League: Southern Premier Central

Hednesford Town v St Ives Town

Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 14-01-2023

Ives let what would have been a hard earned three points slip from their grasp as the Pitmen’s new signing from Kettering Stephan Morley found the top corner with a peach of a free kick just thirty seconds from the end of the added four minutes to snatch the hosts a point. A goal in front inside the first five minutes thanks to a wonder strike from fully thirty yards by Jonny Edwards and two in front just before the half hour courtesy of a well taken Kieran Higgs goal. Ives then squandered further excellent opportunities to put the game to bed before their hosts got themselves back in it from a corner eight minutes before the break. The tide then turned in the second half with the relegation haunted Pitmen throwing everything at their visitors but it looked like they were going to get no reward thanks to an excellent rear guard action and another solid goalkeeping display including a penalty save from James Dadge only for all of the hard work to be undone by Morley’s well taken free kick.

The game started in spectacular fashion as Edwards opened the scoring after just four minutes and 50 seconds with a spectacular strike from thirty yards that swerved in the breeze and beat the hosts West Bromwich Albion loanee keeper Ronnie Hollingshead high to his left. Hollingshead redeemed himself four minutes later as he plunged to his right to push away Tyrone Baker’s first-time effort from the edge of the box. Baker’s opportunity had come from a low cross from the left by Kieran Higgs that had got through the crowd in the centre and arrived at Baker’s feet.

But it was by no means all one-way traffic in this very open game played at a good pace and the Pitmen came within millimetres of an equaliser in 13^th minute. Player manager Danny Glover held the ball up well before feeding in James McQuilkin cutting from the left. He unleashed a fierce rising drive from the corner of the box that beat the diving Dadge and thumped the crossbar before rebounding to safety.

Back up the other end it was Ives turn to come agonisingly close to a second, an excellent turn away from two men by Edwards allowed him to slide in Nabil Shariff through the left channel. He tried to carefully place his effort in the bottom corner from just inside the box, but the diving Hollingshead did just enough as his outstretched fingers diverted the ball just past the post.

As is often the case Johnny Herd’s long throws were causing the hosts a few problems and his 26^th minute missile was flicked on at the near post before bouncing around the box and Shariff went for the spectacular trying an overhead kick as the ball dropped to him with his back to goal. He made good contact but unfortunately the effort was straight at Hollingshead. But the young stopper was beaten again two minutes later. Another Herd long throw was only half cleared to the edge of the box where Higgs struck a crisp low drive through the crowd that Hollingshead saw late. The keeper managed to get a hand to the effort low to his right, but he could not keep it out.

Now two in front Ives plan had to be to keep things tight until the break but that plan was undone eight minutes before the interval as the visitors conceded a goal from a dead ball situation that they will be disappointed to let in. Glover managed to get in front of his marker to glance on Kyle Bennett’s in-swinging corner from the left at the near post and Cole O’Sullivan got between players to prod it home from close range.

But Ives should still have gone in at the interval two goals to the good as Baker spurned a glorious opportunity to restore that advantage only two minutes later. Higgs burst clear and cut in from the right as defenders and goalkeeper closed on him, he unselfishly rolled the ball square to Baker who looked like he simply had to roll the ball home but inexplicably he decided to take a touch and it was a poor one which allowed the defensive hoard to descend upon him and dispossess him before he could get his shot away.

The Pitmen made a change at the interval and it was a positive one throwing on wide man Niah Payne in place of centre back Harvey Portman and they made their intentions clear from the start with Todd Parker letting fly from 25 yards only forty seconds after the restart. Fortunately the effort was straight at Dadge who held on well. The young keeper was in action again in 51^st minute. A slip by Ben Toseland allowed O’Sullivan a sight of goal and he fired in a low shot from just outside the box that Dadge held well low to his right.

The Northampton Town loanee’s best save of the day came only sixty seconds later. A mistake by the usually reliable Paddy Casey saw him lose possession on the edge of the box to Payne. To compound his error Casey then pulled back the substitute inside the box in full view of the referee. Player manager Glover took responsibility from the spot and although he struck his effort well it was to close to Dadge who had guessed the right way and blocked it well. Even more amazingly the keeper somehow managed to spring up and bravely smother the loose ball to prevent Glover forcing it home.

After that penalty save the momentum swung again and it was Ives turn to create more opportunities to kill the game. A 54^th minute slip by Morley allowed Baker to race clear down the right he cut inside before unleashing a powerful effort from just inside the box that Hollingshead proved equal to leaping to his right to palm the ball away.

Five minutes later some suicidal defending by Pitmen’s skipper Lewis Ison allowed Higgs to rob him as he tried to dribble the ball out of his own box. The Ives winger sized up his options as he was closed down and tried to bend the ball around two defenders to find the top corner but clipped it just a little to high.

A clever 62^nd minute free kick from Michael Richens created another half chance for the visitors as Toseland got in front of his man to clip it towards goal at the near post but Tom Thorley was on hand to block the effort out for a corner.

The introduction of Enoch Andoh to replace the tiring Higgs in 67^th minute caused more headaches for the hosts defence and he came oh so close to increasing Ives lead just seven minutes after joining the fray. He picked up the ball just inside the Pitmen’s half before setting off on one of his trademark mazy runs. It took him past three defenders and clear with only keeper Hollingshead to beat. The Ives substitute did everything right beating the keeper low to his left with a shot that looked destined for the bottom corner only for it to hit the inside of the post and bounce across the face of goal before being scrambled away.

With time ticking down Ives had two more chances to finish off their hosts. In 83^rd minute Andoh managed to lose his marker to get on the end of Richens deep free kick but his first touch was not quite good enough allowing Hollingshead to claim the ball off his toe. Three minutes later and Ives other two substitutes combined well to work a way through the hosts back line. Kellan Hickinson and Ed Hottor exchanged passes with the latter running onto the return ball inside the box but screwing his shot wide from a good position.

With time ticking down the desperate hosts were forced to throw caution to the wind to try and gain something from a game that they really needed to win. They had a decent shout for a penalty turned down in the second of the added four minutes as Herd got on the wrong side of O’Sullivan and gave the Pitmen’s striker a substantial nudge in the back to prevent him getting on the end of a deep cross from Morley.

But it was the Pitmen’s debutant left back who had the last laugh as he slotted his perfect free kick just seconds from the end to gain the hosts a precious point and deny the Ives a deserved victory. The free kick had been awarded 25 yards from goal when Baker covering back had taken down Bennett from behind as the hosts winger had tried to wriggle his way through. Morley managed to get his free kick over the Ives four man wall and into the top corner just out of reach of the despairing dive of Dadge to break Ives hearts.

The result sees Ives remain in a respectable 14^th place whilst their big spending hosts have a mountain to climb if they are going to escape the drop as they currently sit ten points away from safety with sixteen games to go and realistically need promotion form to get themselves out of danger.

Final Score: Hednesford Town 2 St Ives Town 2

Goals:

HEDNESFORD: O’Sullivan 37, Morley 90+4

ST IVES: Edwards 5, Higgs 28

Team Line Ups:

HEDNESFORD: Hollingshead, Ison (capt), Morley, Thorley, Redfern, Portman (Payne 46), Bennett, Parker, Glover (Tilt 64), O’Sullivan, McQuilkin (Kaninda 77), Unused subs: Augustien, R. Williams

ST IVES: Dadge, Casey, Herd, Richens (capt), J. Williams, Toseland, Higgs (Andoh 67), Cowling (Hottor 50), Edwards, Shariff (Hickinson 79), Baker, Unused subs: Johnson, Milne

Cards: Yellow: HEDNESFORD: Tilt (88) ST IVES: Higgs (40), Herd (73)

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jordan Williams

Attendance: 436

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video Highlights by Ollie Jones.

Tamworth v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 23-04-2022

The fact that the home sponsors gave their man of the match award to Lambs keeper Jas Singh gives a big indication that Ives could, and probably should, have ended their league season with a third win in a row and into the bargain ended host’s thirteen game unbeaten run. Two excellent saves from the home stopper in the first eleven minutes prevented the visitors making a similar start to that at Stratford seven days previously and two more one either side of half time ensured that his performance caught the sponsor’s eye.

The hosts playing their fourth game in eight days might have been expected to rest a few players, but manager Andy Peaks likes to keep a tight squad and stick to a winning formula. Their only change from Thursday evenings home win over Biggleswade was an enforced one with Lucas Yeomans coming in for the injured Cameron Howkins. Ives management duo of Mike Ford and Ricky Marheineke went with similar principles and stuck with the side that played the majority of Easter Monday’s home victory over Diamonds and the victory over Stratford 48 hours earlier.

As has become their trait of late Ives were very fast out of the traps and should have got their noses in front in fifth minute. A perfectly weighted clip over the Lambs back line by Michael Richens put Ethan Johnston clear one on one with keeper Singh. The big stopper got everything right closing the angle quickly, staying upright and making himself big to deny the Ives striker with a vital close range block.

Singh was the Lambs saviour again six minutes later as a quick exchange of passes between Nabil Shariff and Johnston just outside the hosts box was concluded with the former sliding the ball into the run of Liam Cross cutting in from the right. His powerful first time strike from the corner of the box was spectacularly tipped over the top by the flying keeper.

Ives continued to press in search of the vital opening goal and they almost found it via an unusual route one move in 14^th minute. Keeper Eddie Brearey’s long clearance carried on the breeze deceiving Ben Bailey and Johnston was quickly onto the bouncing ball looking likely to get clear again. But the big centre back belied his size to recover quickly and do just enough to nudge Johnston as the striker unleashed his shot. The challenge was sufficient to ensure that the shot skimmed the crossbar on its way over the top rather than billowing the net.

The two Ives centre backs combined in the opposition penalty area to create the next chance in 21^st minute. Dylan Williams deep free kick was kept alive beyond the far post by Callum Milne. His header back into the mix caused panic in the Lambs box the ball falling to the feet of Ben Toseland eight yards out but his goal bound effort struck Yeomans and deflected wide.

Having completely run the first quarter of the game Ives were stunned to fall behind to the visitors first meaningful attack in 23^rd minute. An visionary cross field ball from Jack Concannon picked out Dexter Walters in space on the left. His excellent first touch gave him the opportunity to run at Josh Flanagan, jinking right then left he managed to get past the Ives full back before drilling a low cross to the back post where Wahib Tahra gleefully spanked it home into the bottom corner of the net giving Brearey no chance.

Although stung by falling behind Ives quickly responded and Richens twice tried his luck from distance without troubling Singh. But Ives continued to probe in search of parity before the break. Singh was almost caught out by an in-swinging corner from Luke Fairlamb in 41^st minute. The effort was going to dip under the crossbar and it took some very quick footwork and a flying leap to get the necessary touch to divert the ball onto the crossbar and over. But the resulting corner did bring about Ives equaliser. The initial flag kick was half cleared to Flanagan who curled it to the back post where Toseland rose above his marker to knock the ball down into the path of Johnston who directed his header past Singh from six yards.

There was still time before the break for Johnston to miss a golden opportunity to put the visitors in front. A flowing move down the right ended with Cross floating an inviting ball into the centre where Johnston had ghosted in between the Lambs centre backs. Clean contact and it was 2-1, but the Ives striker only managed to get a glancing header onto the ball which flashed wide of the upright much to Singh’s relief.

The second half started in similar vane to the first with Singh again being called into spectacular early action to keep the scores level. Another excellent interchange of passes between Shariff, Williams and Johnston down the left ended with the former teeing up the latter for a well struck shot from the edge of the box that was bound for the bottom corner until the outstretched palm of the diving Singh appeared to knock the ball away.

Ives keeper Brearey had been enjoying a fairly quiet afternoon up until the hour mark when Lambs skipper Ryan Beswick managed to dispossess Cross in the middle of the park. He found the willing run of Eoin McKeown down the left. The big number nine fed the ball back inside to Concannon who took a touch and unleashed a curling effort from the corner of the box that forced Brearey into a flying save high to his left to tip the ball away.

Having been called upon for his first piece of spectacular action of the afternoon Brearey very quickly found that he needed to be on his toes again four minutes later. Walters decided to try something very unexpected and almost caught the young keeper out. The Lambs left winger picked up possession in a wide left position fully forty yards from goal and decided to step inside on his right foot and go for goal. The ball arced unerringly on the strong breeze heading for the top corner and it took some excellent footwork and a full length dive from Brearey to prevent it sneaking in.

With the two sides having played a lot of football in the last eight days and mid table positions already assured for both there was always likely to come a point in the second half where the game went off the boil. The hosts came within inches of grabbing the winner in 69^th minute as a corner was half cleared to Concannon just outside the box and he seized his chance to hit the dropping ball on the volley meeting the effort as sweet as a nut. With Brearey beaten he thought that he had scored only for the ball to thud into the inside of the post but somehow stay out. With everyone else inside the box watching the ball Concannon was first to react to the rebound but this time snatched at it a screwed the ball horribly wide. That proved to be the final noteworthy effort of the afternoon as both sides used their full compliment of substitutes to try and get fresh legs out onto the park but neither could create any real opportunities in the remaining twenty minutes and both seemed equally happy to settle for a share of the spoils. The Lambs went on to their end of season presentation evening immediately after the game whilst Ives still have the small matter of a County cup final to look forward to on Tuesday evening.

Final Score : Tamworth 1 St Ives Town 1

Goals :

TAMWORTH: Tahra 23,

ST IVES: Johnston 41

Teams

TAMWORTH: Singh, Yeomans, Wilder, Beswick (capt), Bailey, Hurst, Concannon (Griffin 86), Mussa, McKeown (Whittingham 69), Tahra, Walters (Parker 84), Unused Subs: Fallows, Howkins

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Fairlamb, Richens (capt), Milne, Toseland, Cross (Solkhon 90), Hottor, Shariff (Richard-Noel 59), Johnston (Baker 74), Williams, Unused subs: Goff, Osei-Bonsu

Supporters man of the match: Ed Hottor

Attendance: 640

Report by Nigel Howlett.

St Ives Town v AFC Rushden & Diamonds

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 18-04-2022

Six years ago these same two sides met on a Bank Holiday Monday at the same venue. The prize on that occasion was promotion to step three and it was Ives that ultimately claimed the victory on that fateful day. Move forward to today and once again the rewards for victory in this Easter Monday fixture in the sunshine are massive with the hosts needing victory to fully secure another season at this level and the visitors also seeking vital points to ensure their place in the end of season play-offs at the other end of the table.

As is the way in non-league football both teams had already played 48 hours before, each claiming important victories in their individual quests. Both made only one change to their starting line ups from the Saturday games. Ives replacing injured skipper Brett Solkhon with fit again Oran Jackson and Diamonds bringing in goal scorer from the bench on Saturday Connor Furlong in place of Lewis Johnson.

As on Saturday Ives were very fast out of the traps and Liam Cross got to the bye line inside the first 25 seconds. Dean Snedker in the visitor’s goal had to be similarly on his toes from the off to claim the low cross from the speedy winger just ahead of the lurking Nabil Shariff.

Jackson’s return after injury and illness proved to be very short lived as he went down with a knee injury as he cleared the first Diamonds attack of the game only just over one minute later. After lengthy treatment the unfortunate centre back had to limp out of proceedings to be replaced by Callum Milne. The like for like replacement at least meant no need for a major reshuffle for the hosts as Milne simply slotted into the middle of the back four alongside Ben Toseland.

Play settled down a little after that early excitement and the next attempt on goal did not come until 13^th minute when Michael Richens seized an opportunity to drive forward from midfield and try his luck from fully 30 yards. Snedker was happy to watch the effort fly harmlessly over his crossbar. The visitors first opportunity arrived three minutes later when skipper Fernando Bell-Toxtle exchanged passed with Nathan Tshikuna before bursting into the box to get on the end of the return ball but the combined efforts of the covering Toseland and keeper Eddie Brearey quickly closed him and blocked his shot out for a corner. The resulting corner from the left was delivered deep beyond the far post where Ben Diamond had drifted into space. His header back into the box was turned home at close range by Jesse Akubuine but Diamonds joy was short lived as the assistant’s flag on the nearside was raised to cancel out the effort for offside.

Cross continued to cause problems down the right for Ives but without really managing to create any clear cut scoring opportunities. The closest that the hosts came to opening the scoring in the first half hour was a dangerous 28^th minute corner whipped in from the right by Luke Fairlamb that glanced off the head of Jordan Graham inside his own six yard box and flashed inches wide of the post with Snedker beaten.

Ives continued to be patient in their build up and at times passed their way through the visitors back line. One such build up created another chance of a shot on goal for the hosts in 33^rd minute. The flowing move was ended with Shariff feeding in Dylan Williams cutting in from the left. But the wide man’s run across the eighteen yard line ended with a wild shot that flew high and wide into the netting behind the goal.

