St Ives Town 0 Kettering Town 3
Emirates FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round 28-09-2024
Nigel Howlett reports
Slow out of the blocks Ives found themselves blown away by the rampant Poppies well before half time as three first half goals saw the visitors comfortably advance to 4th Qualifying Round in Emirates FA Cup.
Only two weeks ago the high flying Poppies were pushed all the way before eventually claiming maximum reward in a League fixture and it looked as if they knew they had got to lift their game to avoid coming unstuck in this cup tie at sunny quattro tech Westwood Road. Ives sadly did not seem to have come to same the conclusion that they to needed to be at their very best to get any reward from this game.
The visitors came flying out of the blocks and seized the early initiative with the impressive Andi Thanoj and Luca Miller finding space and time in the centre of the park to pick out their men with probing passes through, or over, the Ives back line. The opening goal after eleven minutes saw Ives back line pulled around with Ben Hart finding acres of space at the back of the box to take down a deep cross from the left and drive a low ball across the six yard line that the dangerous Nile Ranger turned home from close range.
With the hosts struggling to string passes together it was the visitors who continued to press. Aaron Powell was again given to much space to range forward from left back in 15th minute but the full back fired his powerful drive from 30 yards well over the top. The same player also failed to hit the target with an opportunity from much closer two minutes later. Ranger got down the left and delivered a cross to the near post that Ives struggled to clear the ball eventually being knocked back to Powell on the edge of the box but just as before he fired high and wide.
Ives had an even bigger let off in 20th minute as they again struggled to get the ball clear of their box. It eventually fell to Hart on the right edge and his low cross picked out Ranger again lurking by the back post but inexplicably the usually deadly striker completely missed his kick with the goal gaping.
Keeper Dan Wilks kept Ives in the game four minutes later as he plunged to his right to push away a curling effort from the right hand corner of the box by Tyree Wilson. The chance had come about as the Poppies got another overload down that side with Benji Mensah finding himself up against Hart and Wilson.
The hosts had been hoping to hang onto only a one goal deficit up to the break but the visitors doubled their lead thirteen minutes from the interval. The impressive Thanoj picked out a cross field run from Isiah Noah-Williams. He in turn picked out Bruno Andrade cutting in from the left at pace and the visitors striker did the rest in emphatic style as he spanked a first time effort into the top corner of the net from 20 yards that gave Wilks no chance.
Moments later manager Ricky Marheineke decided to ditch his idea of playing a twin striking partnership with Silvano Obeng up front alongside Jonny Edwards. Obeng being replaced by regular full back Aaron Smith with Ives reverting to their more familiar wing back formation. But before the change could bed in the visitors effectively killed the game with Ives again the architects of their own downfall as once more they failed to clear a ball into their box effectively, allowing Luca Miller to thump home through the crowd from the edge of the box.
The Ives carved out one half chance to grab a possible lifeline before the break in the final added minute. Smith’s long throw was knocked back to him and he delivered the perfect teasing cross into the no man’s land between keeper and defenders. With the big men still up there were three players attacking the ball a call from Alex Collard who was in the best position might have persuaded Jordan Williams to leave the ball but the big number five stretched for it and failed to keep his header down.
Unless Ives could find an early goal in the second half any sort of comeback looked very unlikely and that was how it proved to be. Mensah almost managed to put Edwards through five minutes after the restart but the underworked Dan Jezeph in the Poppies goal remained alert and was quickly off his line to bravely claim the ball at the striker’s feet.
The introduction of David Adegbola in place of the tiring Mensah in 56th minute provided a bright spark in an otherwise gloomy afternoon for the hosts. He served up Ives next half chance in 67th minute as he got past a defender down the right before delivering a cross to the near post that it looked like the fast arriving Collard was going to power home but a faint touch from Lewis White was just enough to touch the ball away.
A more route one approach created a shooting opportunity for Kobe Chong four minutes later as flicks from Edwards and Amaru Kaunda saw Wilks punt arrive at the feet of Ives number ten just outside the box. A side step and sharp low drive beat the diving Jezeph but just glanced the outside of the post on its way into the boards.
Another fantastic pass from Thanoj gave Andrade a clear opportunity to put the icing on the visitors day twelve minutes from time but rather than arrow straight for goal the striker inexplicably turned inside giving Paddy Casey the opportunity to get back and rob him.
Only ninety seconds later Ives had their final opportunity to claim a consolation goal as Adegbola and Edwards combined down the right. The latter’s low cross deflected off a defender straight into the path of Kaunda on the edge of the box but the youngster who showed such coolness to grab the winner last week snatched at this opportunity and fired his effort high and wide.
That was the signal for a number of home supporters amongst the big cup crowd to depart early to try and beat the traffic down Westwood Road. The early departees did not miss much as despite huffing and puffing Ives were unable to create anything more with the Poppies comfortably seeing out the remaining time to go into the hat for Monday lunch times draw.
Final Score: St Ives Town 0 Kettering Town 3 Half Time 0 – 3
Goals:
ST IVES:
KETTERING: Ranger 11, Andrade 32, Miller 36
Team Line Ups:
ST IVES: Wilks, Mensah (Adegbola 56), Casey, Meade (Kaziboni 76), J. Williams, Collard (capt), Obeng (Smith 35), Hottor (Herd 66), Edwards, Chong, Kaunda, Unused subs: Creary, O’Keefe
KETTERING: Jezeph, Hart, Powell, Miller, Johnson (capt), White (Mbayo 83), Thanoj, Ranger, Andrade, Noel-Williams (Atcha 76), Wilson (Kawimbe 64), Unused subs: York, Alexander,
Referee: David Jones
Cards: Yellow: ST IVES: none KETTERING: none
SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: David Adegbola
Attendance: 681