League: The FA Trophy

Belper Town v St Ives Town

Belper Town v St Ives Town

Buildbase FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round  08-10-2022

Unable to match their FA Cup heroics Ives slithered out of the FA Trophy tamely at the first hurdle. But even without playing well the visitors could so easily have been the ones going into the hat for Monday’s First Round draw. A goal to the good thanks to a little bit of magic from Myles Cowling they were awarded a blatant penalty fifteen minutes from time as home keeper Dan Moore hauled down Nabil Shariff inside the box as the striker rounded him. With neither Jonny Edwards nor Dylan Williams on the pitch Enoch Andoh grasped the responsibility. Despite hitting his spot kick well his stuttering run up had given Moore plenty of time to guess which way to go and the young keeper got it right redeeming himself with a flying stop to his left. To rub salt into the wound the Nailers went straight down the other end and levelled things up courtesy of well taken goal from their best player Brodie Litchfield. 

With a few players carrying knocks and the FA Cup tie against Halifax looming in just seven days manager Ricky Marheineke made four changes from the starting eleven that won so impressively at Ilkeston on Tuesday evening. In came Cambridge United loanee full back Greg Sandiford for his Ives debut. Ed Hottor came back into the centre of the park, Ethan Johnston made his first start of the season up front and Shariff returned to lead the attack and captain the side. Michael Richens and Dylan Williams were on the bench whilst the two more seriously injured Kane Lewis and Edwards missed out completely.

The hosts, struggling in the lower reaches of the Northern Premier League, were already onto their third manager of the season and new man in charge Steve Kittrick had steadied the ship picking up four points in their last two games. After a slow start from both sides that little bit of confidence that results bring began to show through for the Nailers and the first real opportunity of the game came their way in 12th minute. Charlie Reaney threaded a perfect ball through Ives defence to put Litchfield clear but as James Goff came to meet him the winger fired well wide from just outside the box.

It was half way through the first half before either side got an effort on target and that also came from the hosts as Litchfield got past Sandiford down the left before delivering the ball to the near post where Jakub Hebda met it acrobatically but his shot was straight at Goff who held on well.

Ives first, and only, effort on goal in the first half came in 24th minute. Shariff was taken down clumsily by Charlie Wakefield just outside the right edge of the box. Johnny Herd delivered the ball to the back post where Shariff got through the crowd to make contact only six yards out but the ball came more off his shoulder than his head and it bobbled just wide of the post.

Chances at either end remained at a premium until the last few minutes of the half. But the hosts did carve out two very good opportunities in those moments and it took two excellent saves from Goff to ensure that Ives went in level. In 43rd minute Hebda timed his run to perfection to get in behind the visitors back line and got to the bye line before picking out Reaney with his pull back to the edge of the box. The Nailers number ten struck the ball cleanly and it took a brilliant reaction save from the keeper to keep the effort out. Ives keeper did even better just seconds before the break, Litchfield again got down the left and delivered to the centre where Jordan Williams did just enough to stop Luke Mangham getting on the end of it. But the loose ball fell to Harry Middleton who unleashed a screamer from just outside the box that forced Goff into a flying full length save high to his left to keep the ball out.

Goff was again in action early in the second period making a more comfortable save to deny the dangerous Litchfield in 49th minute. But only moments later he almost undid his good work as he dropped a cross from the same player. Fortunately he was first to react and bravely pounced on the loose ball just ahead of Mangham.

Ives first shot on target arrived in 52nd minute as Hottor threaded a ball through into the well timed run of Johnston and a well positioned Moore was forced to block the strikers effort away with his feet. This seemed to spark Ives out of their slumbers and they enjoyed their best spell of the game in the next twenty minutes. Good high pressing won the visitors a free kick wide on the right but Tyrone Baker’s 63rd minute free kick was a little to deep for the late arriving Williams.

Then came Cowling’s moment of brilliance in 67th minute. Hottor fed the ball inside to him fully 35 yards from goal and youngster burst through the centre of the host’s defence bustling past two defenders including surviving a clip from Ben Middleton on his way through. Having got through he then showed his composure rounding the exposed Moore before rolling the ball into the empty net.

Now with their noses in front Ives continued to push for a second and clinching goal. Cowling had a shot block and Andoh curled a follow up effort inches wide in 73rd minute. Two minutes later came the crucial point of the game. Shariff managed to out muscle Ben Middleton to win a long ball down the centre. Leaving the Nailers skipper on the deck the Ives skipper tried to round the exposed Moore only to have his legs taken from under him by the young keeper. Moore picked up a yellow card for his action but will feel himself fully vindicated as he plunged to his left to keep out Andoh’s spot kick. Play swung directly to the other end where Litchfield found space to cut in from the left and tuck the ball low past Goff’s outstretched left hand into the bottom corner of the net.

Despite the introduction of Richens, Dylan Williams and Greg Kaziboni from the bench it was the hosts that looked the more likely to find a winner in the closing stages. Williams did well to block a close range effort from Mangham on the goal line with six minutes to go and a scramble in the Ives box in the last minute saw two more efforts bravely blocked by the bodies of flying defenders. 

With no replays, or extra time, to decide FA Trophy ties this season it was straight to penalties. Home keeper Moore had already shown his prowess at saving spot kicks when he kept out Andoh’s effort so crucially during the game and sure enough the young stopper came up trumps again in the shoot out keeping out efforts from Herd and Richens to ensure it was the Nailers who progress. Ives can instead look forward to a much bigger cup tie for the club when they welcome FC Halifax Town to quattro tech Westwood Road in a 4th Qualifying Round FA Cup tie.