As half time approached each side had one opportunity to get themselves on the scoresheet, both from dead ball situations. The first of those chances went the way of the visitors in 42^nd minute when a Richens foul on Tshikuna 30 yards from goal allowed the Diamonds chance to load the box again. Once more the kick was directed deep to pick out Diamond beyond the far post but this time he directed his header straight into the grateful arms of Brearey. The hosts opportunity in the last minute before the break was much more clear cut and only denied by an excellent point blank save from Snedker. An in-swinging free kick from the left by Williams was cleanly met by Toseland arriving at pace. His well struck effort was bravely blocked by the keeper who spread himself well to ensure that the two sides went into the break level.

With this being a second ninety minutes in 48 hours in un-seasonally warm weather for most of the players one might have anticipated that the pace would drop off in the second period but that was not to be the case. As in the first half it was the hosts that came out of the traps quickest. The half was only two minutes old when Fairlamb went down the left and delivered a cross that only just eluded Ethan Johnston arriving at the back post. Seven minutes later a clever free kick involving Fairlamb and Williams ended with the former firing a shot into the side netting from just inside the box.

Both sides made a change on the hour. The host replacing the tiring Johnston with Nehemiah Richard-Noel giving the youngster his home debut. The visitors replaced the out of sorts Graham with AJ George. The Diamonds substitute almost made an instant impact as less than ninety seconds after his introduction he spurned a great chance to put his side in front. Starting the move in the centre of the park he picked out Diamond wide right who took it in his stride then burst forward before firing in a low cross that got right through the penalty area before it arrived at the feet of George 15 yards out. The youngster snatched at the chance firing high and wide with his first time effort.

The pace did not drop as both sides continued to go in search of a winner. A 67^th minute mistake from Sam Warburton allowed Cross to get away again on the right hand side. The young winger outpaced the desperate full back to get to the bye line and picked out Shariff with his pull back to the near post. But the striker’s effort, although on target, lacked power allowing Snedker to make a comfortable save.

Another dead ball opportunity came and went for the visitors in 75^th minute. Tshikuna seized an opportunity to run at the Ives back line from fully 35 yards out and he almost found a way through only to be taken down by a last ditch tackle from Fairlamb inches outside the box. The same player picked himself up and fired the free kick around the hosts five man wall but inches wide of the post.

Ives made another change one minute later replacing Shariff with the pace and trickery of Tyrone Baker. Similar to the introduction of George by the Diamonds this change had an almost instant impact as with his first touch of the ball only seconds late, Baker was sent tumbling by Diamond 30 yards from goal. Williams deep cross from the resulting free kick was powerfully met beyond the back post by Milne. His header rebounding out for a corner off the head of Liam Dolman. The resulting corner brought the decisive goal. Fairlamb’s in-swinger from the right was met cleanly by, a somehow unmarked, Richard-Noel on the edge of the six yard box his downward header giving Snedker no chance.

Now with their noses in front Ives were not about to give away any of those hard earned three points. They ensured that by cleverly retained possession wherever possible moving the ball around cleanly on the excellent 3G surface. The visitors only managed to carve out one chance of a shot on goal in the remaining time and that four minutes from the end of the ninety when Will Jones found a little bit of space on the left before teeing up George on the edge of the box, again the substitute seemed to snatch at the chance and dragged his shot wide of Brearey’s right hand post.

A second excellent performance in a row and a second clean sheet in a row for the first time this season ensured Ives best Easter return in a long time and earned it’s deserved reward of another season at step three. Diamonds were not as disappointed as they might have been at the final whistle as other results going for them means that they still have their play-off hopes very much alive and entirely in their own hands as a single point from their final game next Saturday will see them at least ensured of that vital fifth place. Ives can go to Tamworth where another win would see them match their best even finish at this level of thirteenth place.

Final Score : St Ives Town 1 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 0

Goals :

ST IVES: Richard-Noel 78,

RUSHDEN:

Teams

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Fairlamb, Richens (capt), Jackson (Milne 3), Toseland, Cross, Hottor, Shariff (Baker 76), Johnston (Richard-Noel 60), Williams, Unused subs: Solkhon, Osei-Bonsu

RUSHDEN: Snedker, Diamond, Warburton, Bell-Toxtle (capt), Dolman, Casey, Furlong, Akubuine (Diakiesse 87), Jones, Graham (George 60), Tshikuna, Unused Subs: Johnson, Hughes, Snelus

Supporters man of the match: Ben Toseland

Attendance: 564

Match Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook. Photos Louise Thompson.

Match Mascots – Buckden Juniors U9

Stratford Town v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 16-04-2022

Ives virtually assured themselves of a seventh successive season at step three in the non-league pyramid with arguably their best all round performance of the season at the home of the Bards. Shakespeare himself would have been hard pressed to write better opening lines than the visitors managed in the sunshine at the Arden Garages Stadium. Two up inside the first fifteen minutes courtesy of a Dylan Williams spot kick and an excellent finish from Liam Cross. A third from leading scorer Nabil Shariff early in the second period ensured that the lack lustre hosts were never given a sniff of a route back into the game.

Management team of Ricky Marheineke and Mike Ford had clearly done some impressive homework ahead of this must win fixture. The line up that surprised quite a few of the travelling contingent pre-game proved to be spot on. The back four provided an unlikely looking combination with Josh Flanagan recall onto the right side, Ben Toseland returning to the centre alongside skipper Brett Solkhon and a very unexpected Luke Fairlamb at left back. Midfield saw the ever reliable central pairing of Michael Richens and Ed Hottor with Liam Cross recalled wide right and Dylan Williams reverting to his early season wide left roll. Nabil Shariff was joined as a central striker by another with an eye for goal Ethan Johnston.

Ives were quick out the block and an early corner brought reward. Fairlamb went across to the right to deliver an in-swinger which arced into the six yard box. The initial defensive header from Dan Vann only succeeded in knocking the ball towards the edge of the box where Williams challenged Dan Lafferty for it in the air. The Bards number seven raised his arm as if to get more elevation in his jump to clear the dropping ball but it struck that upraised arm and referee Tom Hales was in the perfect position to see the contact. Without a moments hesitation the whistle blew and he pointed to the spot. Williams took the responsibility and thumped home his spot kick to give Ives a fifth minute lead.

Nine minutes later the rampant visitors doubled their lead and again the off colour Bards brought about their own downfall. A poor clearance from keeper Liam O’Brien arrowed straight to the midriff of Hottor inside the centre circle. The midfielder had time to bring the ball down, size up his options, and deliver the perfect ball into the well timed run of Cross galloping down the right. Completely clear the young winger cleverly drew O’Brien to him before slotting the ball through the legs of the exposed custodian.

The stunned hosts tried their best to find a route back into the game and their first attempt on goal arrived from their first corner of the game in 17^th minute. The initial flag kick was headed away by Solkhon to the back of the box where Lewis Wilson kept it alive and his low cross to the near post was diverted inches wide by Vann.

That effort on goal from the hosts was very much against the run of play as the visitors continued to rule the roost. It took an excellent save from O’Brien to the prevent the lead increasing further in 21^st minute as a perfectly weighted clip over the top from Richens found the feet of Shariff who cleverly turned inside Jordan Williams before getting his shot away. But O’Brien was alert to the danger and spread himself to bravely block the attempt at close range.

Turning the rather pedestrian Bards back line was clearly a planned tactic for Ives and it continued to work well for them. In 34^th minute Toseland delivered the telling clip, Johnston rose above J. Williams to knock the ball down to Shariff who fired his first time effort inches over from the edge of the box.

An early substitution by the hosts saw Brennan Denness-Barrett replace a struggling Jack Storer and it was the substitute who created the Bards next opportunity only moments after Shariff’s near miss. Toseland was caught in possession just inside Ives half, the ball was fed inside to Will Dawes who curled his effort inches wide of Eddie Brearey’s right hand post from the corner of the box.

Opportunities came at both ends in the closing stages of the first half. Dawes cleverly turned Solkhon inside Ives territory to set up the Bards next chance in 38^th minute. He fed the ball into the run of Ashley Sammons on the left and then continued his run to get on the end of Sammons cross at the back post but he was always stretching and only succeeded in directing his header wide.

At the other end the lively Williams was allowed to run diagonally across the face of the hosts goal 25 yards out. With Ives supporters screaming for him to shoot as it opened up for him he let fly with a low shot that beat the dive of keeper O’Brien but thudded the boards just outside his left hand post. There was still time the hard working Shariff to almost put Cross in again but this time covering defender Harry Higginson did just enough to deflect his effort into the side netting.

As the pundits always say with a two goal lead at the break “the next goal is vital” and Ives had to thank keeper Brearey from ensuring that goal did not go the way of the hosts. Three minutes after the re-start Denness-Barrett got across in front of Toseland at the near post to divert a low Dawes cross on target but the ever alert Brearey made an excellent reaction save low to his right to smother the effort.

Johnston came within a couple of feet of ensuring that vital third goal went to Ives in 51^st minute as he beat keeper O’Brien to a Toseland ball over the top and steered the ball goalwards past the out of position stopper. Fortunately for the Bards centre back Vann had not given up the cause and covering around behind his keeper he managed to divert the bobbling ball away from goal. The hosts had a lucky escape there but their good fortune ran out only seconds later. Fairlamb seized an opportunity to burst forward down the left and showing a flash of the brilliance that we know that he has he danced past three Bards defenders, including surviving a clip from the last one, to deliver a low cross along the six yard line that Shariff side footed home at the back post.

Even with that all important third goal in their pockets Ives spurred on by their management team showed no signs of dropping their intensity level and as the host’s heads went down further opportunities started to appear. An excellent break at pace in 64^th minute should have seen Johnston claim the fourth. The engine driver Richens threaded yet another inch perfect pass from the midfield to put Cross clear on the right. He got to the bye line before pulling the ball back to an unmarked Johnston on the edge of the box. Even with Richens screaming at him that he had time to take a touch the striker went for goal first time and fired his powerful strike just over the top.

Another chance to claim the fourth came and went in 72^nd minute. Williams robbed a dallying Paul Field wide on the left and fed the ball infield to debutant striker Nehemiah Richard-Noel who pulled the best out of keeper O’Brien as the big stopper leapt high to his left to spectacularly claw away Richard-Noel’s attempted lob from the edge of the box with a big left paw.

The clock was now ticking down and Ives back line continued to cope well with everything that the Bards could throw at them. In fact they were so effective in preventing any real penetration into their box that Brearey had his quietest game to date since arriving at quattro-tech Westwood Road. At the other end there were still a couple more opportunities for the visitors to put a cherry on the cake. Richens picked up a half cleared 88^th minute corner and found space to get around the hosts defence before cutting in from the left and getting away a shot from a narrow angle the O’Brien did well to block.

The emotion and desire to win this game for Ives was still showing through two minutes into added time, even with them three in front, when joint manager Marheineke picked up a yellow card for his objections when referee Hales failed to award a second penalty to the visitors even though Richard-Noel appeared to be blatantly pulled back by the struggling J. Williams as he was bursting clean through onto Johnston’s flick.

A fantastic performance and a fantastic result helped by all of the others around Ives in the bottom half of the table dropping points. Now only a mathematician would believe that there was even a remote risk that Ives are not safe for another year. On a day when everyone did more that their bit Ives travelling contingent found a host of different options for their man of the match, those getting a mention include Flanagan, Fairlamb, Richens, Hottor, Shariff and Williams. The man who received the deciding vote did a fantastic job in an unfamiliar role and still managed to have a hand in one of the goals, Luke Fairlamb.

Final Score : Stratford Town 0 St Ives Town 3

Goals :

STRATFORD:

ST IVES: Williams 5 (pen), Cross 14, Shariff 52

Teams

STRATFORD: O’Brien, Wilson, Higginson, Fry, Vann, J. Williams, Lafferty (Field 55), Sammons (Oulton 55), Storer (Denness-Barrett 25), Grocott, Dawes Unused subs: Aisthorpe, James

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Fairlamb, Solkhon (capt) (Milne 55), Toseland, Richens, Cross (Baker 82), Hottor, Shariff (Richard-Noel 63), Johnston, Williams, Unused subs: Jackson, Osei-Bonsu

Supporters man of the match: Luke Fairlamb

Attendance: 342

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook.

St Ives Town v Stourbridge

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 09-04-2022

Revenge was sweet for the Glassboys as they enjoyed their trip to Cambridgeshire an awful lot more than the reverse fixture in the early days of the season when a buoyant Ives comfortably won at the Alfred Hall Memorial Ground. The visitors have moved on a long way since that early game and can boast promotion chasing form in the second half of the season. Three of the four goals that decided this fixture all came from the top drawer of goals that Ives have conceded in a tough season when they have shipped 89 in 37 league fixtures. But to their credit they kept plugging away and managed to score an excellent goal of their own.

After last week’s cracking victory over play-off bound Rushall it was hoped that Ives would go into this game with an unchanged squad. Unfortunately that was not to be with important players Oran Jackson and Nabil Shariff both missing with illness and injury. Michael Richens dropped into the back four with Dylan Williams moving into the centre of the park, Liam Cross and Ethan Johnston forming a previously untried front two. The visitors on the other hand arrived with a virtually fully fit squad to pick from.

Ives new strike pair came close to giving them an early lead as with only ninety seconds on the watch Cross looked to get clear onto a Callum Milne clip over the top, for a split second it opened up for him but rather than shoot he took another touch and got crowded out. The ball ran loose to Johnston following up and it took a brave point black block from Joe Hull to prevent him opening the scoring.

The visitors then went on to gain two early corners both of which were very well defended in dangerous areas by Ives centre backs. The second flag kick was knocked out for a throw and a quick one almost caught them out as Ethan Moran fed the ball into Reece Styche who spun on it and got a shot away from inside the box that was well held by Eddie Brearey.

Brearey was in action again in thirteenth minute as his own hurried clearance fell to Darryl Knights 30 yards out. Knights fed in Styche who again got his shot away but was denied by the Ives keeper who made a good save low to his left. An Ives break four minutes later saw Ben Toseland set up a shooting opportunity for Cross whose powerful effort from the edge of the box was deflected into the side netting.

The visitors opening goal in 21^st minute was a moment of pure class from Moran. Glassboys skipper Lee Vaughan lead the swift break down the right before feeding inside to Moran on the edge of the box. His first time right footed clip over Brearey was perfection as the ball sailed over the keeper before nestling just inside the far post. Getting their noses in front seemed to lift the visitors to even greater heights and Ives had to battle hard to stay in touch. Moran was at the heart of a number of the visitors best moves, three minutes later his excellent cross field pass found Jack Wilson in space on the left. It took a last ditch covering tackle from Milne to prevent the full back doubling the advantage.

Ives did have one opportunity to get on level terms in 27^th minute. Johnston was upended by Hull 25 yards from goal giving Brett Fairlamb chance to deliver a teasing ball into the box that Brett Solkhon managed to get on the end of but he was always stretching and failed to hit the target with his header from ten yards.

From that point on it was the visitors who really took the game to Ives playing what a number of their supporters highlighted as the best football that they had played all season. Ives struggled to stay in touch and fell further behind to a second goal of the season contender of the afternoon. Another flowing move down the right ended with the ball at the feet of the overlapping Vaughan this time he cut inside and unleashed a screamer from the corner of the box that flew past the despairing dive of Brearey and found the top corner.

Two behind at the break the hosts needed an early route back into the game after the restart. Sadly they were caught out again by another quality goal from the visitors only two minutes after the resumption. Richens brought down Styche inches outside the box and Knights curled a peach over Ives five man wall and into the top corner high past Brearey’s left hand.

To their credit, even though now three goals in arrears Ives continued to believe that an unlikely comeback was possible. Roared on by the bar crew, who were in particularly good voice despite the score line, the host won three corners in quick succession. The middle of those from Dylan Williams squirmed through the hands of Glassboys keeper Charlie Price who was very fortunate to see it deflect over the crossbar.

An unlikely substitution on the hour lead to Ives pulling a goal back. Full back Josh Flanagan replaced winger Tyrone Baker which seemed a strange move when three goals behind. But the management crew knew much more than us mere mortals and a re-shuffle saw Richens released into his more familiar midfield role. The goal when it came in 68^th minute involved both of those two with Richens threading a pinpoint pass through to put Flanagan away on the right his low first time cross into the box was met by Johnston who simply rolled the ball home at the far post.

That belief level raised a little more, as did the raucous level of the bar crew. Richens was now at the heart of everything positive from Ives. In 71^st minute his powerful run from midfield ended with his 25 yard effort deflected inches wide with keeper Price scrambling across to cover. Four minutes later Lathaniel Rowe-Turner’s pull back on Johnston as the striker tried to burst through earned the Glassboys centre back a booking and gave Ives the chance to get another shot on target. Richens free kick burst through the four man wall but straight into the grateful arms of keeper Price.

Ives had the steam taken out of their push to grab something from the game nine minutes from time when an error from Brearey gifted the visitors a very fortunate fourth goal. A long punt out of defence was being chased by substitute Kieran Cook and the young keeper felt he must come and try to beat the striker to the ball by heading it away. Unfortunately he misjudged the bounce and completely missed the ball allowing Cook the simple task of rolling the it home into the empty net.

