Barwell v St Ives Town

Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 14-11-2022

The clinical finishing of the in-form Canaries ensured Ives got nothing from their Monday night trip to Leicestershire despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession throughout this game. All three goals from the hosts came from Ives losing the ball high up the park and on each occasion the hosts speedy strikers punished them.

There was not unexpected bad news from Ives prior to kick off with both Kane Lewis and Ravi Shamsi not making the trip after picking up knocks on Saturday. That was added to with an unexpected absentee as Nabil Shariff had also not made it with illness. To counter this Greg Kaziboni returned to the starting line up after a month on the side lines, Dylan Williams and Enoch Andoh also stepped up from the bench. But the Ives were still left with only three substitutes. The hosts made two changes from their 1-1 draw with Bromsgrove 48 hours earlier with George Ward coming in for Roger Lee at the back and Jack Deakin replacing Shaquille Master at the other end of the pitch.

The visitors started the game at a good pace applying early pressure high up the pitch disrupting the Canaries plans to play the ball out from the back. This plan created an early half chance in sixth minute when Michael Richens robbed Sid Kerr to set up a shooting opportunity for Kaziboni but his well struck effort from 25 yards was straight at home keeper Andy Wycherley.

Similar tactics worked again six minutes later to give Andoh the chance to feed in Johnny Herd on the overlap. But again the full back’s crisp drive from the corner of the box was straight into the midriff of keeper Wycherley.

The hosts opener in 16^th minute was a perfect example of how to break at pace and finish clinically. Ives lost possession deep inside the Canaries half and the ball was fed out to Beck-Ray Enoru on the half way line. As Herd came to close him down a clever flick past the full back saw the winger sprint away down the right touch line. Jordan Williams came across to try and cover but equally fell to the pace of Enoru. The wide man got to the bye line and picked out his skipper Brady Hickey arriving at the near post a simple flick from the in-form striker gave him his seventh goal in the last six league games and put the Canaries in front.

Not daunted by falling behind Ives returned to pressurising the hosts and another half chance came their way in 24^th minute. A poor defensive header from Deen Master allowed Kaziboni to set up Richens for a shot from the edge of the box that deflected just wide off a defender. The Ives skipper was unfortunate to pick up his sixth yellow card of the season ten minutes later as his attempted cross appeared to be blocked by the arm of Master who came away with the ball Richens did well to chase back and appeared to win the ball cleanly but referee Elliott Kaye deemed otherwise and produced the card.

Ives were almost caught out again by a Canaries break seven minutes before half time. Again the ball was fed across to Enoru who found himself one on one against an unsupported Herd. This time he took on the full back on the inside and burst past into the box before firing in a low shot that keeper James Goff did well to block with his body.

Lesson not learnt the visitors fell further behind to yet another speedy break right on half time. Once more possession was lost with them on the attack and again the ball was fed down the park but this time the Canaries went left with Hickey sliding the ball through into the run of Jahvan Davidson-Miller who burst into the box and beat Goff with a fierce low drive which found the bottom corner of the net.

Ives needed to find a way back into the contest quickly and they did just that in the simplest fashion five minutes after the restart. Herd delivered one of his trademark long throws from the left that flicked off a defender in the goalmouth melee. The ball dropped to Callum Milne at the back post who hooked it home from six yards.

Now back in the contest Ives still had to be very much aware of the threat that the hosts posed on the break. They went close again in 63^rd minute as a long ball almost put Davidson-Miller clear, Jordan Williams did just enough to recover and block the shot out for a corner. They had a very fortunate let off from Master’s flag kick from the right as centre back Kyle Rowley somehow managed to arrive unmarked in the centre of goal, but he equally inexplicably failed to hit the target with his free header.

After that let off Ives enjoyed a good period of pressure as they searched hard for the equaliser. Edwards fired a metre or so wide having worked the chance well himself by bringing down a long ball and jinking inside in 67^th minute. A series of Ives corners followed soon after but without anything coming from them. The next chance fell to substitute Kieran Higgs in 76^th minute, Andoh cleverly fed the ball into his run into the box from the left, side step left and right to create the space but the shot from 15 yards flew just wide of Wycherley’s left hand post.

The Canaries had to thank keeper Wycherley for retaining their slender lead only moments later. Andoh brilliantly tricked his way past two defenders down the left, got to the bye line and picked out Edwards unmarked eight yards out at the back post with his teasing cross. The Ives centre forward followed the text book by heading the ball powerfully back in the direction that the keeper had just vacated as he tried to get across his line to cover, but the athletic stopper twisted in mid air to hurl himself low to his right and get just enough of a hand on the strikers effort to keep it out.