Final Score: Belper Town  1  St Ives Town  1        Belper Town win 4-2 on penalties    

Goals: 

BELPER: Litchfield 76

ST IVES:  Cowling 67

Team Line Ups:

BELPER: Moore, Woodcock, Wakefield, H. Middleton, B. Middleton (capt), Wilson, Hebda (Carvell 82), Lipka (Tempest 61), Manghan, Reaney (Robson 56), Litchfield, Unused subs: Gibson, Lobley

ST IVES: Goff, Sandiford, Herd, Hottor (D. Williams 82), J. Williams, Milne, Baker (Kaziboni 82), Cowling, Shariff (capt), Johnston (Richens 77), Andoh, Unused subs: Sheriff, 

Cards: Yellow: BELPER: Moore (75), Litchfield (78), Wilson (90+1)     ST IVES:  Andoh (71)

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Myles Cowling 

Attendance: 402

Report by Nigel Howlett

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St Ives Town v Needham Market

St Ives Town v Needham Market  

Buildbase FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round 30-10-2021

Ives frustrations continued as the Marketmen kept their Indian sign over the hosts knocking them out of the FA Trophy at the first hurdle as they had done earlier in the season in the FA Cup. That hoodoo goes back a long time as those that have been around for while will remember that the Ives famous FA Vase run in 2007/8 was ended by the same opponents in a replay in the 5th Round just two wins away from Wembley.

Ives made just one change following their heart breaking defeat to Hednesford the previous Saturday with Paul White recalled between the sticks and Ben Heath dropping to the bench, also amongst the substitutes was promising new centre back Fabrice Mbola.

There was an early scare for the visitors in seventh minute when skipper Kieran Morphew and goalkeeper Marcus Garnham got in a mix up each leaving a long ball to the other Nabil Shariff got between them and got a toe to the ball but was only able to direct it wide of the post.

Having survived that dodgy moment the visitors started to settle down with Colchester United youngster Harvey Sayer causing particular problems down the left. In 14th minute he was allowed to pick up a ball in a wide position and cut inside before running across the eighteen yard line and unleashing a right foot effort that curled inches over with White looking on. The same player went even closer five minutes later as he got on the end of a through ball from Luke Ingram and slotted home past the exposed Ives keeper only to be denied by an assistant’s raised flag.

Ives were not so fortunate two minutes later as they fell behind to a well taken goal but one that they will be very disappointed to concede. Byron Lawrence found Kyle Hammond in space by the centre circle, the Marketmen’s number eight was given the freedom of Westwood Road to curl a perfectly weighted pass over the hosts back line into the well timed run of Ingram who made no mistake slotting past White from just inside the box.

Falling behind seemed to spark a reaction from the hosts and they went close twice in sixty seconds in the 26th minute. First a storming run down the right by Eniola Agemoh-Davies ended with him curling a teasing cross into the centre that looked like it was going to pick out Urijah Gordon-Douglas who had crept in unmarked. Unfortunately the ball was just millimetres to high and sailed harmlessly out of play. The resulting goal kick was returned down the left where Gordon-Douglas battled his way through a couple of tackles before feeding the ball into the feet of Dylan Williams just inside the box. He took a touch before shooting just giving Garnham the chance to bravely spread himself and block the effort at point blank range.

Ives kept looking to push forward and Garnham was forced into a similar brave save to keep his team in front ten minutes before the break. Ben Toseland playing in his unfamiliar centre back role seized an opportunity to roam forward through the middle and he threaded an almost perfect ball into the run of Gordon-Douglas who sprung the offside trap to close on keeper Garnham but again the big stopper was quickly off his line to block the effort at close range.

The visitors had on final opportunity to make the second period a little more comfortable for themselves right on half time as Ben Fowkes got down the right outside Camron McWilliams and delivered a cross that Ives struggled to clear the ball eventually fell to the feet of Sayer on the edge who fired inches wide of White’s right hand post.

Ives were awarded a good chance to get level only three minutes after the re-start as Hammond brought down Ed Hottor on the edge of the D. There appeared to be a few candidates keen to try and beat Garnham and his five man wall. Michael Richens took on the responsibility and managed to get his well struck effort up over the wall, but not down under the crossbar.

It was the visitors turn to go close to sewing the game up in the next noteworthy attack on the hour. Hammond again fed in Callum Page on the left and he went outside his marker before serving up an inviting cross to just beyond the back post where full back Jake Dye arrived completely unmarked to fire a first time volley that cannons away off the outside of the post. 

Only moments later McWilliams long ball into the visitors box out of the low autumn sun almost causes a mix up between skipper Morphew and his keeper again. The skipper expects his keeper to come and claim the ball but struggling to see the flight Garnham leaves it late and Morphew heads the ball past his team mate. Gordon-Douglas’s attempt to turn the loose ball home from an almost impossible angle is unsuccessful and means the Ives don’t even get the consolation of a corner.

But Garnham soon proved to be the hero for his side again as only three minutes later he pulled off the save of the day plunging low to his right to turn Shariff’s shot from the edge of the box around the post. The chance had been created by Richens sliding a perfect ball through the left channel to feed in Williams. The Ives number ten picked out Shariff in space on the edge of the box and his effort looked bound for the bottom corner until the keeper’s timely intervention.

Ives continued to push forward in search of what would have been a deserved equaliser. Hottor likes to have a go from distance whenever he sees an opportunity but two efforts from long range in the following ten minutes looked more likely to threaten the homeowners in Green Leys than Garnham’s goal.

A flurry of activity in the Marketmen’s box in 77th minute saw Garnham again do well to beat away stinging efforts from Hottor and Richens as the pressure on the visitors intensified. That same attack saw a Shariff effort from inside the box bravely blocked by a covering defender but time was running out for the Ives and by this stage Brett Solkhon was spending more time inside the opposition box than defending his own.

As is always likely to be the way in such situations the team with their noses in front will get opportunities to kill the game off in a breakaway and sure enough that is exactly what happened. There were eight minutes left on the watch when Hottor brought down Marketmen’s substitute Emmanuel Machaya 25 yards from goal. Byron Lawrence showed the hosts how to take a free kick from that range as he got the ball up and down over Ives four man wall and into the back of the net low past the left hand of the diving White.

That sadly ends Ives hopes of a lucrative cup run this season. This has to be the time to get the heads down and all work hard to get behind the team in what now looks like an inevitable battle against relegation for the remainder of the season. 