There was still time left in the game for Brearey to more than make up for his error and keep the score line just about in the realms of respectability. A fantastic double save to initially keep out a powerful strike from inside the box by Styche and then miraculously recover to deny Cook from point blank range on the follow up was atonement enough. But he topped that in 87^th minute as he flung himself to his left to keep out Styche’s well struck spot kick. The penalty had been awarded when substitute Andrew Osei-Bonsu had brought down George Forsyth inside the box.

A day when the performance was probably a little better than the result suggests but with other results generally going Ives way they still have an eight point cushion to the bottom two with games fast running out. Two games next weekend could well decided the season as a whole with a visit to mid table Stratford Town on the Saturday followed by hosting AFC Rushden & Diamonds on Bank Holiday Monday in what will almost certainly be a crucial game for both sides with Diamonds in danger of slipping out of a play-off spots and Ives eager to ensure another season at step three.

Final Score : St Ives Town 1 Stourbridge 4

Goals :

ST IVES: Johnston 68

STOURBRIDGE: Moran 21, Vaughan 35, Knights 47, Cook 81

Teams

ST IVES: Brearey, Milne, Cross, Solkhon (capt), Toseland (Dwumfuo 89), Richens, Baker (Flanagan 61), Hottor (Osei-Bonsu 84), Johnston, Williams, Fairlamb, Unused subs: Egole

STOURBRIDGE: Price, Vaughan (capt), Wilson (O’Hanlon 68), Hull, Rowe-Turner, Rowley, Moran (Cook 75), McQuilkin, Styche, Knights (Smith 83), Forsyth, Unused subs: Solly, Ball

Supporters man of the match : Michael Richens

Attendance : 308

Match report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.

St Ives Town v Rushall Olympic

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 02–04-2022

A massive three points in the Ives quest to keep their heads above the drop zone was earnt with a battling comeback performance in a game that was not always pretty but was certainly won by the side that wanted it most. But make no mistake the fourth placed Pics were equally keen to grab the full reward from this game in their quest to claim at top three spot and hence a home game in the play–off semi-finals.

The game was turned on its head in the dying minutes of the first half. Initially in 44th minutewith the visitors already one goal to the good courtesy of a header from their skipper Sam Whittall, the same player had a spot kick saved by Ives keeper Eddie Brearey. Then in added time the hosts grabbed an unlikely equaliser with only their second effort of the game on target as Nabil Sharrif prodding home from close range. Instead of going in two goals to the good the visitors suddenly found themselves on level terms and facing a nervy second half.

After two poor performances on the road Ives management team made two changes to the starting line up going for experience ahead of youth with Michael Richens returning from suspension to anchor the midfield and Oran Jackson fit again to return in the centre of the back four with Callum Milne going across to right back it was the two Northampton loanees Josh Flanagan and Liam Cross who dropped to the bench.

The high flying visitors started on the front foot and home keeper Brearey was called into early action to keep out a Tyler Lyttle free kick. The kick had been awarded against Jackson who had clattered Rackeem Reid just outside the left hand corner of Ives box. Brearey’s opposite number Jonathan Flatt had to be even more alert in ninth minute as the lively Dylan Williams robbed a dallying Whittall deep inside Pics territory. Clean through on goal Williams should probably have done better but keeper Flatt closed him quickly and spread himself well to keep the ball out with a solid right hand.

Having missed the chance to get their noses in front Ives found themselves going behind in the very next attack as Lyttle was given to much time and space on the right. He delivered a teasing cross to the back post where skipper Whittall rose above the crowd to power a header past Brearey from ten yards. Reid was proving a real handful for Ives back line and the visitors could easily have doubled their advantage five minutes later. A quick break from an Ives free kick saw Ed Hottor put under heavy pressure by Reid eventually being forced to foul his man but the Pics striker managed to stay on his feet and an excellent advantage from referee Jorden Gibson allowed Reid to tee up Alex Moore on the edge of the box but he did not hit his shot cleanly allowing Brearey to make the save low to his right.

Reid did get the ball in the net in 37th minute after he managed to beat Brearey to a lob over the top of Ives back line by Thorley to roll the ball home only to be denied by the assistant’s raised flag. The same player spurned a golden opportunity to double the visitors advantage three minutes later. Lyttle sprinted onto Reid’s flick and fed in Reece Mitchell on the overlap, his low driven cross was pushed away by Brearey but Reid who was following up only succeeded in knocking the loose ball over the crossbar from close range.

As the first half came to a close the turning points in the game arrived both in favour of the hosts, although that was not how it initially looked like it was going to go. The penalty late in the first half came about when Ives failed to clear a Lyttle corner from the right. The ball bounced around the box before it fell to Ben Usher-Shipway, his fierce drive hit the arm of Hottor inside the box. Referee Gibson was in a good position to see and immediately awarded the spot kick. Skipper Whittall did not strike his kick cleanly giving Brearey chance to make a relatively comfortable save low to his right.

Thanks to a number of long injury delays there were five added minutes at the end of the first half and in the fourth of those five Ives grabbed an unlikely equaliser to take the steam out of the visitors. A Williams free kick from the left was only half cleared to the edge of the box where it fell to Richens, he took a touch but miss–hit his shot across the face of goal. First to react to the bobbling ball was the ever alert Shariff who got in front of his marker to prod it home just inside Flatt’s right hand post.

Having already been forced into two injury substitutions in the first half the visitors were forced to make their third and final change at the interval with Callum Coyle limping off to be replaced by Owen Parry. As in the first period it was the Pics who carved out the first chance of the second half as Thorley, Mitchell and Usher-Shipway combined down the left. The latter’s cross picked out Reid at the back post but his effort lacked pace allowing Brearey to make a comfortable save. It took the quick thinking and pace of Luke Fairlamb to prevent Ives falling behind again in 55th minute as a quick thinking Thorley seized the opportunity to take a quick free kick and put Usher-Shipway completely clear, Fairlamb was the only Ives player alert to the danger and the speedy winger ate up yards to put in an amazing block on the shot when it came.

The visitor’s felt they should have had a second penalty on the hour when Reid went down under challenge from Richens. From our angle referee Gibson got the call spot on as the initial contact looked inches outside the box but that did not stop him getting berated by Pics players and bench alike all baying in unison for the spot kick. Lyttle’s resulting free kick was rifled just over the top.

Referee Gibson further endeared himself to the visitors when he did award Ives a penalty ten minutes later. Ben Toseland jinked his way into the visitor’s box and went past two players before he was taken down by stand in right back Richard Bachelor. Williams made no mistake from the spot sending keeper Flatt the wrong way.

The third penalty of the game arrived in somewhat less obvious circumstances in 76thminute as a scrambled ensued in Ives box as they struggled to clear a long throw from Usher-Shipway. It looked like the spot kick was awarded for handball but it was almost impossible to say with the ball bouncing around and bodies from both sides flying in to either try to keep the ball out or force it home. Suffice to say after a brief consultation with his assistant referee Gibson stuck by his initial decision. With Whittall relieved of the task the responsibility was handed to Thorley who not entirely convincingly beat Brearey low to his right to level things up.

Would Ives try to hang on for a hard earned point or go for the win. Whilst Ives management team was pondering that decision it was made for them thanks to the hard work of Tyrone Baker. He won a crunching tackle to gain possession inside his own half and then flighted a perfectly weighted ball down the line to pick out the well timed run of Williams who cut inside before unleashing a shot from the edge of the box that took a wicked deflection off a defender before flying past keeper Flatt into the roof of the net.

The change was instantly made to reinforce the back line with Flanagan replacing Baker to put in a five man back line. But four minutes later two of those back five almost combined inside the opposition box to put the game to bed. Another long throw into the box was repelled with Hottor putting Toseland away down the left and his low cross looked like it was going to be knocked home at the back post by Flanagan only for the struggling Mitchell to get just enough of a touch on the ball to take it away from the Ives substitute. The remaining two minutes and then the added five seemed like an age as the visitor’s bombarded Ives box with from all angles. Brearey was forced to deny them twice in the last minute of normal time his brilliant reaction save to keep out a diving header from Batchelor left the Pics man thumping the ground in frustration. Ninety seconds later with the ball bouncing around Ives box and defenders putting their bodies on the line to block it out Brearey brought off another moment of brilliance as he was quickly out to close down Usher-Shipway and block the strikers effort at point blank range.

When the final whistle eventually blew players from both sides collapsed to the pitch exhausted from the effort that they had put into this game. The result sees Ives claim their first victory in six attempts against the Pics and into the bargain take another huge steptowards safety. The visitors although virtually assured of a play-off place are very much going through a bad patch at the wrong time of the season with only one win in their last seven games.

Final Score : St Ives Town 3 Rushall Olympic 2

Goals :

ST IVES: Shariff 45+4, Williams 70 (pen) & 84

RUSHALL: Whittall 11, Thorley 77 (pen)

Teams

ST IVES: Brearey, Milne, Jackson, Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Richens, Baker (Flanagan 85), Hottor, Shariff (Cross 64), Williams, Fairlamb, Unused subs: Goff, Osei-Bonsu,Johnston

RUSHALL: Flatt, Brown (Batchelor 16), Mitchell, Thorley, Clarke, Whittall (capt), Usher-Shipway, Moore (Masidi 25), Coyle (Parry 46), Lyttle, Reid, Unused subs: Glover, Batchelor, Calder

Supporters man of the match : Dylan Williams

Attendance : 275

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook. Photos by Louise Thompson.

Peterborough Sports v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 26-03-2022

For the second game in a row seventeen year old Oxford United loanee goalkeeper Eddie Brearey stood almost single handed between Ives and a pasting. In fact his claim to be man of the match was so unanimous that even the most ardent Turbines supporter could not deny him the accolade. Sadly that fact that he had to show such superb form meant that the players in front of him struggled to perform on a hard bumpy pitch for the second game in a row. On a slight positive note this performance was a little better than Tuesday evenings woeful display at Hednesford.

Three Ives players had pre-game fitness tests with Ben Toseland and Nabil Shariff getting through to take their places in the starting line up but Oran Jackson not so fortunate, although deemed close enough to fitness to be named on the bench. One other piece of good news was Luke Fairlamb continuing his road back to full fitness with a first start since September. His fully fit presence could be vital in the remaining games.

The game started in glorious sunny conditions with Ives supporters fully knowledgeable that their opponents, lead by ex Ives legend Jimmy Dean, were a quality side firmly ensconced in the play-off places. But they were all hoping for a reaction from the players following Tuesday evenings poor showing. Sadly the game started in almost identical fashion with poor defending allowing the hosts to get their noses in front inside the first ten minutes. A ball in from the right found the feet of centre forward Mark Jones who managed to hold the ball up well before teeing up Lamine Sherif who simply rolled it into the corner of the net past the unsighted Brearey.

Despite that early setback Ives battled well to keep the hosts at bay and it took until 25^th minute before Brearey had to start his heroics. Unusually patient build up from the Turbines down the right was concluded with Josh McCammon beating the visitors offside trap to get clean through on goal. The Ives stopper was smartly off his line to close the angle and block the shot at close range with his legs.

Ives only half chance in the first 45 minutes came two minutes after Brearey’s excellent block when Josh Flanagan got past Luke Warner-Eley on the right and delivered a teasing cross that just eluded Shariff in the centre as he tried to force his way between the two centre backs.

Liam Cross lost possession in the centre circle to allow the hosts to create another opportunity on the half hour. McCammon robbed Cross and fed the ball through to Dion Sembie-Ferris who cut in from the left and curled his effort beyond the despairing dive of Brearey but inches wide of his left hand post. The final chance of the first period was also created by the hosts two minutes before the break as Sembie-Ferris and Jones combined well down the right the move ending with the former firing well over from just outside the box.

The second period quickly turned into Brearey versus the Turbines front men. The young keeper started as he meant to go on producing a fantastic double save to first deny Ryan Fryatt from close range and then even more brilliantly keep out the follow up from Sembie-Ferris as he bravely spread himself in front of the winger’s effort from inside the six yard box.

Brearey was beaten only once in the second half and it came only three minutes after the re-start as Jones lost his marker to turn home a low Sembie-Ferris cross from the right giving the keeper no chance from eight yards. That was virtually the wingers last input to the game as he limped off a few moments later to be replaced by Jordan Macleod and the substitute was next to bring out the brilliance in Brearey as he burst through the Ives back line to get on a through ball from Warner-Eley. Once again Brearey was very quickly off his line to close the striker and block his effort at close range.

Brearey did enjoy a little bit of good fortune in 58^th minute. McCammon picked up a poor defensive header from Brett Solkhon and took on the Ives defence before threading a ball into the run of Jones who slotted past the exposed keeper only to find that he had not quite timed his run right and the assistant’s flag was raised.

The host’s loanee keeper from National League North Boston United, Peter Crook, had enjoyed a quiet afternoon for the first hour of his debut but he was called upon to make his first real save in 62^nd minute. Cross broke from the centre of the park to send substitute Tyrone Baker on a run down the left. Baker got outside Dan Jarvis before firing in a left footer that forced the keeper to get down low to his right to push the ball around the post. Needless to say Ives were almost caught out from their own corner as the hosts broke at pace with Macleod being put through for a clear run on goal again. But once again Brearey came up to the plate as he plunged to his right to push the shot away.

The young stopper produced what was probably his best save of the day three minutes later as he instinctively raised a solid hand to keep out McCammon’s close range stab at goal. The chance was created by Jones robbing a dallying Solkhon 25 yards from his own goal.

The chances continued to clock up for the hosts, but so to did the saves from the amazing Brearey. In 69^th minute Macleod found himself put clean through again, this time by Kyjuon Marsh-Brown. Having failed to beat Brearey with a shot on three previous one on ones the substitute decided this time to try and go around the exposed keeper, but Brearey again showed his agility getting down to knock the ball away from the feet of the striker who was clearly begining to wonder what he must do to get past this man.

That disbelief grew in the striker two minutes later as he was once again denied by the keeper. His shot from the edge of the box was pushed away low to his left by the excellent Brearey who again brought gasps of admiration from everyone in the ground as he managed to recover his poise sufficiently to bravely block McCammon’s follow up effort at point blank range.

Almost every effort that the hosts had at goal in the second half was on target but they did fail to hit it with one good opportunity in 74^th minute when Sherif fed through Marsh-Brown on the right and he put in a cross to the near post where an unmarked Jones should have done better than steer his header past the post.

The final piece of brilliance from Brearey came two minutes later when Lawlor delivered a deep free kick into the box from the right. Fryatt got above his marker to win the first header and head the ball down into the six yard box where Jones stabbed it towards goal but another brilliant reaction save from the keeper saw him push the ball away.

A final flurry up the other end ten minutes from time saw Flanagan force another smart save out of Crook but from that point the hosts cleverly saw out time without any further scares to even more firmly cement their play off aspirations with just one more win required to almost guarantee that spot. Ives on the other hand still find themselves looking warily over their shoulders and probably still in need of six more points to ensure themselves of another season at step 3.

Final Score : Peterborough Sports 2 St Ives Town 0

Goals :

SPORTS: Sherif 8, Jones 48

ST IVES:

Teams

SPORTS: Crook, Jarvis, Warner-Eley (Bazeley 90+3), Fryatt, R. Jones (capt), Lawlor, Sembie-Ferris (Macleod 53), Sherif, M. Jones (Hilliard 89). McCammon, Marsh-Brown, Unused subs: Hawkins, McGowan

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Solkhon (capt), Hottor, Milne (Aiyelabola 87), Toseland, Cross, Osei-Bonsu (Johnston 65), Shariff, Fairlamb (Baker 51), Williams, Unused subs: Jackson, Egole

Supporters man of the match : Eddie Brearey

Attendance : 282

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.

Hednesford Town v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 22-03-2022

On paper the result of this games looks close but in truth the score line hides a woeful Ives performance which but for the heroics of keeper Eddie Brearey would have seen them beaten by a much more emphatic margin.

The young stopper’s only error came in fourth minute when he gifted the hosts an early lead as he somehow allowed Riley O’Sullivan’s 25 yarder to creep through his hands and into the net. But even before then he had already produced an excellent save low to his right to deny the same player the opening goal after only sixteen seconds.

That was only the start of the one way traffic as the speed of movement of the Pitmen in their impressive stadium simply seemed to leave Ives players chasing shadows all over the park. Despite the hard bumpy surface the hosts were very comfortable in moving the ball around at the back inviting their visitors to come forward and try and dispossess them. When they did get drawn in the hosts quickly stepped up a gear to break at lightning speed and with true purpose. The next chance for the hosts came in eighth minute when a quick break down the right ended with Chay Tilt delivering a ball to the near post where Kyle Bennett had ghosted in unmarked but the number ten failed to hit the target with his free header. The very next attack only seconds later saw Callum Milne throw himself across the line of O’Sullivan’s powerful strike to deflect the ball over the crossbar.

The Pitmen had the ball in the net again in 17^th minute as another swift break down the right saw a clever step over from Bennett that put O’Sullivan clear on goal through the left channel. Brearey came to meet him and bravely blocked the shot when it came but the ball ricocheted to Tilt who rolled it home at the far post only to see the assistant’s raised flag as he wheeled away to celebrate and the hosts match announcer whacked up the decibels again as he did each time they added to their tally. Fortunately on this occasion the raucous performance was cut short.