Although they continued to apply the pressure that proved to be Ives last real chance to get anything out of the evening and the Canaries killed them off five minutes from time in similar fashion to their earlier goals as another ball fed down the park gave Master chance to deliver a cross to the near post where Melis Bushaj glanced it home clinically to make it a long journey home for the visitors.

It was a tired looking side that tramped off the Barwell 3G at the end of the evening and it looks like physio Jardaine Patel-Joseph may be a busy man trying to patch up a competitive side ahead of the visit of Needham Market to the quattro tech Westwood Road on Saturday.

Final Score: Barwell 3 St Ives Town 1

Goals:

BARWELL: Hickey 16, Davidson-Miller 45, Bushaj 85

ST IVES: Milne 50

Team Line Ups:

BARWELL: Wycherley, M. Edwards, D. Master, Kerr, Rowley, Ward, Enoru, Bushaj, Davidson-Miller, Hickey (capt), Deakin, Unused subs: S. Master, Lawson, Nassanculo, Lee, Painter

ST IVES: Goff, Milne (Lembikisa 86), Herd, Richens (capt), J. Williams, Johnson, Kaziboni (Baker 54), Hottor, J. Edwards, D. Williams (Higgs 67), Andoh, Unused subs: Lembikisa, D. Williams, Kaziboni, Johnston

Cards: Yellow: BARWELL: D. Master (84) ST IVES: Richens (35), Andoh (59), J. Williams (90)

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jonny Edwards

Attendance: 204

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Ollie Jones.

Barwell v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 18-12-2021

An early Christmas cracker served up by two sides who seemed to have forgotten how to defend at times each taking their turn to try and throw the game away. Any neutrals in the crowd will have enjoyed it immensely, but for the supporters of either side the roller coaster of emotion was at times hard to bear.

Ives made three changes to the starting eleven from last weeks defeat at Bromsgrove. An enforced one in goal where Ben Heath returned replacing Oxford United loanee Mackenzie Chapman who broke a bone in his hand during the game against the Rouslers and will face a few weeks on the side lines. Last weeks stand in right back Callum Milne was replaced by another loanee from the U’s Ben Watt who made his debut for the visitors. The third change in the centre of the park was the welcome return from suspension of Michael Richens replacing Tyrone Baker who joined Milne on the bench.

Although the hosts could now boast a brand new 3G surface at Kirkby Road, Ives quickly found it was very different to their own artificial surface with the “grass” trimmed much shorter and a lot more rubber crumb meaning that the ball moved with less fluidity than at Westwood Road.

But Ives could not really blame the surface for a sluggish start and keeper Heath came to their salvation twice in the first seven minutes. Tristan Dunkley outpaced Brett Solkhon on the left edge of the box in fifth minute and floated up a cross to the back post where Ben Stephens had ghosted in looking like he must score, his header was on target but Heath somehow got himself across his goal line to block the effort on the line. Ben Toseland half cleared and Will Warren blazed the loose ball over from the edge of the box. Two minutes later an Ashanti Pryce cross from the left caused panic in Ives box Toseland doing very well to block Stephens initial shot and Heath doing even better to fling himself to his right and fingertip Warren’s follow up effort around the post.

Having survived those two early scares Ives slowly began to work themselves into the game and as they got more used to the surface they started to move the ball around at pace. But the opening goal when it arrived came from almost nothing. Ethan Johnston did well to close down Herve Pepe-Ngoma on an attempted clearance but conceded the throw deep in Canaries territory. The throw down the line was won by Kyle Davison-Gordon whose knock down fell to Dylan Williams a threaded ball picked out the perfectly timed run into the box of Nabil Shariff who somehow squeezed his low drive past keeper Max Bramley and in off the near post.

Falling behind seemed to rattle the hosts and five minutes later the Ives doubled their advantage Richens robbed Warren on half way before striding forward and sliding the ball into the run of Johnston who kept is cool to fire past the exposed Bramley from just inside the box.

Ives were now in complete control and their high tempo game continued to rock the hosts back line with more goals looking likely from almost every attack. It took a brilliant recovery save from Bramley to deny Williams on the half hour. Nathan Hicks fired a fantastic diagonal ball to pick out Ed Hottor in space on the right. Hottor sprinted away down the touchline before cutting inside and pulling the ball back for Williams to hit a shot that looped in the air off the covering Dom Hill-Brown. It looked like it was going to go over Bramley and drop in the far corner of the net but the keeper moved his feet well and flung himself full length to claw the ball away.