Final Score : St Ives Town  0  Needham Market  2      

Goals : 

ST IVES : 

NEEDHAM MKT: Ingram 21, Lawrence 82

Teams

ST IVES: White, Agemoh-Davies, McWilliams (Mbola 90+3), Toseland, Solkhon (capt), Hottor (Hicks 82), Gordon-Douglas, Richens, Shariff, Williams, Cross (Snelus 76), Unused subs : Heath, Dwumfuo

NEEDHAM MKT: Garnham, Dye, Sturgess, Lawrence, K. Morphew (capt), D. Morphew, Fowkes (Mpongo 65), Hammond, Ingram, Page (Fitzgerald 80), Sayer (Machaya 74) Unused subs: Cullum, Elsdon

Ives Supporters man of the match : Camron McWilliams 

Attendance : 119

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.

v

Leamington v St Ives Town

Leamington v St Ives Town 

Buildbase FA Trophy 2nd Round  15-12-20

The score line suggests a very one sided game but in truth it offers scant reward for Ives who for long periods belied the 26 places between the sides in the football pyramid. For the first half an hour the visitors were without doubt the better side. But having failed to take their chances they were then hit with a sucker punch of two goals in three minutes before the break. This gave the National League North play off chasing hosts just the cushion they required to take over in the second half and add three more without reply.

Manager Ricky Marheineke made just one change from the line up that won in spectacular fashion only five days earlier to get to this stage in the competition for the first time in the club’s history. Tough tackling Ed Hottor came in to offer a more solid look to the centre of midfield replacing Michael Harding who dropped to the bench.

Hottor was the first man to get a shot away in the game as he exchanged passes with Michael Gyasi in the centre of the park before trying his luck from 30 yards in eighth minute. His well struck effort took a deflection to win Ives the first corner of the evening. The resulting flag kick came to nothing as did a Dylan Williams free kick from 35 yards five minutes later.

The Brakes were offering little during this early period although they did win their first corner of the game in 18th minute. But that only lead to another chance for the visitors as Nathan Hicks picked up Brett Solkhon’s clearing header in midfield before feeding in Gyasi down the left. Ives speedy winger cut inside and unleashing a rising drive from the corner of the box that flew well over Jake Weaver’s crossbar with the keeper looking on.

Ives had the games first shot on target sixty seconds later when Hottor seized on a loose ball 30 yards from goal before taking a touch and firing straight into the grateful arms of Weaver. The keeper was however called upon to make a much better save in 23rd minute. Gyasi took on Josh Martin for pace and got around the outside of him before cutting in on goal and firing in a fierce right footed effort that brought the best out of Weaver as he plunged to his right to palm the ball away.

Up until 26th minute Ives keeper Martin Conway had been enjoying a fairy quiet evening but he was called upon to make his first excellent save of the game to deny Sam Osborne after the Brakes winger had got past Ben Toseland and cut inside before hitting the target with an effort that Conway did well to keep out low to his left.

Osborne’s effort seemed to lift his team mates to get themselves more into the game and the hosts went close twice more in the next ninety seconds. The first saw full back Stephan Morley spray an excellent cross field pass that picked out Osborne in space on the right he took the ball in his stride before letting go with a screamer that flashed across the face of Conway’s goal to safety. The resulting goal kick came straight back towards Ives goal as it was knocked wide to Danny Waldron who curled in a teasing in-swinger from the left that centre forward Lance Smith hurled himself at just failing to make contact in the centre of the goal eight yards out.

Having survived those two scares Ives once more tried to probe forward in search of the all important opener but they were the architects of their own demise just after the half hour. Gyasi lost possession in the centre of the Brakes half as he tried to weave his way through and in his frustration took down Joe Clarke to earn himself the games first yellow card. But much greater punishment was to follow as Ives defenders made a complete hash of Weaver’s long free kick into the box leaving the ball to each other to allow Waldron to accept the reward as the ball fell invitingly to his feet six yards out.

Before the visitors could regroup they found themselves two goals down as three minutes later Smith showed how to attack an in-swinging cross at the near post. The chance came from Toseland fouling Simeon Maye wide on the right. Osborne’s initial free kick was blocked but the ball was fed back to him and his second attempt was met perfectly by Smith at the near post giving Conway no chance from close range.

It almost got worse for Ives five minutes before the break as Waldron got down the left before hanging up a teasing cross to the back post where an unmarked Osborne should have scored but only managed to direct his free header against the post with Conway struggling to get across to him.

Ives desperately needed to get a goal back before the break to give themselves a foothold in the game and lift their belief. They would have done just that but for more heroics from Weaver. Williams cleverly fed in Marc Richards on the left edge of the box. The big striker got his powerful shot away, Weaver hurled himself to his left to parry the ball away and rode his luck a little as the loose ball just evaded Gyasi following up.

To their credit Ives gave it a go in the early stages of the second half. In 51st minute Williams jinked his way to the bye line from the right and picked out Richards with his pull back. The centre forward’s well struck shot took the combined efforts of Kyle Morrison and Jack Lane to deflect it wide. Williams resulting corner was somehow allowed to land in the six yard box but was scrambled away by Lane.

The visitor’s final opportunity to get back into the game came just before the hour when a long Liam Bateman free kick evaded the Brakes back line and landed in the box. But unlike Waldron in the first half neither Gyasi nor Richards was able to get the necessary touch to turn the ball home.

Five minutes later the hosts grabbed the decisive third goal to effectively kill off the game and it arrived in almost identical fashion to the second. Osborne was given a bit to much time and space on the right to pick his option with his cross and he picked out the near post run of Smith who dived in to flick the ball past the exposed Conway from point blank range.

The third goal was the signal for the hosts to relax and start to enjoy themselves. Two minutes later Morley fed in Waldron who went for an audacious chip over Conway from the edge of the box and only just failed to get it right the ball landing on the top of the net. Waldron should have got his second in 68th minute as substitutes Dan Meredith and Kaiman Anderson combined on the right before the latter delivered a low cross to the back post where Waldron got the ball stuck between his feet allowing Bateman to recover and get it away.