The half wore on with the hosts looking very comfortable indeed moving the ball around but continuing to be wasteful in front of goal. Their next good opportunity came in 35^th minute when Tilt and O’Sullivan combined well to work an opening through the centre. The winger’s final ball looked like it had put O’Sullivan in for a tap in at the back post but Brett Solkhon had other ideas and his last ditch sliding block did just enough to deflect the effort wide.

After looking so sharp last Saturday it was painful to see Ives looking slow and lethargic in almost everything they did three days later at the Keys Park Stadium. The hosts looking quicker in physical movement but also in thought. A perfect example of this came two minutes before the break when unable to find a teammate with the ball Dylan Williams dallied a little to long deep in Hednesford territory and lost possession to Todd Parker. The Pitmen broke at pace through the heart of Ives back line and two passes later George Cater fed O’Sullivan in yet again. Fortunately for Ives Brearey was still on the ball and he was quickly off his line to close down the hosts centre forward and block the shot at close range.

Then right on half time Ives stunned the home crowd just as the early birds were gathering their burgers or heading for the bar. There were seconds left in the first half when Josh Flanagan and Liam Cross combined to rob Carter Lycett by the touchline. The former’s threaded ball into the centre picked out the run of Tyrone Baker who had got the wrong side of Lewis Hayden and the visitors wide man finished with aplomb lashing home Ives first shot of the half from the edge of the box to make the half time score an unbelievable 1-1.

The small travelling contingent spent half time in a strange dreamland thinking that after such an unbelievably poor first half performance we are somehow on level terms and surely we can only get better. Sadly we were proved wrong as normal service was quickly resumed. It only took five minutes from the restart before Brearey was back in dramatic action as he pulled off a brilliant reaction save to deny O’Sullivan yet again. This time the chance had been set up by an excellent cross field pass from Reece Flanagan to pick out Tilt whose first time cross had found O’Sullivan in space ten yards out.

The tide of white shirts continued to wash over the Ives back line and the next move flowed down the left with Parker feeding Lycett through on the overlap, his pull back found O’Sullivan yet again in space inside Ives’s box. This time he was unable to pull more heroics out of Brearey as he failed to hit the target from fifteen yards. Lycett decided to try his own luck in 58^th minute but like so many before him he to was denied by Brearey as his fierce low drive from the left corner of the box was pushed away low to his left by Ives overworked custodian. This time he found a little help as Sokhon did just enough to scramble the loose ball away before O’Sullivan could force it home.

Brearey was again called upon to repel the Pitmen less than a minute later as the ball was fed inside to Bennett who struck a ferocious effort from fully 25 yards that had dip and swerve on it but again Brearey was equal to the effort flinging himself to his left to palm the ball away. But a second goal was looking inevitable for the hosts and sure enough they regained their lead on the hour. No one closed down Flanagan just outside the box and having seen his colleagues all fail to beat the Ives keeper with power he had the time and sense of purpose to try finesse and he got it spot on curling his effort just beyond the grasping fingers of the stretching Brearey to find the top corner of the net.

The hosts should have put the game to bed seconds later as O’Sullivan turned provider feeding in Tilt for a run into the box that ended with him firing well wide as Brearey came to meet him. The same player tested Brearey again in 70^th minute as he unleashed a drive from the right corner of the box that the keeper had to dive to his right to keep out. His recovery was again brilliant as he just managed to reclaim the loose ball ahead of the lurking O’Sullivan. Seconds later Ed Hottor lost possession deep in his own half allow O’Sullivan another pop at goal. This time the fierce drive was straight at Brearey who parried it away.

Just as in the first half Ives carved out one opportunity in the second period, that chance came with twenty minutes to go and it should have brought them an equaliser. Cross did brilliantly to keep in a ball down the right and he managed to hang up a teasing cross that floated over a fast back peddling Oli Basey in the home goal. Nabil Shariff was arriving at the back post and looked like he only needed to get a touch to knock the ball home but he tried to knock it in with his right foot and somehow only succeeded in putting the ball wide from one yard out. That was Ives only effort at goal in the entire second half and as it went wide the visitors chance of getting any reward from this game went with it.

The hosts returned to simply retaining possession to kill the game off from there and only carved out one more noteworthy opportunity in the remaining time. In 83^rd minute Parker and Hayden combined well down the right with the former teeing up the latter for an effort that beat the diving Brearey but was cleared off the line by the covering Callum Milne.

With other results going against them this score line leaves Ives very much in the relegation battle at the bottom end of the division and with a batch of very tough games to come there is clearly work for the management team to do to get this performance out of the player’s minds and restore the belief ahead of the unenviable trip to fourth placed Peterborough Sports which is quickly followed by the visit of third placed Rushall Olympic to quattro-tech Westwood Road

Final Score : Hednesford Town 2 St Ives Town 1

Goals :

HEDNESFORD: O’Sullivan 4, Flanagan 60

ST IVES: Baker 45

Teams

HEDNESFORD: Basey, Hayden, Lycett, Ward (Portman 75), Ludford-Ison, Flanagan, Tilt (Webb 90+1), Parker, O’Sullivan, Bennett, Cater (Smith 77), Unused subs: Richards, Williams

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Solkhon, Hottor, Milne, Toseland (Watt 67), Baker, Aiyelabola (Johnston 60), Shariff (Osei-Bonsu 77), Cross, Williams, Unused subs: Goff, Fairlamb

Supporters man of the match : Eddie Brearey

Attendance : 386

Report by Nigel Howlett

St Ives Town v Nuneaton Borough

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 19-03-2022

A pulsating game in which the lead changed hands three times was eventually won by a coolly taken brace from substitute Victor Aiyelabola but the hosts can thank their seventeen year old Oxford United loanee goalkeeper Eddie Brearey for being in a position to win the game as the youngster made at least four world class saves including an unbelievable double save to deny both Luke Benbow and Ahmed Obeng just after the hour.

There was a massive boost for the hosts before the off as talismanic striker Luke Fairlamb who has been absent with injury since September was declared fit enough to take a place on the bench. He was joined there by former Ives favourite Andrew Osei-Bonsu, making his return from professional football in Scotland with East Fife. The Boro’ were missing another former quattro-tech Westwood Road favourite Camron McWilliams who was serving a suspension but were otherwise at just about full strength.

Anyone expecting a cagy affair between these two sides sitting just above the relegation precipice was soon proved wrong as Ives grabbed a lead inside the first ten minutes courtesy of a very well taken goal from a narrow angle by Ethan Johnston who beat the visitor’s offside trap to get on the end of Josh Flanagan’s slide rule pass through the right channel and then deftly slip the ball under the body of the advancing Boro’ keeper Tony Breeden.

The game swung end to end for the next twenty minutes with both sides looking to soak up a little pressure and then hit their opponents on the break. The game then suddenly sprang to life again from the half hour mark. Benbow showed his undoubted class to find a little bit of space in Ives box before beating Brearey with an immaculately curled right foot effort that cannoned off the crossbar with the keeper reacting quickest to claim the loose ball ahead of Obeng.

Johnston then came within millimetres of increasing Ives’s lead in the very next attack as Toseland hung up a cross from the left into the six yard box which keeper Breeden struggled to deal with under heavy pressure from Nabil Shariff. The ball dropped to Johnston who pivoted on it by the penalty spot but failed to hit the target. Two minutes later it was the visitors turn to curse their luck again as Chris Clements beat the Ives five man wall and keeper Brearey with his 25 yard free kick only to hold his head in his hands as the ball rebounded off the foot of the post and was scrambled away.

A lightening break from a Boro free kick saw Johnston spurn another excellent opportunity to double Ives lead in 35^th minute. A flowing move saw Ed Hottor pick out Johnston clear through the middle one on one with keeper Breeden. The big stopper came to meet him and Johnston looked like he had done everything right as he slotted the ball past the exposed keeper only to see it roll agonisingly the wrong side of the upright.

Having gone so close to increasing their lead Ives were then caught napping two minutes from half time as the visitor’s skipper Scott McManus delivered a deep cross from the left. Obeng won the ball and knocked it back into the mix where Charlie Dowd arrived to sweep it home from close range.

Ives were forced into their second change of the game at half time as Johnston limped out of the fray to be replaced by Aiyelabola. The initial change had come just after the half hour when centre back Oran Jackson was forced out of the game with a thigh injury to be replaced by club captain Brett Solkhon. The second half was only 53 seconds old when Liam Cross burst into the box from the right past two players and unleashed a left footer that flew just wide of Breeden’s right hand post.

Six minutes later it was Benbow’s turn to go close again as he managed to get in front of Flanagan to get on the end of Obeng’s cross from the right but he failed to hit the target from a good position.

Ben Toseland and Tyrone Baker were getting some joy out of the right hand side of the Boro defence and each went close to putting Ives back in front in a brief spell around the hour. Initially Toseland fed the ball into the run of Baker who cut in from the left before firing in a low drive that brought a good save out of Breeden low to his right. A few minutes later it was Toseland’s turn to fizz an effort from 25 yards just wide of Breeden’s left hand post..

The visitor’s then enjoyed a ten minute purple patch starting in 62^nd minute when it took a remarkable double save from Brearey to keep Ives on level terms. Initially Dowd cut in from the left before slipping in a low cross to the centre where Benbow looked like he must score only for Brearey to spread himself and block the effort at point blank range. The loose ball ran to Obeng by the right hand post and it took a combined effort from the diving Brearey and Toseland to somehow keep out his close range effort.

Brearey was up to his heroics again seven minutes later as he flung himself to his left to keep out a fierce drive from ten yards by Benbow after he had been set up by a pull back from the classy Obeng. Unfortunately Brearey’s fine efforts were wasted as Ives failed to pick up McManus at the resulting corner as he arrived at pace to power home a header at the near post.

But Ives were not knocked by this setback and only three minutes later they were back on level terms as Josh Flanagan did brilliantly to get onto the end of Callum Milne’s ball down the right. Shariff challenged McManus for the ball at the near post where it dropped to Aiyelabola who spun on it in a flash and fired home into the roof of the net past the despairing dive of Breeden.

Both management teams showed that they were still going for the win with both sides making substitutions in the next few minutes with Ives introducing Fairlamb to replace the tiring Baker and the Boro making a double change with Anthony Dwyer and Shaquille Master replacing Benbow and McCrory respectively.

Master was quickly into the action and drew a foul in a very dangerous position out of Dylan Williams. But Clements free kick cannoned off Ives five man wall allowing the hosts to break at pace in a flowing move that saw Solkhon come within inches of putting Ives back in front. Cross got away down the right at pace and got to the bye line before hanging up a cross into the centre where Solkhon arrived at pace. He did everything right hanging in the air before looping his header over Breeden and he was hugely unlucky as the ball floated over the exposed Breeden before hitting the underside of the crossbar and bouncing down onto the goal line before being scrambled clear.

Shariff also had a effort from a narrow angle turned over by the keeper in 84^th minute and it took another wonderful save from Brearey to retain the parity in the score line three minutes later as he bravely closed down Master and blocked his shot after the substitute had been fed through the right channel by Isaiah Osbourne.

The winner two minutes into added time was set up by Cross who weaved his way into the visitor’s box from the right only to be clattered by a clumsy challenge from Jaden Charles. Referee Daniel Todd put the whistle to his mouth but did not blow instead waving advantage as Aiyelabola pounced on the loose ball and fired it into the bottom corner to bring the roof off. Even then Ives supporters had to wait a further five minutes before they could really celebrate a vital three points in their quest for survival. But when the final whistle eventually came it brought a massive sigh of relief. Ives first double of the season moves them four points above today’s rivals but with the bottom three all winning it is still very tight for the two relegation places.

Final Score : St Ives Town 3 Nuneaton Borough 2

Goals :

ST IVES: Johnston 9, Aiyelabola 72 & 90+2

NUNEATON: Dowd 43, McManus 69

Teams

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Jackson ( Solkhon 31), Hottor, Milne, Toseland, Baker (Fairlamb 73), Johnston (Aiyelabola 46), Shariff, Cross, Williams, Unused subs: Goff, Osei-Bonsu

NUNEATON: Breeden, Charles, Clements, Magunda, McManus (capt), Obeng, Dowd, McCrory (Master 76), Benbow (Dwyer 76), Osbourne, Forde, Unused subs: Kaziboni, Noble, Beejer

Sponsors man of the match : Eddie Brearey

Attendance : 339

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook. Photos by Louise & Gemma Thompson.

Redditch United v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 05-03-2022

One moments loss of concentration cost Ives what would have been a hard earned but well deserved point. That fatal loss came late on as Ben Toseland lost possession to Kieren Donnelly on half way and then failed to follow his opposite number as the full back burst forward, fed the ball to Aram Soleman on the right and continued into the box to get on the end of the midfielders low cross and sweep the ball home off the far post.

That shot was the hosts first on target of the entire game which had otherwise been a very even encounter in which defences had ruled the roost throughout on both sides and chances had been very much at a premium with little to write home about.

The game had not started well for Ives as influential skipper Brett Solkhon limped off after only three minutes. The injury appeared to be self inflicted as he tripped when attempting a clearance. His replacement was Ed Hottor who slotted into an unfamiliar role at centre back alongside Oran Jackson and Callum Milne in a three man back line.

The first shot of the game, and the only one on target in the first 45 minutes came from Liam Cross in the eleventh minute as he cut inside from the right past Lewis Hudson and fired in a low drive from 20 yards that was straight at Reds keeper Kieran Boucher who made a comfortable save.

The other noteworthy items from a first half full of energy and endeavour but low on attacking quality were at 29^th minute booking for Hottor as he clumsily upended Dan Sweeney on the right hand corner of Ives box. But as so much of the first period Ryan Edmunds’s free kick failed to get past Ives defensive wall.

An error in the Reds back line almost presented Ives with an opportunity in 32^nd minute as Michael Richens pounced on a loose ball after an attempted Calum Flanagan clearance had hit Bernard Mensah. Richens burst away down the right and got to the bye line his attempted pull back found Cross but his well struck effort was deflected away for a corner.

The best chance for either side came deep into time added on for Solkhon’s injury when Donnelly overlapped down the right and fired in a low cross that was met at the near post by Mensah who was unlucky to see his flicked effort flash inches past the opposite upright.

The same pattern of the game continued after the break with attempted through balls either being over, or under hit, or simply misplaced. Tyrone Baker showed a perfect example of that when he spurned an early second half opportunity. He picked up the ball fully forty yards from goal and ran at the host’s defence which opened up ahead of him. But rather than go on and get his shot away he tried to thread a pass into the run of Nabil Shariff but overhit it allowing Boucher to comfortably gather.

A moment of unusual excitement occurred in 51^st minute when keeper Boucher inexplicably picked up an obvious back pass from Jack Byrne. Referee Ben Cooke spotted the infringement and awarded Ives an indirect free kick twelve yards from goal. With all eleven Reds players behind the ball getting a sight of goal was always going to be difficult and sure enough when the kick was touched sideways to Toseland his fierce effort was bravely blocked at point blank range. The ball ricocheted to Baker on the edge of the box who blazed well over the top.

Long range shots from Edmunds and Byrne in the 57^th and 68^th minutes respectively flew well off target as both sides continued to work hard to prevent their opposition venturing to far into staunchly defended territory.

Having gained relief from the FA who chalked off his previous booking in the county cup quarter final as not a first team booking Richens did clock up his fifteenth of the season in needless fashion in 70^th minute going down theatrically inside the box under challenge from Flanagan and earning an instant yellow for simulation from referee Cooke.

The roving Donnelly gave another glimpse of his threat in 83^rd minute as he attacked the box from the right before delivering a low cross that rebounded around with Ives struggling to clear. The ball falling to Sweeney who fired wide from a good position just inside the box. Only seconds later the same player almost got onto a clip over the top through the left channel. Callum Milne and keeper Brearey doing just enough between them to prevent him doing so.

Ives had half a chance at the other end with three minutes to go but Josh Flanagan wasted it as he fouled Edmunds as he tried to bustle his way to the far post to get onto the end of Dylan Williams clip from the left.

Then with only seconds of the ninety remaining came the fatal mistake that undid all of Ives hard work and made sure that the in-form Reds extended their unbeaten league run to nine games. There was still time for Victor Aiyelabola to pick up one of the quickest yellow cards in history, within five seconds of entering the fray as a late attacking replacement for Hottor. He clattered into Edmunds who had received the throw in taken to re-start the game following his introduction to the game.

With other sides at the bottom end of the table also dropping points this was not as bad a result as it might have been which is at least something of a positive. To counteract that the talismanic Richens will now miss three of Ives vital remaining eight games as he serves his upcoming suspension. They also face the prospect of being without skipper Solkhon for some of those games as well should he take longer than hoped for to get over his latest injury setback. A hugely important period in Ives season is approaching and it will start with a true six pointer against fellow strugglers Nuneaton Borough at quattro tech Westwood Road on 19^th March. Make sure that you are there to get behind the boys and be that vital twelfth man.

