Season: 2021-22

St Ives Town U16 Girls v Cambridge City Ladies & Girls U16

St Ives Town U13 Black v Godmanchester Town U13

St Ives Town U15 v Priory Parkside Colts U15

St Ives Town U12 v Deeping Rangers U12 Blues

St Ives Town U13 White v Kennett Youth U13

Cambridge City Ladies & Girls U16 v St Ives Town U16 Girls

St Ives Town v Godmanchester Rovers

Godmanchester Rovers v St Ives Town

Huntingdonshire FA Senior Cup Final played at St Neots Town FC 26-04-2022

At times Goddy belied the 39 places between these two sides in the football pyramid but one always felt that having got an early two goal cushion courtesy of two well worked short corner routines Ives were doing just enough and so it proved as they unseated the holders to claim the Hunts FA Senior Cup for the first time since 2016.

Goddy started well and a dangerous early ball into the box by Alfie Warman was won in the air by Ross Munro and it took some quick feet from Ives keeper Eddie Brearey to just take the ball away from Mohammed Akhtar who was lurking by the penalty spot.

Having started their previous three games at break neck pace it should have been no real surprise that Ives got their noses in front early on. Goddy were caught napping in ninth minute as Dylan Williams played a quick short corner back to Luke Fairlamb and his low driven cross was thumped home from eight yards by Josh Flanagan.

Ives continued to press forward and Ed Hottor skimmed a 25 yarder inches wide three minutes later. The shooting opportunity had been carved out by a little bit of trickery from Williams cutting in from the left and drawing in defenders before laying the ball into the path of Hottor.

The opening goal had come courtesy of one of Ives Northampton Town loanees and the second in 21^st minute came courtesy of the other. Once again it was a short corner routine that caught out Goddy. Fairlamb was again involved, this time taking the corner himself on the left. Ethan Johnston came short to receive it and exchanged passes with Fairlamb who the picked out Liam Cross in a little bit of space 25 yards out. A little sidestep then a brilliant curling shot that found the top corner giving Jamie Greygoose in the Goddy goal no chance.

For the remainder of the first half Ives played keep ball moving it around throughout the team and forcing Goddy players all over the park to work very hard to win it back. Only sporadically did Ives really threaten Greygoose’s goal again before the break and when they did Cross was usually involved in the move. In 23^rd minute he got away onto a Callum Milne ball down the line and seemed to get caught in two minds as he cut inside onto his left foot. His clip to the back post may have been an ambitious attempt to curl the ball into the corner from a narrow angle or set up a simple header for Nabil Shariff who had ghosted in but in the end the ball proved to be just to high for Shariff as it drifted just wide of the upright with Greygoose beaten.

It took an excellent save from Greygoose to prevent Ives increasing their advantage only seconds later. Cross was again the provider teeing up his skipper Michael Richens for a thunderous drive from 25 yards that the Rovers keeper did very well to keep out plunging low to his left to get a good solid hand behind the ball.

There were a couple of controversial incidents as the half wore on. In 32^nd minute Greygoose appeared to handle the ball outside has area as he slid in to just beat Johnston to a ball through the left channel. But excellent referee Neil Hair was perfectly positioned to see and immediately waved away Ives appeals, maybe the contact was on the line and the hands came off the ball as he slid out.

The second incident two minutes before the break also involved Johnston as he showed an excellent turn of pace to rob a dallying Frank Nzeh just outside the box. The Goddy centre back reacted swiftly to cynically chop down the Ives striker just inches outside the area. The fact that the incident occurred in a wide position with other defenders coming around to cover saved the struggling number four from a card. The free kick came to nothing and so ended a first period dominated by the men in black and white.

The visitor’s man of the match Greygoose pulled off an even better save than his one in the first half to deny Johnston five minutes after the restart. Flanagan threaded a ball down the right that once again put the speedy Cross away his low ball to the near post was met perfectly by Johnston arriving at pace and the Ives striker was left sat on the turf in disbelief as Greygoose produced a brilliant reaction save to deflect the ball onto the crossbar from where it was scrambled away by his colleagues.