Ives had another lucky escape only seconds later as Anderson cut in from the right and got away a low shot that bobbled through the crowd in the box past the unsighted Conway and hit the foot of the post. Fortunately the keeper was first to react and pounced on the loose ball just ahead of Smith.

Waldron eventually managed to double his personal tally and increase the Brakes lead to four in 78th minute as he ran onto a Smith flick before unleashing a screamer from twelve yards that Conway got both hands to but could not prevent from going over the line.

With both Waldron and Smith on two goals apiece the pair seemed to be battling it out to see who could be first to a hat trick. Waldron was first to go close in 82nd minute as let fly a stinging drive from 25 yards that Conway did well to push away at full stretch to his left. Moments later the same player headed an Anderson cross from the right over the top.

It was however Smith who grabbed the games final goal to complete his hat trick two minutes from time. Meredith delivered a telling cross into the box where Anderson headed it down for Smith to slam home from ten yards.

There was still time for Weaver to earn his clean sheet bonus as he plunged low to his right to keep out Williams last minute attempt to grab a consolation goal.

So ended Ives first foray into the FA Trophy competition proper it is the Brakes who can look forward to a trip to North Wales to meet Wrexham in the next round in four days time, we wish them every success.

Two games in grounds without supporters present have been strange but it has not affected the level of entertainment on offer at either game and some fans have enjoyed the unusual opportunity of watching their team in the comfort of their own home via live streaming of the games. With Covid-19 numbers rising again in the country and another lockdown likely it may be well into 2021 before we can return to a level of normality.

Final Score : Leamington  5  St Ives Town  0  

Goals : none

Team : Conway, Bateman, Toseland, Gyasi (Seymour-Shove 71), Jackson, Solkhon, Hottor, Howell, Richards (Boxer 88), Williams, Hicks (Harding 74)  

Unused subs : Mitkov 

Supporters man of the match : Ed Hottor

Attendance : 0

Report by Nigel Howlett.

v

Grantham Town v St Ives Town

Grantham Town v St Ives Town 

Buildbase FA Trophy 1st Round  10-12-20

Ives love leaving it late, in the last round they drew level with a last minute penalty before holding their nerve to win the shoot-out. This time they went one better grabbing two goals in added time to turn the game on its head and claim an unlikely victory to continue their journey into the unknown as they march on into the second round proper of this competition for the first time in the clubs history.

It was a strange night all round and probably the first ever competitive game that either side have played behind closed doors with only a handful of safety stewards and directors allowed in to witness proceeding due to Covid-19 restrictions. The weather did not treat the handful to kindly either with a bitterly cold gale force wind carrying drizzly rain on its wings to ensure that we were all shivering even before the off.

Manager Ricky Marheineke threw us all a curve ball going for a very attacking 4-3-3 formation with Michael Harding making his first start up front alongside Marc Richards and Michael Gyasi. Neither side had played for over a month due to the lockdown and with the wind blowing and a bobbly pitch this game was not likely to provide a spectacle of flowing football. Ives won the toss and made what looked like a wise decision to go with the wind first. However they looked the more rusty of the two outfits and could easily have fallen behind in the Gingerbreads first meaningful attack in seventh minute as James Berrett slid a ball through to put Liam Hardy clear but Martin Conway in the visitors goal was alert to the danger and was swiftly off his line to close the angle and deflect Hardy’s shot wide off his body. The resulting corner was only half cleared and Michael Hollingsworth rose above the crowd in the goalmouth to steer the return ball inches wide of the post.

In these early stages Ives were looking very disjointed overhitting attempted through balls to the front trio with the wind and leaving a lot of space for the hosts to break into in front of their struggling back four. Hardy was proving a real threat and it was no surprise when he put the Gingerbreads in front in tenth minute. He chased a long ball down the park that held up against the wind cut inside Ben Toseland and Brett Solkhon before firing a low left footer into the bottom corner from just outside the box.

Home keeper Jan Budtz had enjoyed a relatively quiet period in the early stages but he showed that he was on his toes as he denied Harding in 18th minute. He initially came off his line to punch away an in-swinging cross from the left by Dylan Williams. But the ball fell to Nathan Hicks who cleverly clipped it back into the mix. Harding rose highest and tried to steer a looping header over the keeper who quickly back peddled before leaping to tip the ball over at full stretch. Two minutes later it looked like Ives had managed to get the first long ball right as Richards looked to have got completely clear onto a Conway punt that hung on the breeze but he was hauled back by a late assistant’s flag.

Another quick break saw the hosts double their lead on the half hour. This time Conway started to come for a ball through the centre that looked like it might carry through to him but the wind had played a cruel trick on the Ives custodian who found himself stranded in no mans land as Jack Stobbs sprinted onto it and lashed it home past the out of position keeper from 25 yards.

Ives urgently needed a response and they got it four minutes later. A ball clipped into the box by Luke Howell was flicked on by Richards and Harding latched onto it by the penalty spot but as he went to shoot his legs were taken from under him by home skipper Tom Ward. Referee Martyn Fryer immediately pointed to the spot and Richards did the rest sending Budtz the wrong way to halve the arrears.

Rather than Ives pushing on it was the hosts who again showed clinical finishing on the break to restore their two goal advantage two minutes later. Nathan Dyer fed a ball into the feet of Hardy just outside the box and the striker once more showed his prowess as he worked himself just enough space to slam in a low shot that beat the diving Conway on its way into that bottom left hand corner again.

To their credit the visitors once again fought back and in 38th minute it took a spectacular diving save from Budtz to keep out a curling effort from the left by the busy Williams. But the home keeper was beaten in the last few seconds of the half as Ives showed they to could also be dangerous on the break Gyasi picked up the ball wide left and had only one intention in his mind as he cut inside past two defenders before rattling an unstoppable drive past the rooted Budtz to reduce the deficit to one at the interval.

It was going to be hard for Ives to build up a real head of steam against the elements and they struggled to create anything in the early stages of the second half. In fact the Gingerbreads came within inches of restoring their two goal cushion two minutes after the restart as a corner fell to Ward on the edge of the six yard box and he somehow managed to miss everyone inside the box with his shot that flashed past the far post.

