip over the top through the left channel and Wilson was forced to bring him down just outside the left corner of the box. The young defender accepted his fate and was somewhat vindicated in his action as Marketmen’s skipper Gareth Heath drove the resulting free kick into the wall.

The next noteworthy act six minutes later was another card for an Ives man this time the unfortunate red for Snaith. The Ives reshuffle saw Munashe Sundire come over from the left side to the right and George Bailey drop back into a left sided midfield role leaving the battling Danny Kelly up front on his own.

The flow of the game changed very little and the next half chance came the way of the hosts as Marketmen’s keeper Jake Jessup came a long way to try and claim a Parker free kick around his penalty spot in 39^th minute. However the big custodian did not allow for traffic and found himself struggling to get through the crowd of friends and foe in front of him failing to make much contact with the ball at all. But luck was on his side as the loose ball was scrambled out at the expense of a corner by his team mate Dan Morphew.

Having survived the scare the visitors went close to grabbing the lead themselves four minutes later as Joseph Marsden and Jake Dye combined on the right before the latter delivered a ball across the box that got through everyone and arrived beyond the back post where fellow full back Callum Sturgess looked like he had a tap in but keeper Trebes bravely hurled himself in to block the effort at point blank range. Neither man knew that the assistant on the near side had already raised his flag for offside to render their efforts unnecessary.

The final effort of the first period again came from the busy Parker. Charlie De’ath delivered a throw into the ever willing feet of Kelly who held the ball up expertly just outside the visitors box before rolling it into the run of Parker who curled his effort a couple of feet wide from 20 yards.

The opening goal arrived five minutes after the restart as Marsden found some space on the left before delivering a teasing cross that had Trebes in trouble. The Ives custodian was fast back peddling to try and get to the hanging ball as it just drifted over his head. He did well to paw it away from the head of Ingram, but the loose ball fell invitingly to Jeremiah Kamanzi deep inside the Ives box. Kamanzi made no mistake as he took a touch and hammered his shot high into the roof of the net.

The pace and trickery of Marsden continued to cause problems on the left and he just beat Trebes to a clip over the top in 65^th minute, fortunately for Ives the angle was very narrow and although his effort cleared the exposed keeper it landed on top of the net.

De’ath joined his fellow defender Wilson in the referee’s notebook in 78^th minute as he was forced to bring down Ingram just as the Marketmen’s front man looked like getting clear. Again the action was vindicated as Sturgess curled the resulting free kick inches over the top.

Manager Adams introduced Ben Seymour-Shove in place of the tiring Sundire nine minutes from time and the Ives winger had an instant impact. His first touch was to deliver a corner from the right which Jessup dropped under pressure. Once more the big keeper was relieved to be saved by one of his defenders who hacked the ball away.

Seymour-Shove’s next action was also telling as three minutes later Parker played a quick free kick to him wide on the left and his in-swinging cross flicked off Keiran Morphew and just past the far post.

The ten men continued to build the pressure on their opposition and grabbed a deserved equaliser with less than two minutes of the ninety left on the clock. Kelly was clumsily brought down by Morphew 25 yards from goal. Parker lined up the resulting free kick and in a move straight off the training ground slid it to Seymour-Shove as he peeled off the end of the wall. With the Ives winger in a shooting position deep inside the Marketmen’s box Ingram put in an attacking players challenge taking the legs from under Seymour-Shove just as he shaped to shoot for a cast iron penalty.

Parker remained as cool as a cucumber whilst the visitor’s wailed their protest to the unmoving referee. Even the intimidation of the giant Jessup looming over him for a few seconds whilst he waited to be instructed back to his line made no difference as captain courageous slotted his penalty low past the dive of Jessup and into the bottom corner of the net.

Concentration was now the order of the day to ensure that the very hard earned point was now wrested away from the Ives in the added six minutes. But that is also a vital tool this side has in it’s armoury. The nearest the Marketmen came to taking all three points back to Suffolk was ninety seconds from the end when substitute Adam Mills got on the end of a low Marsden cross from the right, but he prodded his effort wide to ensure that honours finished even.

This was a well deserved point against a good all round side and having played for over an hour with ten men that late goal felt more like a winner. Robbie Parker took the man of the match accolade for a true skipper’s display leading from the front as he covered every blade of grass and showed true guts and composure to put away the late spot kick.

Final Score  :  St Ives Town  1  Needham Market  1

Goals : Parker 88 (pen)

St Ives team : Trebes, Hood, De’ath (Dylan Wilson 86), McGowan, Cartwright, Jarvis Wilson, Snaith,  Parker (capt), Kelly, Bailey (Wallis 64), Sundire (Seymour-Shove 81)

Unused Subs : Rogers, Leslie

Man of match : Robbie Parker

Attendance  :  243

Report by Nigel Howlett

St Ives Town 1 Tamworth 0

Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Central – 11 August 18

After a season of struggle last year and a stuttering pre-season few would have predicted this performance or result against one of title favourites. Although Munashe Sundire’s well taken goal just after the break was the only goal the hosts were never under any sustained pressure and could easily have added to their tally. Their well fancied visitors who were a Conference National team only two years ago were completely blown away by the Ives organisation, energy and endeavour so much so that Ives keeper Tim Trebes did not have a single save to make in the entire ninety minutes.