Final Score : Redditch United 1 St Ives Town 0

Goals :

REDDITCH: Donnelly 89

ST IVES:

Teams

REDDITCH: Boucher, Donnelly, Hudson, Soleman, C. Flanagan, Wollacott, Rankin (Hewlett 49), Sweeney, Mensah, Edmunds (Digie 88), Byrne, Unused subs: Rowbottom, Dawes, Charlton

ST IVES: Brearey, J. Flanagan, Solkhon (capt) (Hottor 7, Aiyelabola 89), Richens, Milne, Toseland, Baker (Johnston 82), Jackson, Shariff, Cross, Williams, Unused subs: Kettle, Goff

Ives Supporters man of the match : Oran Jackson

Attendance : 365

Report by Nigel Howlett

St Ives Town v Coalville Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 26-02-2022

The promotion chasing Ravens cemented their place in the top three with this very hard fought victory which saw them become the first visiting side to leave quattro tech Westwood Road with all three points since mid-November.

Another open and entertaining game as Ives once more went toe to toe with their higher ranked opponents and certainly gave them a scare or two along the way although they were to often caught out by the power and pace of the Ravens front two Tim Berridge and Billy Kee who showed on occasions, particularly in the first half, why they have scored 33 league goals between them this season.

The hosts showed their intentions straight from the off and Liam Cross fired a very early opportunity across the face of Tiernan Brooks goal inside the first fifty seconds. The shooting opportunity had been set up by a clever ball inside from wing back Josh Flanagan.

An even better chance came the way of centre back Callum Milne in eighth minute as he somehow lost his man to arrive completely unmarked at the back post to get on the end of Ben Toseland’s in-swinging corner. He met the ball cleanly but only succeeded in powering his header from six yards into the side netting.

The Ravens first opportunity came from their first corner of the game in twelfth minute which Ives struggled to clear the ball arriving at the feet of Eliot Putman and it took a good reaction save from Eddie Brearey in the Ives goal to keep out his well struck drive from just outside the box. The visitors gave their first example of their threat on the break two minutes later as a flowing move through the centre at pace ended with Berridge teeing up Joe Doyle-Charles who fired inches wide from the edge of the box.

A loss of concentration at the back saw the Ravens get their noses in front in 21^st minute. Losing possession in their own half was always going to be dangerous against this deadly strike duo and that is exactly what they did allowing Kee to pick up the ball just outside the Ives box and pick his spot just inside Brearey’s left hand post with the keeper unsighted by a covering defender.

Cross continued to be a threat for Ives and he almost got away two minutes later only to be cynically taken down by Putman who picked up a yellow card for his troubles. Toseland got the resulting free kick up and down over the wall but keeper Brooks moved his feet well to make the save look comfortable.

Ives should have gone two behind on 25 minutes as another defensive error set up an opportunity for the visitors. Flanagan’s ball inside was cut out by Berridge who beat Brearey with his shot from the edge of the box only to be denied by the foot of the post. Kee got onto the rebound but inexplicably headed the loose ball over the top with the goal at his mercy.

Another quick Ravens break, this time from an Ives corner led to the visitors increasing their lead in 35^th minute. The deadly duo were both involved as Putman picked out Kee who led the charge before laying the ball off to Berridge who emphatically beat Brearey with a rising drive from the edge of the box that found the top corner of the net.

The hosts did not deserve to be two behind at this point and they halved the arrears from a corner only two minutes later. Dylan Williams delivered a deep one from the right Toseland won the ball beyond the far post and headed it back into the mix where Shariff bravely went in to force it home with his head from point blank range.

Ives were perhaps a little fortunate to get in at the break only two one down as McGlinchey had a close range effort ruled out by an assistant’s upraised flag in 43^rd minute and the visitors thought they should have been awarded a penalty in the first added minute when Berridge went down inside the box under challenge from Oran Jackson. Referee Abigail Byrne was well position and waved the appeals away much to the consternation of the Ravens supporters by the goal.

Management duo Ricky Marheineke and Mike Ford are never frightened to change things when they think that something is not going right and a double tactical change came at the break with Tyrone Baker replacing the unusually quiet Victor Aiyelabola and the experienced Brett Solkhon coming on for an out of sorts Jackson.

Ives started the second half on the front foot taking the game to their opponents but failed to trouble Brooks before they suffered another blow as the visitors re-established their two goal advantage from a corner in 55^th minute. The initial flag kick from the right was delivered deep beyond the far post where Chris Robertson rose to loop a header back into the centre keeper Brearey tried to claim it but under heavy pressure he was always struggling and failed to hold onto it. McGlinchey pounced in an instant to force home the loose ball from close range.

For the second time in the game the visitors two goal advantage was only short lived and the busy Cross was again heavily involved in getting a goal back. Another of his mazy cross field runs saw him taken down 30 yards from goal by a lunging challenge from Jake Eggleton. Richens took the 59^th minute free kick and struck it perfectly beating Brooks with a screamer that nestled in the top corner beyond the despairing dive of the keeper high to his right.

It took a brilliant save from Brooks to deny the Ives an equaliser less than sixty seconds later as Baker showed his pace for the first time to get to the bye line picking out Cross arriving at the near post. The Northampton loanee’s header was goal bound until Brooks acrobatically twisted in the air to fingertip the ball over the top.

Ives continued to go in search of an equaliser but the hard working Ravens back line ensured that they were denied any clear cut opportunities. The closest that they came in regulation time was in 71^st minute when Richens put Flanagan away down the right and he got to the bye line before firing in a cross that Brooks spectacularly palmed away at full stretch.

We were all hoping for late drama similar to a few of Ives recent home games and there was one chance for that in the second minute of added time when a poor defensive header fell to Cross just outside the box. He tried to go for a composed finish but his attempted curler was headed away by Eggleton at the expense of a corner. The flag kick came to nothing allowing the visitors to claim another vital three points in their quest for promotion and Ives to feel aggrieved at getting nothing from the game.

With two vital games in Ives quest for safety coming up there was some good news from the FA who have decreed that the caution that Richens picked up a recent county cup tie does not count in his accumulated number for the season thus making him available at least for the first of those at Redditch next Saturday.

Final Score : St Ives Town 2 Coalville Town 3

Goals :

ST IVES: Shariff 37, Richens 59

COALVILLE: Kee 21, Berridge 35, McGlinchey 55

Teams

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Jackson (Solkhon 46), Richens (capt), Milne, Toseland, Aiyelabola (Baker 46), Hottor (Johnston 76), Shariff, Cross, Williams, Unused subs: Kettle, Goff

COALVILLE: Brooks, Dean, Putman, Eggleton, Robertson, Towers (capt), Shaw (Taylor 74), Doyle-Charles, Berridge (Waite 81), Kee, McGlinchey, Unused subs: Bukowski, Thomas, Tomlin,

Ives Supporters man of the match : Michael Richens

Attendance : 288

Match report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook. Photos by Louise Thompson.

St Ives Town v Needham Market

St Ives Town v Needham Market

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 22–02-2022

A highly entertaining game between two evenly matched sides ended in the right resultwould be the verdict of most neutrals in the crowd. Both sides playing in a very similar style each enjoyed a good forty five minutes during which they were on top but each conceded late on in their “good” half.

This was the fourth time that these sides have met this season with Ives yet to win one. The last meeting between the two was in late October when the visitors comfortably knocked Ives out of the FA Trophy at Westwood Road. Since that day the Marketmen have gone on an amazing run in that competition and now find themselves just two wins away from a visit to Wembley. Any hopes that home supporters may have had that the visitors may be resting a few players ahead of their quarter final tie against Stockport County were quickly extinguished when the two line ups were announced with both fielding their strongest available squads.

The visitors made their intentions of going home with another three points in their pockets very clear from the off pressing high on Ives back line. Ben Fowkes came within inches of opening the scoring in the fifth minute as arriving late at the back post he got on the end of a low driven cross from the opposite flank by Harvey Sayer. The left winger slid in and made good contact but only managed to hit the outside of the post with his close range effort.

Even at this early stage Tyrone Baker was looking the main threat for Ives going forward and the first of his direct runs almost brought reward in ninth minute as he cut in from the right and drove into the heart of the visitors back line beating Hugh Cullum before being forced away from goal by the covering Kieran Morphew. Baker’s shot when it eventually came flashed across the face of goal and a couple of metres wide.

That was one of Ives rare forays into the Marketmen’s box in the first 45 minutes as thevisitors began to enjoy good periods of possession and errors began to creep into Ives back line as the pressure grew. Even the normally cool under pressure Michael Richens was forced into a mistake in 13th minute. Sayer seizing on the loose pass inside Ives half before running forward and firing inches wide from just outside the box.

Centre forward Nabil Shariff was Ives hero on 20 minutes as a deep Sayer free kick was headed back across goal for Luke Ingram to clip it over Eddie Brearey in hosts goal fortunately the covering Shariff was in the right spot to head the ball off the line. Even then Ives struggled to get the ball away with another attempt bravely blocked at close range before the ball was finally cleared from the box.

The visitor’s best opportunity of the evening arrived two minutes later as Baker was robbed in the centre circle by Fowkes who slid the ball through the centre to put Ingram completely clear. Brearey was very swiftly off his line to close the centre forward forcing him to try and clip the ball over the exposed stopper. Fortunately for Ives he got a little bit to much on the effort and much to the relief of home supporters the ball sailed inches over the top of the empty net.

Ingram continued to be a thorn in Ives side and it took a brilliant save, and recovery from Brearey to deny him in 26th minute. He initially picked up a loose ball 30 yards from goal and ran at the defence before unleashing a fierce drive from just outside the box that Brearey flung himself to his left to palm away. Ingram again pounced on the loose ball but his follow up shot was blocked by Brett Solkhon at point blank range and Brearey reacted quicker than anyone else to claim the loose ball inside his six yard box.

Brearey was once more in action on the half hour as he again hurled himself full length to his left to fingertip away a fierce drive from the left edge of the box by marauding full back Patrick Brothers. The Ives keeper earned the little bit of luck that he got as Sayer kept the ball alive on the right and fed it to Ingram who deftly floated it over Brearey who could only watch as the ball hit his right hand upright and bounced away.

With half time approaching the Marketmen took their foot off the gas a little and the hard working Ives punished them in spectacular fashion. An excellent cross field ball picked out Baker in space wide on the right and he went for the early cross to the back post where a struggling Hugh Cullum tried to head it away from Liam Cross who was arriving at the back post. But Cullum did not get enough on his header and the ball fell to Ed Hottor on the edge of the box. His first time finish on the half volley was worthy of winning any game as the ball flew past the startled Marcus Garnham in the visitors goal, crashed into the underside of the crossbar and bounced up into the roof of the net to give the hosts a very unlikely half time lead.

Now with their noses in front it was Ives turn to press their opponents and just like their visitors in the first half the chances began to arrive. Four minutes after the re-start excellent high pressing saw Cross gain possession on the right. His teasing cross to the middle looked likely to be turned home by the fast arriving Dylan Williams but he tried to go with hisright foot and did not make clean contact.

Ives had an excellent claim for a penalty turned down in 51st minute as Shariff had his legs taken from under him by Morphew just as he was about to get his shot away after Williams had picked him out with a pull back. Referee Mark Stevens was in the right place to see the contact but his verdict went with the fortunate Marketmen’s skipper.

The search for a second goal that would certainly clinch the game continued. Richens struck a powerful 30 yarder that almost squirmed through Garnham’s fingers in 57th minute. Cross went on a mazy diagonal run across the eighteen yard box five minutes later but his shot when it finally came was just wide of the post. In 77th minute another Baker burst of pace this time down the left saw him cut inside and feed Shariff on the edge of the box but the centre forward’s well struck effort was straight at Garnham who held on well.

As the clock continued to tick down Ives made the fatal mistake of lifting their foot off the gas, lowering the pace of their all action style and dropping deep to try and protect their box. Perhaps it was a natural reaction to try and preserve what they had but either way it had the effect of lifting the Marketmen to try and get something from the game. A warning salvo came with seven minutes left on the watch when patient build up ended with Sayer teeing up Kyle Hammond for a 25 yard strike that had Brearey scrambling across his goal to cover as the ball skimmed inches wide.

The equaliser arrived with three minutes of the ninety left. Brothers delivered a deep cross from the left that Brearey did well to tip away from Ingram at full stretch. Sayer was again the man who kept the ball alive beyond the far post and he fed it back to substitute Taylor Clark on the edge of the box. Tiring Ives defenders were a little slow to close him down and his shot struck one of them and looped over the unfortunate Brearey and into the net.

There was an added five minutes long enough for a lot to happen judging by Ives previous game against Leiston and it was the hosts who picked themselves up and created two decent chances to grab all three points. In the fourth of the added five Baker managed to force his way into the visitor’s box between Morphew and Cullum but under heavy pressure from the pair he was only able to prod his effort from ten yards wide of the post. A final attempt seconds later saw Richens get to the bye line and fire across a low cross that just evaded substitute Ethan Johnston arriving at the near post.

One black mark on an otherwise entertaining game for Ives was a late, needless, yellow card for influential midfielder Richens as he fouled Brothers deep in Marketmen territory to pick up his fifteenth of the season which means he will miss three vital games that could define Ives season.

Final Score : St Ives Town 1 Needham Market 1

Goals :

ST IVES: Hottor 41

NEEDHAM MARKET: Clark 87

Teams

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Solkhon (capt), Richens, Milne, Toseland, Baker, Hottor,Shariff (Davison-Gordon 90), Cross (Johnston 78), Williams, Unused subs : Goff, Kettle, Aiyelabola

NEEDHAM MARKET: Garnham, Dye, Brothers, Hammond, K. Morphew (capt), Cullum, Sayer, Collard (Maycock 65), Ingram, Fitzgerald (Clark 65), Fowkes (Chambers 75),Unused subs: none

Ives Supporters man of the match : Tyrone Baker

Attendance : 179

Report by Nigel Howlett.

St Ives Town v Leiston

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 05-02-2022

Another highly entertaining game that took supporters of both sides through the full gambit of emotions and that was only in the seven minutes of added time. Ives who had spent the entire second half knocking on the door and squandering a series of golden opportunities against the ten man Blues looked to have won it when Nabil Shariff pounced on an error from visiting keeper Sam Donkin in the first added minute. They then made the cardinal error of switching off allowing centre back Jake Hutchings to level things up before raising the roof when Callum Milne arrived at the far post to power home Ben Toseland’s free kick in the ninety fifth minute. There was then still an agonising wait whist referee Luke Scott discussed the implications of a raised flag with his assistant on the far side. When the final verdict was that Shariff who was the man in an offside position was not interfering with play the roof came off the quattro tech Westwood Road.

Ives made one enforced change from the side that won so comprehensively in the county cup at Yaxley on Tuesday evening. With keeper James Goff testing positive for Covid seventeen year old Eddie Brearey was signed on loan from Oxford United and came in for his debut in senior football. The visitors kept an unchanged starting eleven from their Tuesday evening local derby defeat at Needham Market.

The game started in open fashion with both sides looking to move the ball around swiftly on the excellent surface. First effort on goal came from the visitors in only the third minute when Finlay Barnes curled an effort inches wide from the edge of the box having been set up by George Quantrell. Less than sixty seconds later Shariff had Ives first attempt a left footer from just inside the box that required a save low to his left from Donkin. The chance had been created by a perfectly weighted through ball from Victor Aiyelabola.

At this early stage Aiyelabola was creating problems down the left and Tyrone Baker was also causing problems for the Blues back line on the opposite flank. Baker got past his marker and got to the bye line in fifth minute his low cross would have been turned in at the near post by Ethan Johnston but for a lunging interception from centre back Adam Bailey-Dennis. Only three minutes later the two Ives wingers combined to rattle the crossbar. Baker again got down the right before picking out Aiyelabola on the edge of the box. His first time effort beat the diving Donkin but slammed into the crossbar and away.

The Blues defenders decided to resort to thuggery in a desperate effort to try and slow the pace and trickery of Baker and Aiyelabola. In 14^th minute Bailey-Dennis rightly picked up his first yellow card of the game for a lunging tackle on Baker and three minutes later Joe Marsden was perhaps a little lucky to only receive a yellow for a scissor tackle on Aiyelabola that put the Ives wide man out of the game and on his way to hospital.

Despite losing one of their more influential players Ives still continued to push forward at every opportunity and they rattled the woodwork again in 25^th minute. This time the effort came from Baker who cut inside beat a couple of players on the edge of the box before unleashing a powerful left footed effort that Donkin did brilliantly to keep out hurling himself high to his right to fingertip the ball onto the crossbar.

After that effort the Ives just lifted their foot off the gas a little and the game evened up for the remainder of the first half. Brearey was called on to make his first real save of the game in 33^rd minute as he hurled himself low to his left to push away a well struck effort from Adam Mills who had dispossessed Baker just outside his own box to set up the shooting opportunity.

The hard working Michael Richens won a ball in the centre circle to set up a swift Ives break in 39^th minute. He fed Dylan Williams who in turn laid the ball into the run of Shariff on the edge of the box his first time effort just skimmed the crossbar on its way over the top.