As Ives struggled to create any real opportunities the hosts continued to go close to putting the game to bed. It took a spectacular intervention from Solkhon to prevent Ashley Worsfold doing just that on the hour as the Ives centre back had to hurl himself at a teasing cross from Hollingsworth and direct it over his own crossbar to stop the hosts number nine from heading it home.

The hosts had two more good opportunities to make the closing stages a lot easier for themselves in quick succession. In 73rd minute a bizarre attempted clearance from Williams got caught on the breeze and arced back into his own penalty area where it fell to hosts substitute Adam Watson who should probably have done better but old succeeded in mishitting his shot straight into the grateful arms of Conway. Liam Bateman was Ives hero two minutes later as he got around behind his keeper to clear a Hollingsworth cross from the right off the goal line after Worsfold had challenged Conway for the ball and both had missed it.

You had a feeling that having failed to kill the game off the hosts may live to regret it. Manager Marheineke was playing all of his cards to try and grab something from the game. Ed Hottor replaced a tiring Richards, winger Ben Seymour-Shove came on for full back Toseland and recent signing Tommy Boxer made his Ives debut replacing Hicks. Boxer went into the middle of a back three with Solkhon thrown forward and Hottor joining him to make a four man attack.

Ives did manage to build up a bit of pressure as the hosts made the fatal mistake of sitting back but it looked like to little to late as the game ticked on into an added four minutes. But you cannot ever write this side off and in the first minute of that added time Gyasi tempted a Gingerbreads defender into a rash lunge on the edge of the box. Referee Fryer deemed the foul inside and this time it was Williams who did the job from the spot. We all thought that was it another penalty shoot out. But the wounded hosts went for broke straight from the kick off and paid the price as their attempt to channel the ball to a group of players down the left was broken up by Bateman who fed it down the line where Seymour-Shove slid it into the feet of Harding just inside the box he found space to turn and fire it along the six yard line. It evaded friend and foe alike before arriving at the feet of Hottor ghosting in at the back post and he did the rest giving Budtz no chance as he fired into the roof of the net to spark wild celebrations amongst Ives players and their very small contingent of supporters. Most of the added four minutes had been spent with Ives players celebrating and the ball not in play so referee Fryer was quite right to add another nerve racking three minutes but the whistle did eventually go to allow Ives FA Trophy adventure continue with another behind closed doors trip to National League North Leamington in Round 2 in five days time. 

Final Score : Grantham Town  3  St Ives Town  4  

Goals : Richards 34 (pen), Gyasi 45, Williams 90+2 (pen), Hottor 90+4

Team : Conway, Bateman, Toseland (Seymour-Shove 80), Gyasi, Jackson, Solkhon, Harding, Howell, Richards (Hottor 78), Williams, Hicks (Boxer 85)  

Unused subs : J. Patrick, Mitkov 

Supporters man of the match : Michael Harding

Attendance : 0

Report by Nigel Howlett

v

St Ives Town v Stafford Rangers

St Ives Town v Stafford Rangers 

Buildbase FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round  31-10-20

Once again Ives left it very late before picking up their reward from this game. This time it took an 89th minute penalty from Dylan Williams to force the game to a shoot out where the hosts really came to the fore scoring four emphatic penalties to the visitors solitary successful effort.

With injuries still keeping Marc Richards and Nabil Shariff out of the squad Ives went into the game without a recognised centre forward starting the game with the same eleven that had finished so powerfully on Tuesday evening. With skipper Robbie Parker also absent with injury experienced centre back Brett Solkhon stepped up to take the armband. Boro interim manager Matty Hill made four changes to the visitors starting line up for his first game in charge.

Things started well for the Northern Premier League’s bottom side who were looking to impress their new boss. Joe Cuff went close with an early effort that flashed across the face of Martin Conway’s goal in the game’s very first attack after only fifty seconds. The same player did even better as he put the visitors in front in thirteenth minute. A quick break away down the right saw to many Ives players caught at the wrong end of the pitch allowing Callum Coyle to cleverly put Cuff clear through the centre and the Boro’s leading scorer calmly slotted home past the exposed Martin Conway.

Ives reacted well to falling behind and five minutes later the dangerous Michael Gyasi cut inside from the left past Michael Williams and Aaron Cole before pulling his shot from twenty yards well wide of Lewis King’s right hand upright. But King was called into his first real action of the afternoon two minutes later as he plunged to his left to tip around a Williams effort from 15 yards after quick thinking by Gyasi created the opportunity for Ives stand in centre forward. Fouled just outside the box by the struggling Michael Williams Gyasi got to his feet quickly and instantly slid the free kick inside to Williams.

The first half high on effort but lacking a decisive final ball saw only one more real save required by either keeper and it was Conway that needed to be on his toes in 34th minute. Ed Hottor brought down Coyle just outside the box Alex-Ray Harvey’s free kick cannoned into the Ives wall but the rebound fell to John Welsh 25 yards out. He curled his first time effort over the crowd and it was angling into the corner of the net before Conway got across his goal to claim the ball.

We probably expected Ives to come out of the traps fast at the start of the second half but they started slowly and Cole came within millimetres of doubling the Boro lead in 49th minute as he got on the end of Cieron Keane’s corner from the right at the back post but he only succeeded in directing his header into the side netting. 

Ives began to perk up and should have drawn level in 61st minute as Solkhon got on the end of a long Conway free kick and directed his header perfectly down into the run of Seymour-Shove to put the striker clear through the centre. Keeper King came to meet him and did very well staying big to deflect Seymour-Shove’s close range effort wide off his body. The resulting corner came to nothing but less than sixty seconds later Seymour-Shove thought he had made amends as he got onto the end of a Nathan Hicks through ball and curled his shot from the edge of the box past the exposed King only to have his effort ruled out by the assistant’s raised flag to add to his frustration.