The remainder of the first period saw Ives continue to dominate with Hottor having a close range shot blocked in 36^th minute, Shariff having a fierce drive from a narrow angle blocked by Bramley in 38^th minute and Johnston having a very good shout for a penalty turned down just seconds before the break.

Two up at half time, but Ives supporters will still nervous and the main topic of conversation was surely we are not going to throw away another two goal lead on the road, are we? To ease the nerves a little, if only for a while, Shariff calmly made it three in 54^th minute. Watt and Williams combined well on the right but the latter’s cross into the box looked like it was going to be a simple header away for Pepe-Ngoma but somehow he completely missed the ball. The Ives centre forward said thank you very much and slotted the ball past the exposed Bramley.

At this point the visitors despite words from the dugout telling them to keep pressing, took their foot off the gas a little bit and allowed the hosts to get a foothold back into the game. Chances started to appear at the other end. In the 58^th minute a quick break by Stephens created a shooting opportunity for Dunkley but the pacy number nine fired over from the edge of the box. Keeper Heath pulled off a magnificent save five minutes later. He failed to hang onto a powerful Dunkley drive from the right hand edge of the box and substitute Harry Bower pounced on the loose ball looking like he must score only for Heath to recover and somehow block the effort at point blank range.

The hosts were looking more and more likely to reduce the arrears and sure enough they did with twenty minutes to go. Canaries skipper Brady Hickey found a route through the centre of Ives back four setting up Stephens for a shot from the edge of the box that beat the diving Heath low to his right and went in off the upright. The pressure on the visitors was starting to build and two minutes later Ross Oulton curled a 25 yarder inches wide with Heath looking on.

The pressure was eased in 74^th minute as Williams restored Ives three goal advantage. Hottor harried and robbed a dallying Hickey deep inside his own territory and fed in Shariff. We all assumed that he would go for the hat trick but he unselfishly fed the ball to his left to put Williams clean through and he emphatically beat Bramley with a thumping left foot drive that beat the keeper high to his left and nestled behind the stanchion. Shariff had one more chance to grab a deserved third three minutes later as a flowing Ives move ended with substitute Baker getting to the bye line and picking out the centre forward with his pull back. Sadly for Shariff Pepe-Ngoma did just enough to slide in and deflect the shot wide.

Had that gone in it could have been a very comfortable last ten minutes for Ives supporters but our nerves started to jangle a little when good work down the left by Pryce set up an opportunity at the back post for Dunkley who slammed the ball home to give the hosts a glimmer of hope.

Williams almost eased our concerns in 84^th minute when he fired a free kick from just outside the box through the host’s three man wall. It took an excellent diving save low to his left by Bramley to keep the effort out. The keeper’s efforts were rewarded two minutes later as the hosts comeback of all comebacks looked even more likely to happen. Ives back line failed dismally to deal with a cross from the right that eventually arrived at the feet of Hickey at the back post who fired home from close range. Finger nails were almost down to the quick when Bower found space in the box to get away a shot that Heath did well to palm over the bar in the last of the ninety minutes.

Baker picked up an injury defending his own box as the game entered added time meaning that the added four minutes was going to have an even more agonising extension to it. A Canaries corner in the third added minute prompted keeper Bramley to try his luck in the opposition box. Fortunately for Ives the good fortune went their way as the keeper’s presence prevented Dunkley getting a clean header to the corner which was then cleared with Richens coming away with the ball. Hearing the shouts of the Ives faithful to shoot he tried his luck from fully fifty yards and he got it right as the ball curled on the breeze and bounced into the vacant net.

There was still time for Solkhon to concede a penalty as he dragged down Dunkley inside the box in 95^th minute. Hickey slammed the resulting spot kick straight down the middle as Heath went to his right. But the agonising wait since August for another win on the road was finally over for Ives fans. Much as this game had entertainment in abundance, I think that personally a routine 2-0 win would make for much more comfortable viewing next time.

The win means Ives leapfrog their hosts in the table and move up to 14^th place. The Canaries look like they are still trying to come to terms with their new playing surface but with a whole run of home games in the offing for them now they will want to learn quickly as the wrong end of the table looks like their present destiny. Both teams have vital games coming up over the Christmas and New Year period but we all now wait with bated breath to hear if Boris will allow us to play those games or if Covid will take them out for the second year in a row.