Having enjoyed the majority of possession and carved out most of the chances in the first period Ives could so easily have found themselves a goal in arrears at the break. Will Davies picked up the ball fully 30 yards from goal and decided to try his luck. His howitzer like effort flew past the despairing dive of Brearey and thumped into the underside of the crossbar. Quantrell was first to react and got onto the loose ball but Brearey was equally quick to close him down and the Blues number ten screwed the chance wide.

After an early 25 yarder from Davies was saved by Brearey in 51^st minute Ives lifted themselves up a gear again and started to get well on top. It looked like it was only going to be a matter of time before they got their noses in front. Johnston was denied by an offside flag in 58^th minute. Two minutes later Baker now operating on the left got away again and cut inside before carefully picking out Williams on the edge of the box. His side footed effort crept inches wide of the post with Donkin scrambling to get across.

The pressure continued to mount and Ives went close three times in a minute around the 65^th minute. Initially Johnston got clean away as he capitalised on an error from Bailey-Dennis. He drew keeper Donkin but slotted the ball inches wide of the post. In the very next attack both Baker and Shariff had shots from inside the box blocked by the bodies of defenders who had bravely thrown themselves in.

The tetchy Bailey-Dennis had spent most of the afternoon disagreeing with the decisions of referee Scott and he perhaps foolishly presented the official with the simple task of giving him his second yellow card of the day as he lunged in on Johnston in 73^rd minute. Leiston manager Darren Eadie instantly sacrificed striker Spencer Keller to bring on a replacement defender Iuri Fernandes. Now against ten men surely Ives could find a route through.

As ever skipper Richens was leading by example and two minutes later he strode forward to get on the end of a pull back from Baker on the edge of the box. His powerful drive looked destined for the bottom corner but deflected off the foot of Marsden and went wide. Shariff looked like he was going to be the man to win it in 84^th minute and again Richens was at the heart of the move as he robbed Hutchings before putting Shariff completely clear down the centre. Once more he drew Donkin and slotted the ball past him but again it bobbled inches the wrong side of the post.

We got the unusual site of a substitute being replaced by a substitute as the early replacement for Aiyelabola Nathan Hicks was replaced by the extra pace and trickery of Liam Cross and Cross showed why he had been thrown on as he set up the opening goal, and what we all thought was going to be the winner, in the first minute of added time. He cut inside Marsden before firing in a low right footed effort from the edge of the box which looked like it was going to be a routine save for Donkin low to his left. But the keeper somehow spilled the ball and to compound his error then lost where it had gone. In the seconds before his recovery time seemed to stand still giving the ever alert Shariff time to dart in and prod the loose ball home.

Surely that was it but no, the Blues had other ideas and almost immediately from the restart Quantrell fed in skipper Hutchings who had somehow found a little bit of space inside Ives crowded box. The big centre back did the rest giving Brearey no chance from twelve yards.

The feeling now was oh no we have thrown two points away, but for once the gods were shining on quattro tech Westwood Road. Baker was taken down wide on the right giving Toseland chance to deliver an in-swinging free kick which he duly did to the back post where Milne arrived completely unmarked to power home his header and send the crowd into raptures. But the linesman on the far side had his flag raised. Players from both sides wanted to have their say but the officials had a discussion that lasted a full sixty seconds before the verdict went Ives way and the celebrations could begin.

Final Score : St Ives Town 2 Leiston 1

Goals :

ST IVES: Shariff 90+1, Milne 90+5

LEISTON: Hutchings 90+3

Teams

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Davison-Gordon, Richens (capt), Milne, Toseland, Baker (Kettle 88), Aiyelabola (Hicks 21, Cross 70), Shariff, Johnston, Williams, Unused subs : Fayed Rhaman, Manangu

LEISTON: Donkin, Marsden, Dunbar (Davies 28), Saunders (Tugman 87), Bailey-Dennis, Hutchings (capt), Barnes, Eagle, Keller (Fernandes 75), Quantrell, Mills, Unused subs: none

Ives Supporters man of the match : Callum Milne

Attendance : 271

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook. Photos by Louise Thompson.

Royston Town v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 29-01-2022

This well deserved point shows just how far the Ives have come since their October battering from the Crows at Westwood Road. Substitute Victor Aiyelabola takes the plaudits for his well taken goal seven minutes from time but make no mistake this was not a snatched point it was very much deserved as the visitors matched and at times outplayed their mid table rivals.

With skipper Brett Solkhon still not recovered from his injury picked up at Nuneaton early in the New Year there was a cleverly worked shuffle of the pack following the success of an experiment trialled in the recent County Cup win over Eynesbury Rovers with Michael Richens dropping into the centre of defence alongside Callum Milne. Kyle Davison-Gordon also got a recall at full back replacing the injured Ty Ward. Dylan Williams dropped back into Richens usual position in front of the back four with the shuffle completed by Ben Toseland reverting to his early season wide left role.

Ives lost the toss and started the game against the elements, playing up the slope into a stiff breeze and with the low winter sun into their eyes but if was the visitors who started best. An early cross from the right by Josh Flanagan was almost spilled by home keeper Joe Welch who just recovered to claim the ball before it dropped to the lurking Nabil Shariff.

The first real chance of the game also went Ives way in 6^th minute when Richens got on the end of an of Toseland’s in-swinging free kick on the edge of the six yard box but failed to make a clean contact and was in any case adjudged to have fouled Dan Newton in his efforts to force the ball home.

Ives continued to press and Ethan Johnston failed to test keeper Welch with a golden opportunity in eleventh minute. Ed Hottor robbed a dallying Isaac Galliford 30 yards from his own goal and fed the ball into the feet of Shariff on the edge of the box. A clever flick sideways from Shariff found Johnston in a little bit of space just inside the box but he failed to make a clean contact with his attempt to find the corner of the net and only succeeded in rolling the ball into the grateful hands of the waiting Welch.

Having failed to get in front in the first quarter of an hour when they were well on top Ives had their keeper James Goff to thank for keeping them on level terms as the Crows almost opened their account from their first real chance in 17^th minute. A long throw into the box from Newton was allowed to bounce and as the visitors struggled to clear the ball was fed into the feet of Galliford twelve yards out on the left side of the box. Goff was alert to the danger and bravely closed him down deflecting the effort wide with his body at point blank range.

From this point the game evened up with the Crows probably just shading possession but both defences well on top. Centre forward Brandon Adams was generally being kept in check by Richens and Milne but he did escape the Ives centre backs once on the half hour mark and Newman picked out his run through the left channel with perfection. The finish was not so perfect as Adams blazed the ball into the grandstand behind the goal from 15 yards.

Ives remained patient retaining possession when possible and it was from a very patient build up that they carved out the final half chance of the first period just seconds before the whistle. The tireless running of Shariff saw him gain possession from Toseland on the left but his powerful shot from a narrow angle was comfortably held by the well positioned Welsh.

The hosts made a change at the break replacing the ineffective Makai Murray with Spyros Mentis but it was Ives now playing with the elements who created the first half chance of the second period in 54^th minute. Toseland and Gordon-Douglas combined well down the left with the latter finding Shariff eight yards out with his low cross. But the usually deadly striker was undone by a bobble and did not make clean contact and the chance was gone.

At the other end Finlay Titchmarsh did no better as he got on the end of a deep cross from the left by Adams in 56^th minute. But the little number seven blazed his first time volley high and wide from a good position. But the Crows wide man did a whole lot better three minutes later as he became provider for the opening goal. Given a little to much space wide on the right Titchmarsh delivered a teasing cross to the far post where Newman had ghosted in unmarked. He directed his powerful header downward but Goff will probably be a little disappointed to be beaten low down to his right as he got hands on the ball but could not keep it out.

Tyrone Baker had been causing problems with his direct running style down the right and he almost served up an equaliser only four minutes later. Bursting past his marker to get to the bye line he hung up a cross to the back post where Titchmarsh just did enough to prevent Toseland forcing the ball home.

The game was now opening up as Ives continued to go in search of the equaliser and started to leave a few more gaps at the back. Newman forced a good save low to his right from Goff with a 25 yarder in 66^th minute. Four minutes later at the other end an Ives corner caused panic in the Crows box as Flanagan flicked on Dylan Williams in-swinger at the near post and a better contact from Milne at the back post would have seen the scores levelled up.

The in form Aiyelabola was brought into the game with twenty minutes to go replacing Davison-Gordon meaning a return to left back for Toseland with Aiyelabola coming in on the right and Baker moving to the left. But it took fantastic double save from Goff to keep Ives in the game eight minutes later Adams took on and beat Richens cutting in from the left. Goff came to meet him and blocked the initial effort but the ball ran on to Titchmarsh who looked like he must score but a brilliant recovery save from Goff hurling himself to his left somehow kept the ball out.

Buoyed by the keeper’s heroics the visitors went straight down the other end and forced a series of three corners all of which stretched the Crows defence to the limit but it did not break. They were however undone only moments later as with seven minutes still remaining on the watch Aiyelabola grabbed his second very well taken goal in two games. Williams had run at the host’s defence cutting in from the left and fed a low ball into the near post picking out the perfectly timed diagonal run of the speedy striker his first touch was immaculate and his second flicked the ball left footed past the exposed Welch to level things up.

The hosts frustrations at losing their lead showed and a dreadful late tackle from Mentis on Hottor saw the Crows substitute a little lucky to only pick up a yellow card. Toseland failed to hit the target with the resulting free kick from just outside the box. There was still time for the hosts to spurn a great opportunity to grab all three points deep in added time as with Adams initial shot well blocked by Milne the ball fell to Matt Bateman eight yards out but his effort lacked any power and Goff comfortably made the save to ensure Ives went home with another valuable point from their travels.

Final Score : Royston Town 1 St Ives Town 1

Goals :

ROYSTON: Newman 59

ST IVES: Aiyelabola 83

Teams

ROYSTON: Welsh, Henry (capt), Brighton (A. Murray 57), Newton, Mensah, Adams, Titchmarsh, Galliford, M. Murray (Mentis 46), Bateman, Newman (Brown 77), Unused subs : Gouldbourne, Garrett-Douglas,

ST IVES: Goff, Davison-Gordon (Aiyelabola 71), Flanagan, Richens (capt), Milne, Toseland, Baker, Hottor, Shariff, Johnston (Cross 77), Williams, Unused subs : Fayed Rhaman, Kettle, Manangu

Ives Supporters man of the match : Tyrone Baker

Attendance : 404

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.

Hitchin Town v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 15-01-2022

This league is hugely unforgiving if you have one, or two, players who are not quite on their game so it should be no real surprise that Ives were well beaten in a game where no one in their side could walk away and say that they played well. The previously struggling Canaries were grateful to accept their gifts particularly Callum Stead and Jake Hutchinson who claimed a brace each on every occasion capitalising on an error by the visitors.

Both teams had a decent break ahead of this fixture with the Ives having not played for ten days since their vital win at Nuneaton and the Canaries playing their first game since Boxing Day thanks to two Covid cancellations. On paper both looked to be improving after shaky starts to the season going into this game the hosts were unbeaten in three and the Ives had won three of their last four.

Given the enforced breaks it was no real surprise that the game started cautiously with both sides testing each other out without either really looking likely to make a break through. Both keepers had only a single comfortable save to make in the first ten minutes. The fit again James Goff back in the Ives goal easily fielding a 20 yarder from Hutchinson and his opposite number Charlie Horlock being no more tested by an effort from Tyrone Baker from a little further out.

The first real threat did not appear until 26^th minute when Hutchinson snuck around the back and almost got on the end of a delicate clip to the back post by Josh Coldicott-Stevens. Callum Westwood did just enough to direct his covering header about a foot wide of his own post.

Ives were struggling to create any real threat at all and at times were getting caught in possession by the hungrier looking Canaries. Dylan Williams was the guilty man in 38^th minute as Stead nicked the ball off him and fed it into Stephen Cawley on the edge of the box. He in turn laid it into the path of Alex Brown who wasted the opportunity by firing well over the top from 25 yards.

The hosts were enjoying a good spell as the clock ticked down towards half time and came much closer to opening the scoring in 41^st minute as a Coldicott-Stevens corner from the right was knocked out to Malaki Black whose first time screamer looked destined for the corner of the net until it took a small deflection off an Ives defender.

There was no such reprieve for the visitors two minutes later as Stead showed his quality by taking down a dropping ball inside the box, turning Josh Flanagan all too easily and firing left footed into the bottom corner of the net past a startled Goff.

Ives should have equalised almost immediately as Michael Richens charged down an attempted clearance from Ciaren Jones and gallop forward nicking an attempted header back from Matt Moloney off keeper Horlock leaving him with the simple task of rolling the ball into the empty net but he tried to break the back of the net from eight yard, slipped and somehow managed to fire past the post much to the delight of every Hitchin fan in the ground.

So instead of going in level at the break Ives found themselves “enjoying” what was probably a dressing down from the management crew one goal in arrears and it could have been even worse as in the first minute of added time Stead robbed Ben Toseland just outside the box and tumbled to the floor as the struggling defender made a valiant attempt to reclaim possession fortunately the claims for a spot kick from the Canaries supporters behind the goal were waved away.

The hoped for revival from Ives at the start of the second half did not materialise and the game continued in the same vein as the latter stages of the first half with the hosts well on top. They almost doubled their lead in 52^nd minute with Stead again the architect as he took in a pass from Cawley inside the box and burst past Flanagan but this time rather than go for goal he unselfishly tried to pick out Hutchinson at the back post but the ball across goal was just behind the centre forward giving Toseland chance to recover and get the ball away.

It took a brilliant save from Goff to prevent Cawley increasing the advantage on the hour after a throw into the box was allowed to bounce and the Canaries number ten tried to lift it over the Ives keeper who moved his feet well before hurling himself backwards to just tip the effort over the top.

The second goal was beginning to look inevitable and it arrived in 67^th minute courtesy of yet another defensive error. The dangerous Stead was again the man terrorising Ives back line as he robbed Flanagan deep in his own half and slid the ball into the run of Colchester United loanee Hutchinson who gave Goff no chance from just inside the box.

Two became three only ninety seconds later as Ives got caught out on the counter attack from their own attacking corner. Coldicott-Stevens was the man who broke away from his own penalty area with the ball and his ball over the top gave the lurking Hutchinson chance to outpace the last defender before comprehensively beating keeper Goff from the edge of the box.

Ives best chance of getting an unlikely route back into the game came in 71^st minute. Richens clipped a free kick into the box where Ethan Johnston managed to lose his marker to get a free header twelve yards out. He directed it on target but the athletic Horlock was equal to the effort plunging to his right to push the ball away. The battling Nabil Shariff also came close to grabbing a goal back three minutes later as he bravely went in with keeper Horlock to get on the end of a teasing cross from the right by Richens. The Ives centre forward got there first but just failed to hit the target with his close range effort.

Having safely negotiated those two scares to preserve their clean sheet the hosts finished off their visitors with twelve minutes to go. Richens was the unfortunate man to get caught out this time as he lost possession to Cawley just inside his own half. The Canaries number ten fed the ball through the left channel for the ebullient Stead to take in his stride before rounding Goff and rolling it home to claim his second and the hosts fourth to finish off an afternoon to forget for Ives.

The only real question left in the game was could either Stead or Hutchinson claim the match ball in the remaining time. It was the latter who came closest with four minutes to go as he rose highest at the back post to get on the end of cross from the left by substitute Ky Tearle but he could not quite keep his header down.

Thanks to Ives recent endeavours this result was not as disastrous as it would have been a few weeks ago but there is still a lot of work for both sides to do yet to ensure themselves of another season at this level in what is probably the tightest bottom half of the table ever at this level with twelve teams still separated by only eight points and approximately one third of the season to go.

Final Score : Hitchin Town 4 St Ives Town 0

Goals :

HITCHIN: Stead 43 & 78, Hutchinson 67 & 69

ST IVES:

Teams

HITCHIN: Horlock (capt), Green (Ackom 76), Brown (Tearle 83), Coldicott-Stevens, Moloney, Jones, Stead, Georgiou, Hutchinson, Cawley (Da Silva 84), Black, Unused subs : Kinoshi

ST IVES: Goff, Westwood, Flanagan, Richens (capt), Davison-Gordon (Dwumfou 54), Toseland, Baker, Hottor (Hicks 75), Shariff (Aiyelabola 83), Johnston, Williams, Unused subs : Rhaman, Manangu

Ives Supporters man of the match : Nabil Shariff

Attendance : 546

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.

Nuneaton Borough v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 04-01-2022

Ives moved up to eleventh after this massive three points on the road that came courtesy of a well planned set up enabling the visitors to control long periods of this game against their struggling hosts and without a late goal from the Boro’ this would have not only been a comfortable victory it would also have been a long awaited clean sheet.

The well planned changes to the starting line-up following Saturday’s chastening defeat at Rushden saw Ben Toseland dropped to the bench and a welcome return from Northampton Town for Josh Flanagan in his spot at left back. Nathan Hicks also missed out with Ed Hottor returning on the left side of midfield and Dylan Williams moving inside to a more central position. This put Hottor and Flanagan as the barrier to the well known threat of Ives former flying full back Camron McWilliams who had departed Westwood Road to join the Boro’ only a few weeks previously.

Ives started on the front foot as the Boro’ showed the nervousness caused by their precarious position in the drop zone. The first shot of the evening after six minutes was a dipping 25 yarder from Williams that just went over the top.

Tyrone Baker was also causing problems with his direct running style and six minutes later he burst past Jaden Charles into the box before firing off a shot that deflected off a defender and ricocheted to Nabil Shariff by the penalty spot but he did not make clean contact and home keeper Tony Breeden made a comfortable save.

All the careful planning that Ives had put in pre-game was almost undone in 15^th minute. Skipper Brett Solkhon had limped off with a knee injury to be replaced by Toseland but before the visitors could settle a quick Boro’ throw led to the ball arriving in the centre where Kyle Perry was initially denied by a brilliant reaction save from Lewis Patching. The big Boro’ striker was first to the loose ball and forced it home only to spot the linesman’s upraised flag to cut short his celebration.

Another Boro’ break from an Ives corner three minutes later saw the hosts go close again. McWilliams broke at pace and managed to scamper fully sixty yards before feeding in Perry. Toseland slipped as he tried to block the striker’s path to goal but still did enough to force him wide and stop the shot. The ball eventually falling to Chris Clements wide right who delivered it to the centre where Dan Bradley was adjudged to have fouled Patching as the pair both went for the ball.

Patching was again in action in 31^st minute as he plunged low to his left to keep out a well struck effort from the edge of the box by Charlie Dowd. The dangerous winger had been given the opportunity to get into a shooting position by an excellent cross field ball from Isiah Osbourne.

That proved to be the host’s last shot on target for a long time as Ives took control of the centre of the park and the game. Chances started to come their way. In 35^th minute Baker again got past his man to get to the bye line his low cross was met at the near post by Ethan Johnston but unlike his flicked goal from an identical position against Biggleswade this time his contact was not clean and Breeden made the save.

Johnston had a big shout for a penalty turned down three minutes later as he was put through one on one with Breeden and rather than shoot he tried to take the ball around the big keeper who dived in but did not get the ball. The referee’s interpretation was that Johnston went looking for the keeper’s arms to go over them and I must say that in the match officials defence he did almost go down in slow motion.

Ives went close twice more before the break as initially Michael Richens teed up Johnston for a shot from the edge of the box that deflected inches wide off the outstretched leg of Liam Daly. The second effort from Ives fifth corner of the half saw the ball knocked out to the back edge of the box where Callum Milne met it perfectly on the half volley the ball was destined for the top corner but for the palm of Bredden who just managed to knock it away.

The pattern of the game continued in the second half with Ives well on top and probing hard for the all important opening goal. When it finally arrived six minutes after the re-start it came in somewhat comical fashion. Baker was initially fouled just outside the box by Boro’ substitute Gift Mussa. Toseland took the free kick, he may say he was expecting the wall to jump (seemed unlikely as there were some large players in the wall) but I will say that he did not strike it well however it somehow wriggled it’s way through the hosts four man wall taking a big deflection off Perry on the way. The deflection was enough to completely fool Breeden, as the big keeper ended up in one corner of the goal the ball rolled in by the opposite post.

Now with their noses in front the Ives went for the jugular taring into the hosts struggling back line. Five minutes later they doubled their advantage thanks to a flowing move and an excellent advantage from referee Niall Smith. Baker initially fed Westwood on the overlap and then continued to gallop on into the box flicking on the full back’s cross when it came. The ball arrived at the feet of Johnston on the edge of the six yard box but he was crudely taken down by a desperate lung from Daly before he could get his shot away. Referee Smith immediately spotted Shariff about to pounce on the loose ball and allowed play to continue for him to lash it home.

The visitors continued to dominate the game looking very comfortable in possession and continuing to create chances that should really have put the game to bed. Baker and Shariff combined to set up a shooting opportunity for Johnston on the edge of the box in 58^th minute. His effort lacked power but was spilled by Breeden who was fortunate that the loose ball fell to the feet of one of his team mates. Johnston and Shariff both fired efforts wide from good positions in the next ten minutes and Richens hit a well struck free kick from 25 yards straight at Breeden in 74^th minute.

Boro manager Jimmy Ginnelly had already thrown on wide man Greg Kaziboni and in 77^th minute he tried his final card throwing on striker Luke Benbow to replace the powerful, but immobile, Perry. When their route back into the game did arrive four minutes later it came from a needlessly conceded corner. Westwood misdirected his header back and Patching was unable to prevent the corner. The flag kick was delivered into the mix with everyone except Breeden inside the box. The ball ricocheted around with Ives unable to clear before it was finally prodded home at the back post by Anthony Dwyer.

Now seeing their way to a possible undeserved point the hosts tried to find a route through Ives resolute back line but this had now been formed up into the proverbial two banks of four looking to preserve what they had and they were pretty effective in doing that as the Boro’ despite a lot of late possession only went close once in the remaining time. In 87^th minute Toseland fouled the tricky Benbow just outside the box. The Boro’ striker picked himself up and took on the free kick coming within millimetres of successfully getting it up and down over Ives five man wall.

The result leaves Ives in the heady position of exactly half way in the table whilst the big spending Boro’ still find themselves in a very precarious position only one from bottom with all of the teams around them having games in hand.

Final Score : Nuneaton Borough 1 St Ives Town 2

Goals :

NUNEATON: Dwyer 81

ST IVES: Toseland 51, Shariff 56

Teams

NUNEATON: Breeden, McWilliams, Charles, Clements, Daly (capt), McManus, Dwyer, Osbourne (Mussa 45+1), Perry (Benbow 77), Bradley (Kaziboni 67), Dowd, Unused subs : McCrory, Edmunds

ST IVES: Patching, Westwood, Flanagan, Richens, Solkhon (capt) (Toseland 14), Milne, Baker, Hottor, Shariff, Johnston (Davison-Gordon 87), Williams, Unused subs : Hicks, Dwumfuo, Manangu

Ives Supporters man of the match : Michael Richens

Attendance : 322

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video Clips by Dave Hook.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 01-01-2022

Ives good run of form ran into the buffers as they were blown away in the first half by a home side who adapted much more quickly than their visitors to a very heavy Hayden Road pitch. Going down to ten men just after the hour as Callum Milne had to walk for pushing over Ben Diamond just as the hosts striker was about to head home a dropping ball from a couple of yards did not help but in truth the game was all but over by then with the hosts already sitting on a three goal cushion.

There were a couple of tactical changes in Ives starting line up with Nabil Shariff returning in place of Ed Hottor up front and Callum Westwood recovered from Covid to make his first Ives start at full back in place of Kyle Davison-Gordon. But the major enforced change that saw the visitors field their third different goalkeeper in three games was an injury in training to James Goff that meant a late replacement had to be sourced and Lewis Patching came in on dual registration from Hemel Hempstead. The hosts on the other hand had called off their scheduled Boxing Day visit to Peterborough Sports for Covid so had not played since mid-December.

Patching had to show that his was alert and agile as early as the third minute as he plunged low to his left to turn away a speculative 25 yarder from Nathan Tshikuna. A couple more early chances fell to the hosts in the eight minute as initially Fernando Bell-Toxtle burst through the centre before teeing up Ty Deacon who spun and fired inches wide from the edge of the box. Only seconds later Deacon and AJ George combined to find another gap through the middle of Ives back line, but this time Brett Solkhon did just enough to recover and prevent Deacon getting his shot away.

Ives first dangerous sortie into Diamonds territory came in tenth minute when Michael Richens managed to battle his way to the bye line on the right hand side before firing in a low cross that was just behind Ethan Johnston, the striker did well to take the ball in but failed to hit the target with his effort.

The hosts went in front in 16^th minute as the dangerous Tshikuna took in a pass to feet fully thirty five yards from goal, easily turned Callum Milne before striding forward and planting a shot low past the left hand of the diving Patching. Less than sixty seconds later the Diamonds doubled their lead in the simplest fashion. A long ball out of defence by Liam Dolman was misjudged in the air by the usually reliable Solkhon leaving Deacon clear to slot past the exposed Patching from just inside the box.

Going two down to goals that would both be considered poor goals to concede rocked Ives for a little but with Richens and Nathan Hicks battling hard in the quagmire in the middle of the park they did manage to create a few half chances to find a route back into the game. In 23^rd minute Richens delivered a delightful clip into the box that picked out Dylan Williams in a little bit of space. The Ives wide man took the shot on first time as the ball dropped over his shoulder but pulled his effort a couple of feet wide. Three minutes later Williams was again involved as he found Shariff inside the box the centre forward got his shot away through the crowd but keeper Dean Snedker was equal to it plunging low to his left to push the ball away.

While Ives generally continued with their usual patient style the hosts tried to avoid the heavy centre of the park by going long when possible. They carved out another chance in 28^th minute as Tshikuna played in George through the left channel the striker’s effort was well saved by Patching low to his left.

Tshikuna continued to cause Ives defence problems and he was involved again in 37^th minute when the hosts almost increased their lead. This time he played the ball into the feet of Deacon on the edge of the box his lay off gave George the chance to get a shot away from the edge of the box that curled inches wide of the post. But the Diamonds did not have to wait much longer before they were three up as less than a minute later a flowing move down the left ended with George delivering a low cross into the box that the unmarked Jesse Akubuine emphatically slammed home at the back post.

Three down and seemingly out of the game Ives needed to start the second half with an early goal to have any hope of an unlikely recovery and to their credit they went at their opponents from the off. Richens fired an early 25 yard free kick well over the top. Hicks and Williams combined well to work their way into the box in the 55^th minute the move ending with the latter firing over from a good position. Only moments later a heavy touch prevented Tyrone Baker getting in one on one with Snedker.

Ives best chance to get back into the game came in an amazing ten second spell on the hour as they went close three times as the ball from a Ben Toseland corner bounced around the Diamonds box. Keeper Snedker did well initially to tip the ball off the head of Shariff but it fell to Johnston at the far post, his close range effort was brilliantly blocked by Snedker who did even better to keep out the follow up effort from Shariff. Finally the ball dropped to Richens who hammered in an effort from six yards that hits Diamond on the line and is scrambled clear. Ives shouts for handball against the host’s number eight are waved away by referee Matthew Jackson.

One could say that the game turned on that moment but in truth the hosts were already well in control and only one minute later they should have further increased their advantage as Tshikuna put George clear he rounded Patching on the outside but failed to find the empty net from a narrow angle hitting the post with his effort.

The already tough task for Ives became a whole lot harder in 63^rd minute as Patching’s initial block to a George effort sees the ball loop up in the air to where Diamond is waiting to head it home from a couple of yards out. In his effort to intervene Milne only succeeds in bundling over the midfielder leaving referee Jackson with little choice but to award the penalty and send the Ives defender off for an early bath. Tshikuna stepped up to take the spot kick only to be denied as Patching dived to his right to push the ball away.

Even down to ten men Ives continued to go in search of at least a consolation goal and Shariff was did manage to get the ball in the net with twenty minutes to go only to be denied by an offside flag. Snedker was also in no mood to give away his clean sheet bonus and he twice kept out well struck Richens efforts in 74^th and 76^th minutes.

The hosts added icing to their cake ten minutes from time as Richens was caught in the mud and robbed by Tshikuna 25 yards from his own goal. The Diamonds striker burst forward into the box leaving struggling Ives defenders in his wake. Patching saw a slightly heavy touch and seized his chance to bravely dive in and try and claim the ball. He appeared to get quite a lot of it, but referee Jackson is right on the spot and sees it differently awarding the hosts a second penalty. Tshikuna is again given the responsibility and is a little fortunate to find the net as Patching almost second guesses him and although diving right still manages to get a hand to his clip down the middle but cannot quite keep it out.

There was still time for Richens to sum up Ives afternoon as he did brilliantly to rob a dallying Sam Warburton 25 yards out, burst forward into the box and try to unleash a screamer as Snedker came to meet him. Only to be completely undone but a huge bobble off the sticky mud and end up completely missing the ball.

The final noteworthy event of the game was another brilliant save from the acrobatic Patching who did fantastically to hurl himself full length to tip a dipping 25 yard effort from substitute Will Jones onto the crossbar and then recover quickly enough to smother the loose ball.

With a vital game against relegation rivals Nuneaton coming up on Tuesday evening on a surface that will be no better than this quagmire one has to hope that Ives have learnt their lesson on how to play on such a surface and can make any necessary adjustments to their approach ahead of the fixture.

Final Score : AFC Rushden & Diamonds 4 St Ives Town 0

Goals :

RUSHDEN: Tshikuna 16 & 81 (pen), Deacon 17, Akubuine 38

ST IVES:

Teams

RUSHDEN: Snedker, Casey, Warburton, Bell-Toxtle (capt), Dolman, Hughes, Tshikuna, Diamond, Deacon (Jones 82), George (Garwood 85), Akubuine (Slinn 77), Unused subs : Nixon

ST IVES: Patching, Milne, Westwood, Richens, Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Baker (Dwumfuo 82), Hicks (Hottor 75), Shariff, Johnston, Williams (Davison-Gordon 68), Unused subs : Rhaman, Manangu

Ives Supporters man of the match : Michael Richens

Attendance : 539

Report by Nigel Howlett

St Ives Town v Biggleswade Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 27-12-2021

The first half of this game must have left Ives supporters amongst the large Bank Holiday crowd wondering how on earth their team had scored five at Barwell the previous Saturday. The second half performance showed those that did not travel up to Leicestershire last weekend exactly what they had missed as a rejuvenated hosts tore into their visitors from the off and although on paper this looks like a narrow victory if the even half of the chances that were created in that exiting second period had been taken Ives could have run away with this game.

The starting line up for Ives showed three changes from the win at Barwell with recent signing James Goff making a welcome return to Westwood Road replacing Ben Heath between the sticks, Callum Milne and Tyrone Baker returning in place of the injured Ben Watt and rested Nabil Shariff respectively. The Waders made a similar number of changes from their previous game a home defeat to high flying Banbury. Joe Howe and Shane Bush returning in defence in place of Stevan Shaw and Russell Short and Oxford United loanee Will Owens coming in on the wing for Ben Stevens.

The game started tentatively although a quick free kick almost caught out visiting keeper Josh Hill in fourth minute. Dylan Williams got away down the left and floated up an inviting cross to the back post where unfortunately there was no one to force the ball home as the struggling Hill completely missed his attempt to punch it away.

Goff in the home goal had a scare of his own four minutes later as he slipped trying to deal with a back pass and looked to have gifted a goal to the lurking Joe Neal but fortunately for Ives Goff had the presence of mind to pounce on the loose ball as it rebounded off the shins of the startled Waders striker.

The next opportunity for a strike on goal came in 13^th minute when a wayward pass inside by Kyle Davison-Gordon was cut out by Howe who strode forward before unleashing a powerful drive from 25 yards that was deflected inches wide of Goff’s right hand post with the keeper struggling to get across.

Michael Richens was having an excellent game in the centre of the park and he picked out Baker cutting in from the right with a perfectly weighted ball in 21^st minute. The speedy Ives winger was forced wide by Kane Farrell and although he got his shot away it only flew into the side netting. In response to that effort Waders struck back at the other end with Ronan Silva getting in a cross from the left that the skilful Joe Neal took down well pivoted on and got a shot away from 15 yards that Goff did well to hold onto low to his left. Goff needed to be similarly alert five minutes before the break as he held on well to a 25 yard free kick from the same player that had burst through Ives five man defensive wall.

The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock in the first period came three minutes from half time when a well worked Ives corner saw another teasing Williams cross to the back post put Hill into all sorts of trouble. The struggling keeper was hugely fortunate not to score an own goal as his attempted clearing punch rattled into the upright and deflected wide off a defender just before Brett Solkhon could prod it home.

A change of personnel and formation and a completely new level of endeavour from Ives saw them take the game to the Waders straight from the kick off. The personnel change was the introduction from the bench of Shariff who replaced Hottor. He joined Ethan Johnston in a two pronged attack with Williams moving wide left. Williams it was who should have put the hosts in front only ninety seconds from the resumption. Nathan Hicks threaded a ball through the Waders back line to put Williams completely clear one on one with Hill. The keeper quickly closed him down and blocked his low shot with his legs.

That chance was quickly forgotten as Johnston found the net to put Ives in front in their very next attack four minutes later. Shariff showed brilliant close control to take in a ball into the box and lose his man before unselfishly picking out Johnston arriving at pace inside the six yard box. An excellent back heeled flick from the striker did the rest giving Hill no chance.

It was almost two in 54^th minute as the struggling Waders were again almost caught out by the Shariff, Johnston combination. Once more it was Shariff the provider as he showed his pace to get on the end of a ball threaded in from the right by Baker. His low cross along the six yard line was only millimetres away from the boot of Johnston sliding in at the back post.

Having looked in complete control Ives suddenly found themselves back on level terms as the Waders caught them on the break from their own corner in 62^nd minute. A throw from Hill picked out Howe in a bit of space and his crossfield ball fell perfectly into the run of Luca Cardines who outpaced Callum Milne before slamming the ball home past the exposed Goff to level things up.