Going so close twice in quick succession seemed to lift the Ives and just like in their previous game on Tuesday evening they began to build up the pressure on their visitors. In 65th minute Hottor went close in spectacular fashion as Solkhon flicked on a Liam Bateman long throw and rather than try and bring it down Hottor went for the overhead kick. He connected well and got the effort on target but it went straight into the grateful arms of the well positioned King.

The visitors were by now only raiding sporadically into Ives half but a quick break down the left by Keane in 70th minute ended with the overlapping full back sending a rasping drive across the face of goal that deflected wide off the outstretched boot of Oran Jackson. The resulting corner was dealt with effectively by Ives who broke at pace the move ending with Seymour-Shove feeding in Gyasi who got to the bye line on the left before cutting inside along the line. But rather than laying the ball back to the waiting Hicks he went for goal from a narrow angle and the shot got trapped between the legs of keeper King.

Midfielder Hottor was sacrificed for debutant striker Michael Harding in 74th minute and he had an almost instant impact spinning on the edge of the box to fire in a low right footer that King did excellently to keep out low to his right. Coulson then came to the prostrate keeper’s rescue as he scrambled the loose ball away just ahead of Gyasi arriving to slam it home.

The Ives pressure continued to mount but they were still struggling to find a route through the Boro back line and past keeper King until with less than a minute of the original ninety to play Coulson made the fatal mistake as he needlessly dived in on Seymour-Shove just inches inside the box as the nippy striker was heading away from goal. With both Richards and Parker missing responsibility from the spot fell to Williams but he kept his composure and beat King well sending the keeper the wrong way.

There was still one opportunity for Ives to claim the win inside regulation time when two minutes into added time Gyasi managed to tee up Bateman for a shot from just inside the box but the full back tried to go for placement rather than power allowing King to make a comfortable save.

So the game finished all square and with no extra time or replays this season in the competition it was straight to a shoot out, something that Ives have really struggled over in recent times but the new look hosts took it in their stride and even with first and second choice penalty takers missing Hicks, Solkhon and Williams all beat King comprehensively. In reply Cuff scored for the visitors but Mitchell Candlin saw his effort brilliantly saved low to his left by Conway and Coulson fired well over the top leaving substitute Ben Toseland with the opportunity to clinch the win, He did not disappoint beating King just as emphatically as his predecessors to take Ives through to the first round proper in this competition for the first time in their history.

Unsung hero Luke Howell took the man of the match accolade for his battling display breaking up opposition sorties and distributing the ball well from his position just in front of the back four.

The draw for the next round comes out Monday but with a second Covid enforced lockdown just about to start who knows when the tie may get played. 

Final Score : St Ives Town  1  Stafford Rangers  1  (St Ives Town won 4-1 on penalties)  

Goals : Williams 89 (pen)

Team : Conway, Bateman, Ballinger (Toseland 83), Gyasi, Jackson, Solkhon (capt), Seymour-Shove, Howell, Williams, Hottor (Harding 74), Hicks   

Unused subs : Lincoln, Clifton, Mitkov 

Supporters man of the match : Luke Howell

Attendance : 156

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

Many thanks to our Match Sponsor

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Soham Town Rangers v St Ives Town

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St Ives Town v Soham Town Rangers

St Ives Town v Soham Town Rangers

Buildbase FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round 26-10-19

Ives are still in the hat for the next round draw but they can perhaps consider themselves a little fortunate to have the opportunity of a Tuesday evening replay at Julius Martin Lane as the lower level visitors hit the woodwork three times during the game including a deflected effort with what proved to be the last kick of the game.

With the treatment table still looking busier than the training ground Ives manager Ricky Marheineke had dabbled in the transfer market in order to strengthen his threadbare squad ahead of this tie and it was pleasing to see James Peters re-joining from Bedford Town. Equally good news was the return to fitness of skipper Robbie Parker. But as has been the way this season to balance against that good news there was also some bad as Ty Ward missed out following an injury picked up in training.

A bit more good news was provided by the excellent state of the Westwood Road pitch as despite other fixtures around the area falling to the incessant rain this local derby was never in any doubt.

The visiting Greens have been clocking up a lot of goals from set pieces recently particularly the long throws of Callum Russell and it was no surprise that the first opportunity of the afternoon arrived from the first one of these in the game after three minutes. Russell’s long throw from the right was knocked out of the box but fell invitingly for Ryan Auger 25 yards out. He hit his first time effort well but the shot was always rising and finished about a foot over the crossbar.

Ives first effort on goal came four minutes later as Parker knocked the ball into Danny Kelly on the edge of the box and his lay off was well struck by Tom Wood but the effort was straight at Greens keeper Josh Pope who held on comfortably.

The hosts best chance in the first 45 minutes arrived in the eleventh minute as Matt Foy did well to chase down an Aaron Phillips clip down the right. He got to the bye line and carefully picked out Ben Seymour-Shove just inside the box. The Ives winger went for goal first time but made poor contact and only succeeded in screwing his effort across the face of goal.

The visitors were gifted two good opportunities in a four minute spell at around half way through the first half. In 21st minute a poor clearance from Finley Iron fell to the feet of Sam Mulready 25 yards from goal. He probably could have taken the ball forward but tried to beat the keeper with a first time effort and fired his shot a good six yards wide. Only a few minutes later Wood lost possession in the centre of the park allowing the Greens a two on one break. Fortunately for Ives Auger delayed releasing Toby Andrews just to long and when the pass finally came the winger had wandered offside.

The hosts had an even more fortunate escape two minutes later as Russell took a throw short before receiving the ball back to his feet full forty yards from goal in a wide position. With everyone waiting in the centre he delivered an in-swinging cross into the danger zone that caught on the breeze and beat everyone before skipping off the wet turf and bouncing up onto the face of the crossbar before Danny Kelly cleared up at the expense of a corner.

With the elements at their backs the visitors continued to enjoy the majority of possession but it took until five minutes before the break for them to get another effort on target. Once more it came from a dead ball situation as Auger curled in a deep corner from the right that arrived on the head of Alistair Conway ghosting in around the back. He managed to direct his stooping header on target but keeper Iron had got across his goal well and blocked the effort with his legs.

