St Ives Town 5 v Spalding United 1
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 26-08-2024
Nigel Howlett reports
Ives thoroughly enjoyed their sunny August Bank Holiday as they maintained their one hundred percent home record and handed out a spanking to the sad Tulips. Although Ives were very good those in the know will perhaps feel that they met their visitors at just the right time. The recently promoted Tulips had parted company with manager Elliot Sandy only three games into the new season just hours ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend which has unsurprisingly seen them lose both fixtures.
Right from the off Ives went for the jugular and Kobe Chong bundled them in front inside five minutes. Theo Alexandrou got outside Josh Ezewele down the left, got to the bye line and delivered to the near post where Chong met it with defender Josh Warburton. The defender blocked the striker’s initial attempt but Chong remained alert to prod home the loose ball before anyone else could react.
Ed Hottor spurned an opportunity to double that lead only two minutes later. A poor clearance from Tulips keeper Tony Breeden went straight to Alexandrou 40 yards from goal. He in turn fed Jonny Edwards through the left channel. His clip to the back post fell to the unmarked Hottor on the edge of the box but Ives midfielder took a touch and was instantly closed down.
The hosts did not have to wait much longer to increase their advantage as skipper Alex Collard surged through the crowd to powerfully meet Jernade Meade’s nineth minute corner from the left by the penalty spot. Collard’s header thumped the crossbar and bounced down and whilst everyone else looked on in amazement the skipper hooked home the dropping ball.
With Ives now well on top Hottor went for the audacious to try and make it three in twelfth minute. Initially robbing the dallying Kyle Barker in midfield Hottor spotted Breeden well off his line and went for the chip from fully 40 yards. The back peddling keeper was relieved to see the effort catch on the strong breeze and drift about a metre over the crossbar.
Now completely rampant and with Tulips heads drooping it looked only a matter of time before the hosts added another and sure enough the third arrived in 21st minute courtesy of Jonny Edwards and it will probably be the easiest goal that he has ever scored. The striker was initially rampaging forward on one of his trademark runs when he somehow got the ball stuck in his feet and left it behind 25 yards from goal. Peter Abimbola was alert to the situation and picked up the loose ball in acres of space. He powered down the left and delivered another low cross to the near post where Chong again got in front of his man and hit the target from close range. Breeden pulled off a brilliant reaction save but Edwards had continued his run into the box and as the ball rebounded off the now prostrate keeper he simply had to roll it home from one yard out.
With a three goal lead it was perhaps understandable that Ives took their foot off the gas and they allowed their visitors to enjoy their first bits and pieces of possession in the final third of the pitch. Danny Draper combined well with Jonathan Ngandu before the former flashed a low cross across the face of goal in 27th minute. The same player unleashed the Tulips first effort at goal a minute later. The effort from 25 yards flew just wide of Dan Wilks left hand post.
But Chong was still looking dangerous and he went close to adding a fourth in 41st minute. Timing his run to perfection to latch onto Meade’s perfectly flighted clip over the top. The young striker took one touch to many giving keeper Breeden chance to close him down and make a brave save.
The half ended with Wilks seeing a little more action. He did well to hold onto a driven cross from the left by Joseph Nyahwema in 43rd minute and was happy to watch Tyler Winters effort from just outside the box float wide in the first of four added minutes.
Tulips stand in manager James Clifton changed things around a little at the break in a desperate attempt to find a route back into the game and Nyahwema, who had switched to the right enjoyed a little early success. Wilks did well to plunge to his left and cling onto his fierce drive after the wide man had cut inside and unleashed a left footer from just inside the box in 54th minute.
It was the busy Nyahwema who reduced the deficit just after the hour as he jinked between defenders to pounce on a loose ball inside Ives box after the hosts had failed to deal with a ball in from the right. First to react the striker fired it home low past Wilks left hand as defenders looked on.
But any hope that the visitors may have had of making a miraculous comeback was instantly extinguished as Alexandrou restored the three goal cushion inside two minutes. The goal came in direct route one fashion as Abimbola flicked on Wilks long punt down the centre and Alexandrou timed his run to perfection outpacing defenders before rounding Breeden and rolling the ball home.
By this point the game seemed to have completely opened up with the Tulips throwing more men forward in a vein hope of getting anything in the game and Ives patiently waiting to pounce as opportunities to break came at the other end. Wilks was the first keeper in action doing brilliantly to deny Winters in 66th minute. Again Ives struggled to deal with a ball in from the right and it dropped to Winters inside the box, a good first touch took him clear but Wilks was quickly off his line to close him down and stayed big to make the save. It was Breeden’s turn next as play swung to the other end where Abimbola did well to set up a shooting opportunity for Chong and his first time effort from the edge of the box was turned wide at full stretch by the diving Breeden.
The Tulips kept pressing forward and went close a couple of times. Barker tested Wilks with a crisp 25 yarder in 72nd minute. The keeper did well to plunge to his left and push the ball away, substitute Sam Bennett went down under challenge as he tried to get onto the rebound but as the visiting supporters half hearted appeals for a penalty were turned away Draper fired the loose ball wide. Five minutes later Winters fired a 25 yarder over the top as a final salvo from the now defeated visitors.
Ives stepped things up again as the game entered the final ten minutes and centre back Jordan Williams added a fifth in majestic style eight minutes from time. Abimbola did well initially to rob a dallying defender before feeding the ball back to Meade. His inviting cross from the left was met perfectly by the flying Williams who powered his header high into the net from ten yards leaving Breeden grasping air.
Substitute Silvano Obeng should have added a sixth four minutes later. Fellow arrival from the bench David Adegbola robbed Sam Warburton on the right before feeding Obeng’s run into the box. The striker took one touch to many allowing Breeden to close him down and make the save whilst a frustrated Edwards was waiting unmarked in the middle for a square pass.
Five different goal scorers and an excellent all round performance. No matter how much disarray their visitors may be in a team must always beat what is put in front of them and Ives did that in thoroughly clinical style.
A break from League action now sees us venture into Hertfordshire to play step 5 Harpenden Town in 1st Qualifying Round of FA Cup next Saturday where another professional performance will be required to ensure that we are not the ones who fall on that proverbial banana skin.
Final Score: St Ives Town 5 Spalding United 1 Half Time 3 – 0
Goals:
ST IVES: Chong 5, Collard 9, Edwards 21, Alexandrou 64, Williams 82
SPALDING: Nyahwema 62
Team Line Ups:
ST IVES: Wilks, Meade, Smith, Hottor (Obeng 80), Williams, Collard (capt), Alexandrou (Lawrence 83), Abimbola (Kaziboni 86), Edwards, Chong (Adegbola 74), Casey (Creary 74), Unused subs: none
SPALDING: Breeden, Ezewele, Warburton, Barker, Stainfield, White, Ngandu (Dawes 58), Draper, Graham (Bennett 58), Winters (Darlington 80), Nyahwema, Unused subs: West
Referee: Christopher Darling
Cards: Yellow: ST IVES: none SPALDING: Barker (81)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Ed Hottor
Attendance: 348