Ives were not to be jolted out of their stride and they were quickly back on the ascendency. Only two minutes later Williams cut inside before firing over from 25 yards. Johnston spurned a much better opportunity in 69^th minute. Baker continued to terrorise Farrell down the left and he went past the struggling left back yet again before picking out Johnston who had got in front of his marker six yards out but steered his header just wide of the near post.

The pressure continued to build and a winner for the hosts was looking more and more likely. Hicks teed up Richens for 25 yard screamer in 71^st minute but keeper Hill was just equal to it leaping athletically to tip the dipping ball just over the top. It was full back Gordon-Douglas’s turn to spur an opportunity from the resulting corner. The initial kick was half cleared to Baker just outside the box and he cleverly clipped it back into the mix where it ricocheted around before falling to Gordon-Douglas six yards out but he snatched at the chance and fired well over. Solkhon was next to go close as he got on the end of a well flighted Richens free kick in 74^th minute. But the Ives skipper was always stretching and could not keep down his header from eight yards out.

The goal that had been threatening to arrive finally came eight minutes from time as Hicks played a superb ball from the centre of the park to pick out Baker cutting in from the right at pace. He took a touch before unleashing a fierce drive that would probably have beaten Hill even without the slight deflection it got off a desperate defender.

Now with their noses in front again Ives had to make sure that they stayed there. They suffered two scares in the remaining time. In 85^th minute James Peters found just enough space on the edge of the box to take down a dropping ball and tee up Neal who curled his effort inches wide with Goff struggling to get across and cover. The final opportunity for the Waders to grab an unlikely point came two minutes into the added four. Cardines delivered a cross from the left that arrived at the feet of substitute Ben Stevens at the back post. His initial shot was blocked but the ball rebounded to Neal who stabbed his shot through the crowd but straight into the arms of the grateful Goff who hung on well.

Believe it, or not, this is the first time that Ives have managed a win on Boxing Day since the United Counties League days but their scintillating second half performance thoroughly earned the reward and the result moves them up to twelfth in what is still an amazingly tight bottom end to the table where twelve teams are separated by just seven points. The Waders will be left looking nervously over their shoulders as they now sit just one place above the bottom three albeit with three games in hand on two of those below them.

Final Score : St Ives Town 2 Biggleswade Town 1

Goals :

ST IVES: Johnston 51, Baker 82

BIGGLESWADE: Cardines 62

Teams

ST IVES: Goff, Milne, Davison-Gordon, Richens, Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Baker, Hicks, Hottor (Shariff 46), Johnston, Williams, Unused subs : Rhaman, Dwumfuo, Manangu

BIGGLESWADE: Hill, Howe, Farrell, Peters, Hall, Bush (capt) (Shaw 58), Owens (Stevens 76), Silva (Vasey 69), Neal, Parker, Cardines, Unused subs: none

Ives Supporters man of the match : Tyrone Baker

Attendance : 326

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook. Photos by Louise Thompson.

Barwell v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 18-12-2021

An early Christmas cracker served up by two sides who seemed to have forgotten how to defend at times each taking their turn to try and throw the game away. Any neutrals in the crowd will have enjoyed it immensely, but for the supporters of either side the roller coaster of emotion was at times hard to bear.

Ives made three changes to the starting eleven from last weeks defeat at Bromsgrove. An enforced one in goal where Ben Heath returned replacing Oxford United loanee Mackenzie Chapman who broke a bone in his hand during the game against the Rouslers and will face a few weeks on the side lines. Last weeks stand in right back Callum Milne was replaced by another loanee from the U’s Ben Watt who made his debut for the visitors. The third change in the centre of the park was the welcome return from suspension of Michael Richens replacing Tyrone Baker who joined Milne on the bench.

Although the hosts could now boast a brand new 3G surface at Kirkby Road, Ives quickly found it was very different to their own artificial surface with the “grass” trimmed much shorter and a lot more rubber crumb meaning that the ball moved with less fluidity than at Westwood Road.

But Ives could not really blame the surface for a sluggish start and keeper Heath came to their salvation twice in the first seven minutes. Tristan Dunkley outpaced Brett Solkhon on the left edge of the box in fifth minute and floated up a cross to the back post where Ben Stephens had ghosted in looking like he must score, his header was on target but Heath somehow got himself across his goal line to block the effort on the line. Ben Toseland half cleared and Will Warren blazed the loose ball over from the edge of the box. Two minutes later an Ashanti Pryce cross from the left caused panic in Ives box Toseland doing very well to block Stephens initial shot and Heath doing even better to fling himself to his right and fingertip Warren’s follow up effort around the post.

Having survived those two early scares Ives slowly began to work themselves into the game and as they got more used to the surface they started to move the ball around at pace. But the opening goal when it arrived came from almost nothing. Ethan Johnston did well to close down Herve Pepe-Ngoma on an attempted clearance but conceded the throw deep in Canaries territory. The throw down the line was won by Kyle Davison-Gordon whose knock down fell to Dylan Williams a threaded ball picked out the perfectly timed run into the box of Nabil Shariff who somehow squeezed his low drive past keeper Max Bramley and in off the near post.

Falling behind seemed to rattle the hosts and five minutes later the Ives doubled their advantage Richens robbed Warren on half way before striding forward and sliding the ball into the run of Johnston who kept is cool to fire past the exposed Bramley from just inside the box.

Ives were now in complete control and their high tempo game continued to rock the hosts back line with more goals looking likely from almost every attack. It took a brilliant recovery save from Bramley to deny Williams on the half hour. Nathan Hicks fired a fantastic diagonal ball to pick out Ed Hottor in space on the right. Hottor sprinted away down the touchline before cutting inside and pulling the ball back for Williams to hit a shot that looped in the air off the covering Dom Hill-Brown. It looked like it was going to go over Bramley and drop in the far corner of the net but the keeper moved his feet well and flung himself full length to claw the ball away.

The remainder of the first period saw Ives continue to dominate with Hottor having a close range shot blocked in 36^th minute, Shariff having a fierce drive from a narrow angle blocked by Bramley in 38^th minute and Johnston having a very good shout for a penalty turned down just seconds before the break.

Two up at half time, but Ives supporters will still nervous and the main topic of conversation was surely we are not going to throw away another two goal lead on the road, are we? To ease the nerves a little, if only for a while, Shariff calmly made it three in 54^th minute. Watt and Williams combined well on the right but the latter’s cross into the box looked like it was going to be a simple header away for Pepe-Ngoma but somehow he completely missed the ball. The Ives centre forward said thank you very much and slotted the ball past the exposed Bramley.

At this point the visitors despite words from the dugout telling them to keep pressing, took their foot off the gas a little bit and allowed the hosts to get a foothold back into the game. Chances started to appear at the other end. In the 58^th minute a quick break by Stephens created a shooting opportunity for Dunkley but the pacy number nine fired over from the edge of the box. Keeper Heath pulled off a magnificent save five minutes later. He failed to hang onto a powerful Dunkley drive from the right hand edge of the box and substitute Harry Bower pounced on the loose ball looking like he must score only for Heath to recover and somehow block the effort at point blank range.

The hosts were looking more and more likely to reduce the arrears and sure enough they did with twenty minutes to go. Canaries skipper Brady Hickey found a route through the centre of Ives back four setting up Stephens for a shot from the edge of the box that beat the diving Heath low to his right and went in off the upright. The pressure on the visitors was starting to build and two minutes later Ross Oulton curled a 25 yarder inches wide with Heath looking on.

The pressure was eased in 74^th minute as Williams restored Ives three goal advantage. Hottor harried and robbed a dallying Hickey deep inside his own territory and fed in Shariff. We all assumed that he would go for the hat trick but he unselfishly fed the ball to his left to put Williams clean through and he emphatically beat Bramley with a thumping left foot drive that beat the keeper high to his left and nestled behind the stanchion. Shariff had one more chance to grab a deserved third three minutes later as a flowing Ives move ended with substitute Baker getting to the bye line and picking out the centre forward with his pull back. Sadly for Shariff Pepe-Ngoma did just enough to slide in and deflect the shot wide.

Had that gone in it could have been a very comfortable last ten minutes for Ives supporters but our nerves started to jangle a little when good work down the left by Pryce set up an opportunity at the back post for Dunkley who slammed the ball home to give the hosts a glimmer of hope.

Williams almost eased our concerns in 84^th minute when he fired a free kick from just outside the box through the host’s three man wall. It took an excellent diving save low to his left by Bramley to keep the effort out. The keeper’s efforts were rewarded two minutes later as the hosts comeback of all comebacks looked even more likely to happen. Ives back line failed dismally to deal with a cross from the right that eventually arrived at the feet of Hickey at the back post who fired home from close range. Finger nails were almost down to the quick when Bower found space in the box to get away a shot that Heath did well to palm over the bar in the last of the ninety minutes.

Baker picked up an injury defending his own box as the game entered added time meaning that the added four minutes was going to have an even more agonising extension to it. A Canaries corner in the third added minute prompted keeper Bramley to try his luck in the opposition box. Fortunately for Ives the good fortune went their way as the keeper’s presence prevented Dunkley getting a clean header to the corner which was then cleared with Richens coming away with the ball. Hearing the shouts of the Ives faithful to shoot he tried his luck from fully fifty yards and he got it right as the ball curled on the breeze and bounced into the vacant net.

There was still time for Solkhon to concede a penalty as he dragged down Dunkley inside the box in 95^th minute. Hickey slammed the resulting spot kick straight down the middle as Heath went to his right. But the agonising wait since August for another win on the road was finally over for Ives fans. Much as this game had entertainment in abundance, I think that personally a routine 2-0 win would make for much more comfortable viewing next time.

The win means Ives leapfrog their hosts in the table and move up to 14^th place. The Canaries look like they are still trying to come to terms with their new playing surface but with a whole run of home games in the offing for them now they will want to learn quickly as the wrong end of the table looks like their present destiny. Both teams have vital games coming up over the Christmas and New Year period but we all now wait with bated breath to hear if Boris will allow us to play those games or if Covid will take them out for the second year in a row.

Final Score : Barwell 4 St Ives Town 5

Goals :

BARWELL: Stephens 70, Dunkley 79, Hickey 86 & 90+6 pen

ST IVES: Shariff 20 & 54, Johnston 25, Williams 74, Richens 90+3

Teams

BARWELL: Bramley, Warren (Bower 57), Pryce, Pepe-Ngoma, Edjenguele, Brown-Hill, Brogan, Oulton, Dunkley, Hickey (capt), Stephens, Unused subs: Brown, Castle, Stabana, Nisevic

ST IVES: Heath, Watt, Davison-Gordon, Richens, Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Hottor (Westwood 83), Hicks, Shariff (Manangu 83), Johnston (Baker 59), Williams, Unused subs : Milne, Dwumfuo

Ives Supporters man of the match : Nabil Shariff

Attendance : 242

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook.

Bromsgrove Sporting v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 11-12-2021

A game that showed plenty of endeavour but lacked a little quality was decided in the fashion it was probably most likely to be by an own goal from the unfortunate Callum Milne who could only knock a driven cross from Jamie Molyneux past his own keeper from close range as he tried to prevent Will Shorrock forcing it home at the back post just before the half hour.

Looking to build momentum from their deserved win over high flying Banbury the previous Saturday Ives started on the front foot and Ethan Johnston spurned an excellent opportunity in only the second minute having been fed clean through by Dylan Williams he delayed his shot to long giving Charlie Wise chance to get back and block the shot when it finally came.

Ives Oxford United loanee keeper Mackenzie Chapman had a dodgy moment on a back pass in fourth minute last week and exactly the same thing happened to him in this game. Kyle Davidson-Gordon under hit a pass back that Chapman managed to beat Connor Taylor to but his attempted clearance rebounded off the Rouslers centre forward and went inches wide of the post.

Even at this early stage of the game Molyneux was beginning to look dangerous on the right and he combined well with Josh Dugmore in sixth minute. Molyneux’s final ball inside put the full back clear into the box and it took an acrobatic save to his right by Chapman to keep out Dugmore’s fierce drive.

Ives best chance of the game arrived five minutes later as Johnston timed his run to perfection to get on the end of a long ball from Brett Solkhon. The striker showed great skill to take down the ball and run on into the box before unleashing a rising drive that was kept out by the body of the fast closing keeper Aaron Clayton. The resulting corner was cleverly played short between Williams and Johnston. Keeper Clayton struggled to get to Williams cross when it came and although he finger tipped it away from Nabil Shariff in the centre the ball arrived on the head of Milne at the back post but the full back’s header lacked power and Dugmore headed it away off the goal line.

Clayton was struggling to deal with crosses into his box and made an even bigger hash of another Williams corner in 15^th minute. This time calling for the ball, but completely missing it. He was saved by Nathan Hayward who was covering behind him and flicked the ball off the head of Milne again arriving at the back post.

An excellent advantage by referee Tom Staten allowed the Rouslers to create a very good chance to get their noses in front in 27^th minute. Hayward was clipped by Tyrone Baker just outside his own box but manager to stay on his feet and carry the ball to half way before feeding it out to Molyneux who in turn played it on into the run of Shorrock bursting into the box. It took another excellent save from Chapman to turn his powerful shot away. Home skipper Joel Kettle managed to lose his marker to get on the end of the resulting corner but only succeeded in steering his header wide.

What proved to be the decisive goal arrived in 29^th minute as the speedy Molyneux burst past Gordon-Douglas on the right before firing a low cross into the box that looked like it was going to be turned home by Shorrock arriving at the far post but Milne slid in ahead of him and got the final touch just ahead of the Rouslers number eleven.

Getting in front seemed to lift the hosts and they enjoyed a good spell for the next fifteen minutes. Joe Willis came within inches of increasing the lead five minutes before the break as he pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the box firing off a first time effort that beat Chapman but rebounded to safety off the top of his left hand post. Moments later the dangerous Molyneux carved out another golden opportunity for one of his team mates as he again burst down the right and drove in a low cross that Taylor should have steered into the net but he completely missed his kick from ten yards out at the back post.

The hard work of Johnston almost grabbed an unlikely equaliser out of nothing right on the break. Picking up the ball fully 35 yards from goal he decided to take on the defenders in front of him before bursting past them into the box. Keeper Clayton was alert to the danger and closed him down blocking the shot but the ball ricocheted across the face of the open goal had someone gambled and gone with Johnston they would have had a tap in but sadly no one had and the chance went begging.

The second half continued in similar vain in its early stages with Molyneux still causing problems down the right. There were only ninety seconds on the watch when he again burst past the struggling Gordon-Douglas before firing off a fierce drive from just inside the box that stung the hands of Chapman as he leapt to his right to palm it away.

Ives best chance of getting on level terms in the second period came in 56^th minute as Nathan Hicks slid in a perfectly weighted pass through the left channel to play in Shariff. With the hosts defence vainly appealing for offside the Ives centre forward closed on goal but again Clayton was smartly off his line to close down Shariff and the shot deflected off his legs and looped over the crossbar. Milne was again the target for the resulting corner but his header lacked power and looped harmlessly wide.

The heavy surface was taking its toll on both sides and the pace of the game dropped off as the half wore on chances at both ends became more of a rarity. A slip by Solkhon on the saturated ground almost presented Willis with a site of goal but his centre back partner Toseland did brilliantly to react quickly and slide in to block the shot.

A mistake by substitute Jack Snelus losing possession deep inside his own half in 71^st minute allowed Chapman to once more show his acrobatic abilities. Hayward picked up the ball and fed in Willis who was once more denied as the keeper flung himself to his right to palm around the Walsall loanee’s powerful twenty yarder.

Ives had one final half chance to deny the hosts a victory seven minutes from time as Baker showed that he still had some energy left on the sapping surface, bursting forward on the left he fed the ball inside to the feet of substitute Chris Manangu who had only just come onto the field to replace the tiring Shariff. Rather than try and turn and shoot he laid the ball back to Snelus but his fellow sub scuffed his shot and the ball bobbled wide.

The win moves the Rouslers up to a mid table position but still only five points above the drop zone. Ives sit seventeenth three points behind them, far from comfortable but still above the dreaded red line. Every game is vital now and with three of the next four against teams in and around them at the wrong end of the table it would be a very good time to hit some form.

Final Score : Bromsgrove Sporting 1 St Ives Town 0

Goals :

BROMSGROVE: Milne (own goal) 29

ST IVES:

Teams

BROMSGROVE: Clayton, Dugmore, Quaynor, Hayward, Wise, Kettle (capt), Molyneux (T. Taylor 90+4), Newell, C. Taylor, Willis, Shorrock (Wilson 68), Unused subs: O. Taylor, Ebbutt, Brown

ST IVES: Chapman, Milne (Dwumfuo 88), Davison-Gordon, Hottor (Snelus 62), Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Baker, Hicks, Shariff (Manangu 82), Johnston, Williams, Unused subs : Heath, Atcha

Ives Supporters man of the match : Ben Toseland

Attendance : 553

Report by Nigel Howlett