AFC Sudbury 0 St Ives Town 0
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 26-10-2024
Nigel Howlett reports from the MEL Stadium
A point a piece can be considered a fair return for both sides from this competitive encounter where both defences ruled the roost. Each side enjoyed their periods on top Ives shading the first 45 minutes and the Suds just edging the second. The hosts can take satisfaction from extending their unbeaten home run in the League this season and the visitors similar satisfaction in becoming the first side to prevent the previously free scoring Suds from finding the net in a league fixture at the MEL Group Stadium.
The Ives welcomed new signing Will Glennon into the centre of midfield where his physical presence and leadership qualities gave a much more solid look to the line up and it was the visitors who started by taking the game to their hosts. The game was less than two minutes old when Greg Kaziboni put David Adegbola away down the left. The youngster got to the bye line but was unable to find a team mate with his pull back.
The closest that the visitors came to finding the net was only two minutes later and it took a brilliant goal line clearance from Matty Miles to prevent Adegbola opening the scoring. Gennon won the ball in midfield before putting the lively Kaziboni away down the right. He hung up one of his trademark teasing crosses to the back post where Adegbola got the touch to force the ball past keeper James Bradbrook. The ball looked goal bound only for Miles to miraculously get around behind his keeper to hook it off the line. Appeals that it had crossed the line before the defender’s boot hacked it out were quickly waved away by a well positioned assistant referee.
Ives continued to press for the opener and it took a brave save from Bradbrook to maintain the parity in 14th minute. Ethan Creary’s long throw from the right was knocked down in the box by Glennon and Jordan Williams looked like he was going to latch onto it only to be denied by Bradbrook diving in to claim the ball at his feet.
Amaru Kaunda was next to go close for the visitors two minutes later. Kaziboni again being the provider dancing down the right before picking out the Cambridge United loanee in space ten yards from goal. A repeat of Kaunda’s spectacular opener against Biggleswade looked on the cards but this time the youngster failed to make clean contact and his first time volley flew over the top.
Kaziboni continued to torment the Suds defenders and he was chopped down 25 yards from goal by Ollie Peters to win Ives a free kick in a dangerous spot in 26th minute. With Jonny Edwards now departed to pastures new who was going to get free kick duty around the box. Johnson Gyamfi took the responsibility but failed to beat the hosts four man wall with his low effort.
Having weathered Ives early efforts the hosts slowly began to work their way into the game creating a couple of chances of their own in the ten minutes before half time. Dan Wilks in the Ives goal had to get down smartly to his left to keep out Joe Neal’s crisp low drive from 20 yards in 36th minute and three minutes later Ryan Henshaw got on the end of Peters free kick from the right but directed his near post diving header over the top.
The Suds came out at the start of the second period looking to continue where they had ended the first and the first half chance nine minutes after the re-start fell to Neal who curled his 25 yard effort about a metre wide of Wilks left hand post with the keeper confidently covering the shot.
Ives only half chance in the early period of the second half was 58th minute effort from Alex Collard as a Jernade Meade free kick from half way dropped to the feet of the skipper just outside the box but his well struck effort flew over the crossbar with keeper Bradbrook looking on.
Wilks was called into meaningful action again on the hour when substitute Simeon Jackson out muscled Benji Mensah to create himself a shooting opportunity on the left edge of the box. But Wilks was equal to the effort leaping high to his left to fingertip the ball around the post.
Jordan Williams had been outstanding throughout in Ives back line and his fantastic 66th minute block to deny Neal ensured that he was going to get the man of the match award from the travelling faithful. Ex Ives man Myles Cowling was the provider bursting forward into Ives backline before slipping the perfect ball into the well timed run of Neal who looked like he was clear with only Wilks to beat but Williams had other ideas and somehow managed to recover his position to make a sliding block as Neal tried to flick his shot past the keeper.
The pattern of the game in the first half had seen Ives on top until the last ten minutes when the hosts enjoyed a good spell. The pattern of the second half was almost a complete reverse of this as the half wore on Ives began to enjoy a little more possession in the oppositions final third. With fifteen minutes to go the hard working Gyamfi did well to rob a dallying Henshaw deep inside his own half. The speedy winger picked out Meade in a little space 25 yards out with his pull back. The silky midfielder took a touch and unleashed a fierce drive that was to hot for Bradbrook to hang onto but the keeper recovered quickly to pounce on the loose ball before Kaunda could prod it home.
Meade was involved at the other end of the park two minutes later when he upended Josh Allen just outside the box on the left. Wilks set up a four man wall and was happy enough to watch Peters free kick sail over the wall and inches over the crossbar.
It took a brilliant diving stop from Bradbrook to prevent Kaunda from claiming all three points for the visitors eight minutes from time. The youngster received the ball 25 yards from goal in a central position and looked like he had got it stuck under his feet. Somehow, with virtually no back lift he managed to unleash a screamer that was destined for the top corner before the flying Suds stopper leapt across to palm it away.
Both sides continued to look for a clincher in the remaining time but equally both were very aware that they had no intention of giving away the point that they had fought so hard to get. In the end a fair result that keeps both sides in middle of the table positions in the amazingly tight table.
As the travellers Ives will probably feel happier of the two sides at the shared return which is their first league draw of a season that is now one third of the way through. The lads from Cambridgeshire can be equally pleased with their four point return from a group of three tough away games in a row. After a midweek trip to Huntingdon Town for a County Cup tie they can look forward to welcoming the team with the best away record in the division, fourth placed Redditch United to quattro tech Westwood Road next Saturday.
Final Score: AFC Sudbury 0 St Ives Town 0
Team Line Ups:
SUDBURY: Bradbrook, Henshaw, Dickens, Miles, Peters, Neal (capt), Cowling, Page (Jackson 26), Pearce, Bradley (Isaacson 69), Allen, Unused subs: Lewis, Terminello, Goode
ST IVES: Wilks, Creary, Kaziboni (Abimbola 74), Meade, Williams, Collard (capt), Gyamfi (Obeng 90), Adegbola, Glennon, Kaunda, Mensah, Unused subs: Casey, Smith, Skyers,
Referee: Charlie Roberts
Cards: Yellow: SUDBURY: Henshaw (71), Peters (90+4) ST IVES: Kaziboni (70)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jordan Williams
Attendance: 311