Ives striker Foy created and almost took the final chance of the half out of nothing two minutes later as he cleverly took down a Jeff Woodward clip into his body on the left corner of the box before turning inside to create just enough space before curling his effort just wide.

The hosts were out early at the start of the second period and with the wind and rain now in their favour they decided to take the game to their visitors straight from the off. A well worked early corner saw the ball arrive at the feet of Peters 15 yards out in front of the near post. He struck his right footed effort cleanly but Pope was equal to it throwing himself to his left to palm the ball away. Seymour-Shove pounced on the loose ball but fired high and wide from a narrow angle.

A clever free kick routine led to Ives next effort on goal in 53rd minute. The move ended with Phillips delivering a teasing ball into the danger area from the right. Kelly just managed to win the header in the crowd and direct it goalwards but Conway was well positioned and chested the ball off the line before scrambling it away.

Ives early second half pressure continued and Parker went close just after the hour as another Phillips cross from the right was knocked out to him just outside the box and he unleashed a rising drive that flew a couple of feet over the top. Charlie Johnson missed a good opportunity but almost claimed what would have been a very fortunate goal in 65th minute. A Parker corner was knocked down to his feet by the penalty spot and he took a swing at the ball making minimal contact but just enough to send it trundling towards goal. Keeper Pope ran across his goal to pick the rolling ball but just took his eyes off it as it bobbled a little and was very fortunate that his feet were following up to kick it away as it rolled through his hands.

Having weathered the Ives storm the Greens began to reassert themselves on the game and struck the woodwork for the second time in 67th minute. The busy Lewis Clayton picked up the ball in the centre of the park and fed it into the run of Mulready cutting in from the left. The speedy striker took a touch before slamming in a vicious drive from 25 yards that beat Iron comprehensively but whacked into the face of the crossbar and rebounded to safety.

This seemed to lift the visitors and they once again took control of the game and had claims for a penalty waved away two minutes later Clayton threaded what looked like the perfect ball through the Ives back line to put Mulready clear. Just as he was about to unleash the trigger Jarvis Wilson came sliding in with a perfectly timed sliding tackle to take the ball off his toe and send the striker tumbling inside the box. The excellent referee Ben Cooke was right on the spot and he deemed that Wilson had got his saving tackle just right.

The Greens felt even more hard done by in 76th minute when they got the ball in the net only to have it chalked off by an assistant’s upraised flag. It was the dangerous combination of Mulready and Clayton who had again done the damage. This time the number ten was the provider with a clip in from the left that found Clayton unmarked in the centre and he made no mistake with his header only for his celebration to be cut short by the assistant on the far side.

The visitors made their only substitution of the afternoon with only three minutes of the ninety remaining bringing on Tom Newman for the tiring Matt Allen and the speedy striker had an almost instant impact as he outpaced Woodward down the right before delivering a low cross across the face of goal that arrived at the feet of Andrews coming in at the back post. But the left wingers contact was poor and the chance was gone.

Ives had one chance to claim the victory as the game entered added time. Keeper Pope came to try and deal with a Seymour-Shove corner to the near post but only managed to punch the ball down to the edge of the box where it fell to the feet of Parker who hit it first time on target but the agile Green’s stopper recovered well to make a good save low to his right.

The final action of the game saw the visitors denied by the frame of the Ives goal for the third time in the afternoon. The tricky Newman picked up a loose ball and ran at the hosts defence from the right before cutting inside and letting fly with a fierce effort that took a big deflection off a defender that took it past Iron before thudding into his left hand upright and rebounding away. That proved to be the last kick of the game as referee Cooke blew for time to ensure the two protagonists will re-join the contest at Soham on Tuesday evening.

Final Score : St Ives Town 0 Soham Town Rangers 0

Goals : none

Team : Iron, Phillips (Dylan Wilson 67), Woodward, Wood, Kelly, Jarvis Wilson, Johnson, Parker (capt), Foy (Dawkin 85), Peters, Seymour-Shove

Unused subs : Moyes, Patrick

Supporters man of the match : Robbie Parker

Attendance : 231

Report by Nigel Howlett

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AFC Rushden & Diamonds vs St Ives Town

AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2 St Ives Town 1

Buildbase FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round – 27-10-18

Ives run of poor results continued as the slithered out of the FA Trophy at the first hurdle on the rain sodden turf of the lush Hayden Road Ground against the in-form Diamonds who extended their unbeaten run to five games whilst the luckless Ives stretched their losing run to six.

With the form book reading as it did this looked like a home banker on paper but as it was the visitors matched their hosts for long periods of this game and only fell due to some poor finishing and conceding two very sloppy goals either side of the break. But the old football metaphor that it is goals that win matches rang out loud and clear again.

The rain started just as the game kicked off and lead to a series of quick boot changes for a variety of players early in the game as slips and slides became the early order of the day with the previously firm pitch quickly turning very greasy on top.

These two teams had played out a fairly uneventful goalless draw at the same venue less than a month previous but both sides started with more positive intent each creating a shooting opportunity in the first few minutes. The hosts were straight to the fore directly from the kick off as a ball channelled down the left was fed infield to Tom Lorraine who forced Ives keeper Sam Wilson into a save, all be it a comfortable one, with his well struck shot from 25 yards after only fifteen seconds.

Ives early opportunity arrived after nine minutes as skipper Robbie Parker delivered a teasing free kick into the danger zone Sam Cartwright arrived at the back post with purpose but was prevented from getting a clean contact by a defender. The ball dropped into the box and it took a desperate interception by Jack Westbrook to prevent Owen Wallis forcing it home. The loose ball ricocheted into the air towards Munashe Sundire but would not come down enough to allow him to get over his effort from the edge of the box and the attempt sailed harmlessly over the top.

Diamonds skipper Liam Dolman is a massive presence in the centre of the back line in a number of ways. When he lumbers forward he also provides a big danger at the other end of the pitch. He did just that three minutes later as a quick throw saw the ball fed into him just outside the left hand corner of the Ives box. He unleashed a crashing drive that flashed inches wide of Wilson’s left hand post and could easily have taken out an unwary spectator sheltering from the rain by the goal.