The rain of the previous two days had ended the drought and ensured that the grass that had previously looked decidedly yellow was looking a reasonable shade of green. The precipitation had also given the surface just enough give to take a stud and although not perfect it was ready for the season opener.

Right from the off Ives were looking very busy all over the park and ensured that their opponents were given no time to settle. With both defences well on top early on the first effort on goal did not arrive until 16^th minute. Peterborough United loanee Sam Cartwright timed his run to perfection to get on the end of Declan Rogers corner to the near post. But under heavy pressure from a Lambs defender he only succeeded in directing his flicked header just over the top.

The visitors first half chance arrived two minutes later as Ollie Snaith brought down Lewis Wright 35 yards from goal on the left. Kyle Finn’s deep free kick picked out Lambs skipper Joel Kettle beyond the far post but his header down into the six yard box was hacked away from danger by the covering Jarvis Wilson just ahead of Charlie Shaw.

The Lambs suffered a blow in 24^th minute as their powerful ex Grimsby Town striker Asante Akwasi limped off to be replaced by seventeen year old Junior Mpofu. The game continued to be a midfield battle where Ives combative central pairing of Tom McGowan and skipper Robbie Parker were more than holding their own. Forays into the opposition box by either side were very limited as both back lines continued to look very solid.

The best chance of the first period came four minutes from the interval. An in-swinging Rogers free kick from the right flicked off a defender’s head and arrived at the feet of George Bailey inside the six yard box. Unfortunately the young striker was deceived as the ball skipped off the turf and bounced up onto his shins rebounding into the grateful hands of Lambs keeper Jasbir Singh.

Singh was not so fortunate in his first action after the break as it was his error that lead to the only goal of the game. The big keeper chose to take a free kick approximately 30 yards from his goal on the left but he did not get the required elevation as his kick failed to clear a leaping Bailey and rebounded from the Ives striker across the park straight to the feet of Sundire fully 35 yards from goal. The young wide man showed immaculate composure as he took a touch before curling the ball into the vacant net much to the chagrin of Singh who could only look on in horror.

Having got in front Ives now really had the bit between their teeth and began to get on top. Charlie De’ath should have done better in 63^rd minute as he got completely clear beyond the far post to get on the end of a Rogers free kick from the left. Rather than head the ball back into the mix he rather tamely directed his free header straight into the waiting hands of Singh.

Ives went even closer to adding to their lead from an almost identical move three minutes later. Once more De’ath ghosted around the back and got on the end of a Rogers free kick, this time from the right. This time he did put his header into the danger zone and Cartwright got on the end of it only to be denied by an amazing reflex save at point black range by Singh. All of which proved pointless as the assistant’s flag had gone up with De’ath ruled offside from the initial kick.

The Lambs continued to battle, but the Ives formation continued to prove resilient and they were limited to hopeful long balls into the box which were generally well claimed by Trebes or headed away effectively by De’ath, or Jarvis, or long range shots that were well off target.

Parker had an opportunity to test Singh in 87^th minute as he ran onto a ball inside from Sundire. He cut across the face of the Lambs back line before unleashing a drive from 25 yards that was always rising and ended up clearing the crossbar.

The only real scare for Ives arrived two minutes from the end of the ninety as Trebes came a long way to try and claim a hanging free kick into the box. He got caught in traffic and failed to cling onto the ball as he fell. The ball dropped at the feet of Lambs substitute Tyrone Ofori inside the box, but two Ives defenders hurled themselves bravely across the line of the youngsters shot to block the ball away.

There were to be an added four minutes, but thanks to a substitution and a couple of other stoppages that turned into five. A corner to the visitors in the last few seconds gave Singh a chance to venture into the opponent’s box to try and atone for his earlier error. Much to the relief of the Ives faithful Finn’s corner was a poor one and as Parker headed it away from in front of the near post referee Rob Evans blew the final whistle.

This was a hard earned, but well deserved three points. Manager Ricky Marheineke has recruited a squad of players that will all battle until they drop for the Ives. The planning and hard work put in on the training field in pre-season by assistant “Bully” Adams was also clear to see in the discipline and concentration throughout by every single player. These players were drawing the support from the fans and the Ives faithful responded in kind singing home their heroes to this excellent success.

We will not get carried away by one result as we all remember what happened last season after an opening day victory. But the difference this time is that we now look very hard to beat and the thought that we can make it fortress Westwood Road can hopefully be a lot more than just a dream.

Final Score : St Ives Town  1  Tamworth  0 

Goals : Sundire 51

St Ives team : Trebes, Cartwright, Coulson, McGowan, De’ath, Jarvis Wilson, Snaith (Seymour-Shove 80),  Parker (capt), Bailey (Dylan Wilson 89), Rogers (Moyes 90+3), Sundire

Attendance  :  306

Match report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson