St Ives Town Ladies 1 Peterborough United Ladies 2

SSE Womens FA Cup 1^st Qualifying Round – 02-09-18

“We showed them too much respect in the first half” was the honest verdict of manager Darren Marjoram at the end of game in which Ives gave their higher level rivals a two goal start before having a real go in the second period and eventually coming within a whisker of deservedly taking this game into extra time.

The visitors set out their stall early as right from the off they looked to bring the ball down and play at every opportunity. The majority of the early exchanges were at the end Ives were defending as they allowed their rivals space to play in although the hosts back line was stretched at times it looked resolute as the Posh tried to play through them.

The opening goal came in unexpected fashion as the normally reliable centre back pairing of Ellie Brown and Mollie Flack failed to deal with a hopeful punt down the centre in tenth minute. Each left the ball to the other allowing it to bounce deep in Ives territory and as they dallied Hannah Pendred bustled between them and rammed the ball past the exposed Kira Markwell in emphatic fashion from the edge of the box.

Markwell had to be alert to rush off her line seven minutes later. Kier Perkins battled her way into the heart of the hosts defence before flicking the ball through to put Donna McGuigan clear. Fortunately for Ives Markwell just beat the Posh striker to the ball hacking it clear to safety.

Posh continued to pile on the pressure and Markwell did well again in 19^th minute as she leapt to her right to tip away a dangerous in-swinging free kick from the right corner of the box by Stacey McConville.

The visitors continued to enjoy a lot of possession but the Ives back line well marshalled by captain Brown began to tighten up although the side generally still continued to give Post to much time on the ball. The move that began to spark belief in Ives that they could get something from the game came in 33^rd minute as Hannah Seymour-Shove and Katherine Speed combined well down the right with an interchange of passes that took them to the edge of the visitor’s box. A final touch inside teed up Tierney Coulson inside the D. The Ives centre forward stuck her shot well but it was always rising and ended up about a foot over the crossbar.

Having gone so close to getting parity Ives then found themselves two behind as Posh broke up an Ives attacked and surged forward at pace the move ending with McGuigan sliding a perfectly weighted pass through the right channel to put Perkins in one on one with Markwell and the visitor’s striker finished well clipping the ball over the Ives keeper as Markwell came to close her down.

The belief that started to emerge late in the first half began to blossom in the second period as Ives came out a rejuvenated side and began to take the game to their opposition. There was an early Posh break as Megan Parfitt got away down the right and cut in but the danger was quickly extinguished as Brown came across and cut out the intended through ball to McGuigan.

The game was now much more even and Ives began to create chances of their own. On the hour last week’s heroine Katie Stancombe took on the Posh defence before feeding the ball inside to Hannah Seymour-Shove who in turn fed the ball on to her sister Amy cutting in from the left. Amy Seymour-Shove took a touch and precisely curled her right footed effort around keeper Sophie Powell but inches wide of the far post.

Markwell was called into her first real action of the second period four minutes later as McConville found a little space on the left corner of the box and unleashed a stinging drive that Markwell parried and still retained the presence of mind to bravely pounce on the loose ball just ahead of the lurking McGuigan.

Stancombe’s pace and direct running was causing problems for the Posh defence and she got away down the right again in 69^th minute. Her pull back found Anna Hicks on the edge of the box but she failed to test Powell with her first time effort that went wide of the keeper’s left hand post.

The final effort of the game from Posh came in 72^nd minute as McConville struck a powerful 25 yard free kick that Markwell held onto well.

Manager Marjoram played his final card with twelve minutes to go as he scarified defender Sasha Smith and threw on another attacker in Caitlin Jarman. The move had an instant impact as less than sixty seconds later Jarman pulled back a goal with her first touch as she picked up a loose ball inside the Posh penalty area after Hannah Seymour-Shove’s probing run had been halted. The Ives substitute kept her composure and found the bottom corner to make for a very interesting last ten minutes.

Ives now pressed forward in search of an equaliser and they came agonisingly close to getting it in 88^th minute. Stancombe broke into the box at pace to win a corner on the right. The deep flag kick was deflected out to Hannah Seymour-Shove just outside the visitor’s box wide left as she tried to break into the box past a struggling defender she was brought down. A large percentage of the crowd thought it was inside the box but referee Paul Dobbs gave a free kick right on the edge. Hannah Seymour-Shove’s free kick beat the wall and keeper Powell but rattled the crossbar and bounced down into the crowded box. Full back Emily Stephenson was first to react and pounced on the loose ball but rifled her effort inches wide of the post.

It was a much relieved Posh that saw out the remaining few minutes to progress to the next round. The Ives can feel proud of their efforts and know that they came so close against a good ball playing side. After two very tough cup ties it is back to the bread and butter of the League next week with a trip to Bishops Stortford. Hopefully they learnt a lesson today that if they believe in themselves this side can go far this season. 

Final Score  :  St Ives Town Ladies 1  Peterborough United Ladies  2  

Goals : Jarman 79

St Ives team : Markwell, Stephenson, Smith (Jarman 78), Hicks, Brown (capt), Flack, Stancombe, Hannah Seymour-Shove, Coulson (Luddy 45), Speed (Worrall 66), Amy Seymour-Shove

Unused Subs : Stow, Marjoram

Player of match : Hannah Seymour-Shove

Attendance  :  98 approx

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson

St Ives Town Ladies 1 Corby Town Ladies 0 (AET)

SSE Womens FA Cup Preliminary Round – 26-08-18

There is late, very late and very, very late. Katie Stancome’s well taken winner that broke the Steelwomen’s hearts fell very much in the latter category as it arrived with just 15 seconds left of the extra half hour on substitute referee Alex Stechell’s watch.