The hosts had ex Ives favourite Declan Rogers in their line up and we are all aware of his abilities from free kicks around the box. The atmosphere amongst the Ives faithful got a little tense as Charlie De’ath bundled over Lorraine 25 yards out in 19th minute. The position looked perfect for a Rogers left foot curled and sure enough he was the man, but fortunately although he got his effort up and down over the visitor’s four man wall the ball went a couple of feet wide of Wilson’s goal.

The game was still fairly even with both defences on top and neither side able to find their runners with a telling pass in the final third. Ives probably looked most vulnerable when they pressed forward and they were almost caught out when a move broke down deep in opposition territory on the half hour. Full back Zac Reynolds managed to feed a ball down the right to pick out the willing run of Lorraine his low cross to the near post was turned just wide by Ben Diamond thanks to the all important challenge of Cartwright.

Another speedy break by the hosts only two minutes later would have almost certainly brought reward but for a telling intervention by Mark Coulson. Rogers broke from his own half and fed the ball square to Ben Farrell and with Ives short on numbers at the back he had options and looked to have picked the right one as he tried to slide the ball inside Coulson to pick out the well timed run of Lorraine. The big centre forward would have been clear but for the perfect sliding block of Ives full back.

Coulson was also in action at the other end in 37th minute as he combined well with Dylan Wilson to set up a crossing opportunity for Parker his clip to the near post picked out Sundire on the edge of the six yard box. But the silky midfielder snatched at his opportunity and only succeeded in flicking the ball over the top under pressure from Diamonds defenders.

With half time approaching it looked like the two teams were going to go in deadlocked. But Ives saw an opportunity to grab the advantage just as the game ticked into the added one minute. Ben Seymour-Shove got away down the right and found a bit of space on the bye line. With players arriving in the middle a telling cross would have created the best opportunity of the half. Sadly it was a poor cross straight into the arms of home keeper Ben Heath and that was to be Ives undoing as quick distribution from Heath saw the ball fed down the right where Jack Bowen got away. His low cross was much more telling than Seymour-Shove’s as he picked out Lorraine at the near post who finished with aplomb from close range to put the Diamonds in front.

Ives had the kick off second half and like their hosts in the first carved out a chance almost instantly. Wilson slid a ball through the left channel to pick out the run of Seymour-Shove who outpaced Reynolds into the box. Heath came to meet him forcing him wide and an extra touch to get past the keeper made the angle very narrow the Ives winger eventually firing his effort into the side netting.

Having failed to get level the visitors suddenly found themselves two behind and well on the way to out of the contest. A ball down the right in 52nd minute looked like it might carry through to keeper Wilson. Covering defender De’ath made the decision to try and shield the ball back to his keeper who did not come leaving the Ives centre back off balance a final slip on the wet turf compounded his misery and left Diamond clear. The big striker drew the exposed Wilson towards him before unselfishly sliding the ball square to Bowen for him to side foot home.

Ives reacted well to the set back and Seymour-Shove failed to test Heath with another good opportunity only three minutes later as the hard working pair of Wilson and George Bailey combined well on the right to set up Joe Hood for a cross that picked out Seymour-Shove unmarked eight yards out. But the Ives winger powered his free header into the ground the ball bouncing up comfortably into the hands of Heath.

The next fifteen minutes were fairly even with Ives still enjoying a good share of possession but unable to break down the stubborn Diamonds back line. In fact the only chance of note in that period came from another quick break from the hosts in 69th minute that ended with the ball fed out to full back Sam Brown roaming forward on the left. He struck a rising first time effort from the left corner of the box that forced Wilson into a diving save to his left De’ath clearing up the loose ball.

From that point Ives began to get on top forcing the hosts back. Bailey was again the protagonist as he hounded down Dolman inside his own box robbing the big centre back and feeding the ball to Seymour-Shove his first time effort through the crowd was blocked away for a corner by the legs of keeper Heath. Sundire rose highest to the corner but powered his header well over the top.

A double change by manager Ricky Marheineke in 73rd minute saw the tiring De’ath and the perhaps unlucky Dylan Wilson replaced by Ben Baker and Danny Kelly. Baker was an instant threat and one of his pacey runs down the left in 81st minute saw him get outside Reynolds to the bye line. His driven cross was palmed into the crowd by Heath but the ball fell to a Diamonds boot.

Marheineke played his final card only seconds later replacing Bailey, who had run his heart out for the cause, with Ollie Snaith. Two of the substitutes combined to good purpose almost immediately as Snaith fed a perfectly weighted ball inside Reynolds to put Kelly clear. Heath was again very quick off his line to close down the Ives striker and blocked Kelly’s shot with his body at point blank range.

Ives were now well on top as the hosts defence began to rock a flowing Ives move in 85th minute saw Kelly pick out the overlapping Coulson down the left. His cross into the centre picked out Baker arriving at pace. The speedy winger’s side footed effort flashed inches wide of the post but the linesman’s raised flag would have denied him had it gone in.

The visitors did finally find a route back into the game with three minutes to go. Hood curled in an in-swinging free kick from the left. Snaith got in front of his man to get in an effort that struck the body of keeper Heath, but the Ives sub was not to be denied pouncing on the loose ball to fire home from a narrow angle.

In spite of a number of very shaky moments in the remaining time the hosts just hung on the claim the prize money and a place in the hat for the next round. A frustrated Ives can now concentrate their focus on getting back on track in the League as soon as possible.

Result :  AFC Rushden & Diamonds  2  St Ives Town  1

Goals :  Snaith 87

Team : Sam Wilson, Hood, Coulson, De’ath (Baker 73), Cartwright, Sundire, Wallis, Parker (capt), Dylan Wilson (Kelly 73), Bailey (Snaith 81), Seymour-Shove 

Unused subs : Moyes, Patrick

Man of the match : George Bailey

Attendance : 386

 Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.

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