Having barely threatened all evening Goddy then missed a golden opportunity to put themselves back in the game in 57^th minute. Simon Unwin’s corner from the right was met cleanly by CJ Lewis who was somehow unmarked eight yards out. The big number ten should have buried the chance but perhaps he was as surprised as the rest of us that he was completely un-challenged and he directed his header about a foot over the top much to Ives relief.

That chance lifted Goddy to even greater efforts and another Unwin corner eight minutes later also produced an effort on goal. This time Milne won the first header but the ball fell to Lewis on the edge of the box. Fortunately for Brearey the striker’s shot struck Nzeh on it’s way towards goal taking all of the sting out of it and making the save a lot easier for the young keeper.

Those two near misses for Goddy seemed to make Ives realise that they could not quite coast through the remainder of the game as they appeared as if they were intending to and the dangerous Cross continued to threaten a third goal to kill the game off at the other end. He was twice denied that all important killer goal by Greygoose in 67^th minute. The young winger created the first chance for himself cutting in from the right past Jack Dickinson before testing the Goddy keeper with a fierce low drive that he did well to keep out. But the ball rebounded to the edge of the box where Hottor won it back and again fed in Cross with the same result again keeper Greygoose reacted well to push the shot away low to his left.

Ives did get the ball in the net again in 73^rd minute as Richens burst through the right channel from midfield and clipped the ball to the near post where Shariff side footed home. But his celebration was cut short by the assistant’s raised flag.

To give Goddy their due they continued to go in search of an unlikely route back into the game and it took an excellent double save from Brearey fifteen minutes from time to keep them at bay. Toseland’s poor ball out of defence was cut out in midfield by Unwin who fed in substitute Danny Baulk down the right. His low cross into the box picked out Lewis in a central position but Brearey once again showed his reactions and agility to keep out not only the striker’s initial effort but also his follow up at point blank range.

That was battling Goddy’s last real opportunity of the evening as Ives sensibly opted to see out time. The only opportunity in the remaining time came at the other end with eight minutes left on the watch. The most influential player on the park went close to grabbing his second of the evening. A speedy burst across the park from substitute Tyrone Baker ended with him feeding in Cross who just beat the fast approaching Greygoose to the ball and dinked it over him. The effort was net bound but did not manage to cross the line thanks to a gallant last ditch effort by covering defender Reece King who scooped it away at the expense of a corner.

As the gallant Goddy began to run out of steam Ives were able to retain possession and run the clock down to claim this worthy piece of silverware and give them a fitting reward to the end of an excellent second half to the season. Their sixth season at step three has seen them finish fourteenth in a particularly tough and unforgiving division. They claimed some excellent scalps along the way and saved the best until last. Unbeaten in their last four games played over only eleven days where they scored seven and only conceded a solitary goal. They well deserved their post match celebrations on St Neots’s excellent surface.

Final Score : Godmanchester Rovers 0 St Ives Town 2

Goals :

GODMANCHESTER:

ST IVES: Flanagan 9, Cross 21

Teams

GODMANCHESTER: Greygoose, R. King, Dickerson, Nzeh, Warman, M. King, Allan (Dear 78), Unwin (capt), Munro (Baulk 46), Lewis, Akhtar (Hammond 66), Unused subs: Moss, Butler

ST IVES: Brearey, Flanagan, Fairlamb, Richens (capt), Toseland, Milne, Cross, Hottor, Shariff (Osei-Bonsu 87), Johnston (Baker 54), Williams, Unused subs : Goff, Solkhon, Faris Rhaman

Ives Supporters man of the match : Liam Cross

Attendance : 257

Report by Nigel Howlett.

St Ives Town U13 White v Cottenham United Colts U13 Black

St Ives Town U12 v Stamford AFC Young Daniels U12 Red

Histon U14 v St Ives Town U14

St Ives Town U14 v Billericay Town Youth U14

St Ives Town U13 Black v Soham Town Rangers Youth U13

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.

Sutton Rangers U13 v St Ives Town U13 White

Histon Hornets U16 Girls v St Ives Town U16 Girls

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

Newmarket Town U16 v St Ives Town U16

Colney Heath Ladies v St Ives Town Ladies

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.

Cambridge United WFC v St Ives Town Ladies