This felt like the day when summer eventually ended as the teams were greeted with driving rain and a strengthening breeze from the car park end. Ives chose to go with the breeze and the rain first half and the first effort on goal in 13^th minute was a 25 yard free kick by Katherine Speed that came with the elements but was well held by Corby keeper Georgia Summerfield.

Keeper Summerfield came to the rescue of her team mates again in 26^th minute as a fast Ives breakaway saw Speed flick a ball over the top that Hannah Seymour-Shove got on the end of. The Ives midfielder was through one on one with the athletic keeper who spread herself well to block the initial shot she also stayed alert to pounce on the loose ball.

The remainder of the first half turned into a midfield battle with both defences looking solid and it took until six minutes before the break before either keeper was called into meaningful action. Once more it was the ever alert Summerfield who this time plunged in bravely at the feet of Tierney Coulson to deny the Ives striker from close range after she got on the end of a near post cross from the right by Caitlin Jarman.

The Steelwomen’s first half chance arrived right on the break as Ardyn Sanderson got away down the right and delivered a dangerous low cross across the box that just evaded a late arriving Nicole Andrejczuk in the centre and skipped off the wet surface to safety.

The first notable incident of the second half was an injury to referee Oliver Potter who went down in considerable pain in the centre circle with no one near him. A lengthy delay followed before the unfortunate official was stretchered off with an ankle injury apparently incurred as he twisted. Senior assistant Alex Stechell took over the whistle with a volunteer taking over the flag.

Speed continued to try her luck with free kicks from 25 yards and she went close again in 63^rd minute as she beat the admirable Summerfield with her well struck effort but the ball clipped the outside of the post.

The visitor’s won their first corner of the game two minutes later Kim Sadler delivered it well to the near post where it took a brave header from Anna Hicks running back towards her own goal to knock in away from the inrushing Rebecca Jones. Keeper Kira Markwell came positively to meet the follow up corner and did just enough to push it away from danger her defenders did the rest to complete the clearance.

The game began to open up a little more in the last twenty minutes. A quick Sasha Smith free kick carved out an opportunity for Ives in 70^th minute as she picked out Hicks who drove into the heart of the Steelwomen’s defence before unleashing a powerful drive from 20 yards that brought the best out of Summerfield who dived to her right to push the ball around the post.

The all action Seymour-Shove created another opportunity with a surging run down the right two minutes later. Coulson got on the end of her cross to the near post, but again Summerfield was equal to the effort bravely blocking the shot at point blank range.

Having failed to take their chances when they were on top Ives suddenly found themselves under some pressure. The dangerous Sadler delivered a cross from the right in 78^th minute that picked out Sanderson in space, but although the visitor’s striker struck her effort well the ball was always rising and went over the top.

Two minutes later the powerful Jones burst her way through a couple of tackles played a one two with Zoe Watkins in the centre of the park before trying her luck from fully 35 yards with a dipping effort that had keeper Markwell scrambling, but just cleared the crossbar.

Thanks to the injury to the referee and another injury to Corby captain Nicole Coull there was twelve minutes to add at the end of the ninety. Eleven of these had gone when a rash tackle by Kira Lauder on Hicks just inside the Steelwomen’s box handed Coulson the chance to save us all the added half an hour as referee Setchell pointed to the spot. Coulson was perhaps a little rushed in preparation but suffice to say her spot kick did not trouble Summerfield clearing the crossbar with plenty to spare.

So we entered the extra 30 minutes, the first half of which was entirely uneventful as both sides continued to struggle to find a break through.

Sadler showed her class by twice going close in the second period. In 110^th minute she took in a ball from the right inside the box and cleverly turned her marker before firing in a powerful shot that was fortunately straight at Markwell who did well to tip the effort over the top.

Five minutes later Markwell had to make a more routine save low to her right as the same player again found space to turn in the box and get her shot away.

There were two minutes to go when Speed brought another good save out of Summerfield as the keeper plunged to her left to keep out the Ives striker’s effort from 25 yards. 

It looked like we were heading for the dreaded penalties until Stancome picked up a ball on the right midway into the Corby half outpaced a defender and drove on into the box. Keeper Summerfield made probably her only error of the afternoon taking up position for the anticipated cross. Stancome spotted the vacant near post and unleashed a low drive that beat the out of position keeper and billowed the back of the net to win the Ives a plumb home tie against Peterborough United in the next round.

Final Score  :  St Ives Town Ladies 1  Corby Town Ladies  0  after extra time

Goals : Stancome 120

St Ives team : Markwell, Hicks, Smith, Hannah Seymour-Shove, Brown (capt), Flack, Stancome, Stow (Stephenson 45), Coulson, Speed, Jarman (Chapman 45)

Unused Subs : Liddiard, Munden, Marjoram

Player of match : Hannah Seymour-Shove

Attendance  :  65 approx

Match report by Nigel Howlett