Final Score : Barwell 4 St Ives Town 5

Goals :

BARWELL: Stephens 70, Dunkley 79, Hickey 86 & 90+6 pen

ST IVES: Shariff 20 & 54, Johnston 25, Williams 74, Richens 90+3

Teams

BARWELL: Bramley, Warren (Bower 57), Pryce, Pepe-Ngoma, Edjenguele, Brown-Hill, Brogan, Oulton, Dunkley, Hickey (capt), Stephens, Unused subs: Brown, Castle, Stabana, Nisevic

ST IVES: Heath, Watt, Davison-Gordon, Richens, Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Hottor (Westwood 83), Hicks, Shariff (Manangu 83), Johnston (Baker 59), Williams, Unused subs : Milne, Dwumfuo

Ives Supporters man of the match : Nabil Shariff

Attendance : 242

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook.

Barwell v St Ives Town

BetVictor League Southern Premier Division Central 07-12-19

A battling performance but sadly yet again no reward for the Ives as the Canaries grabbed the only goal of the game three minutes before the break to push the visitors into the bottom two and stretch Ives winless run to eleven games.

For the first time in a long time Ives manager Ricky Marheineke was able to name an unchanged starting eleven and the only change on the bench was the addition of midweek signing ex Kettering and Banbury midfielder Edmund Hottor.

As last week Ives started on the front foot and they could easily have gone in front after only three minutes. Joe Curtis played a perfectly weighted lob over the hosts back line and Matt Foy was onto in a flash just beating onrushing keeper Max Bramley to the ball. The keeper clumsily brought down Foy a couple of metres outside the box and was only saved from a card by the fact that the Ives striker was heading wide rather than directly at goal. Curtis curled the resulting free kick around the wall but straight into the hands of the grateful Bramley.

Ives keeper Finley Iron had to show that he was on his toes only four minutes later as Joey Evans and Tristan Dunkley combined to put Brady Hickey clear into the box but Iron was smartly off his line to bravely smother the ball at the striker’s feet.

Play continued to swing from end to end in these early stages and the next opportunity fell to Ives skipper Robbie Parker in 13^th minute as an intended cross ricocheted off a Canaries defender and fell to his feet just inside the box but his left foot snap shot lacked power and was comfortably saved by Bramley.

Iron was called into much more spectacular action two minutes later as Evans and Dunkley again combined this time assisted by powerful centre forward Tolani Omotola the move ending with Dunkley picking out Kai Williams in space on the back edge of the box. The left winger stepped inside before curling a right foot effort that was destined for the top corner before Iron’s right hand palmed it around the post as the agile stopper hurled himself high to his left.

Dunkley was at the heart of a lot of the hosts better moves in the first period and he looked like he had slid a ball through the Ives back line to put Omotola clear in the 19^th minute. But young centre back Alfie Powell had been keeping a close eye on the big striker and he timed his tackle to perfection to whip the ball off Omotola’s toe just as the Canaries central striker was about to get his shot away.

Ives were still very much still in the game at this point and in 24^th minute a clever Curtis free kick from the right picked out Ben Jackson in space beyond the far post and he found Parker in the centre with his header back into the box. The Ives skipper got his header on target but it was blocked by the leg of a Canaries defender, as was the same players follow up shot after the ball had dropped back to his feet inside the crowded box.

As the half wore on it began to settle down into more of a midfield battle with chances much more at a premium. Omotola was still proving a handful and in the 40^th minute he exchanged passes with Hickey before unleashing a left foot rocket from 15 yards that the well positioned Iron did well to push away. But the young keeper had no chance two minutes later when the same player capitalised on some poor Ives defending to put the hosts ahead. Iron delivered a free kick down the park that was powerfully headed back up the middle Dunkley got away from Jarvis Wilson and Powell to get a clear run on goal and then unselfishly drew Iron to him before rolling the ball sideways to Omotola who had the simple task of knocking it into the empty net.

There was a fairly quiet start to the second half and the first opportunity did not arrive until 63^rd minute when the dangerous Dunkley was allowed to roam 60 yards with the ball at his feet as Ives defenders retreated. He finished the run with a stinging left foot effort from the edge of the box that was fortunately straight at Iron who held on well. All of that happened with the hosts temporarily down to ten men whilst Omotola was off the field receiving treatment for an eye injury sustained when he tried to block an Iron clearance from a back pass.

The Canaries centre forward was unable to continue and was replaced by Zayn Hakeem but the hosts continued to look the more likely to side to add to their lead and went very close to doing just that in 70^th minute. A scramble in the visitors goalmouth saw the ball knocked back to Hickey on the edge of the box and the hosts skipper showed excellent composure as he took a touch and delicately curled the ball through a small gap in the crowd aiming to sneak it in the bottom corner. He was unlucky to see the effort fail as with the unsighted Iron motionless on his line the ball struck the foot of the post rebounded back into play. Williams pounced on it and slammed in a follow up effort but Jackson was on hand to block the shot at point blank range and the ball was eventually hacked clear.

For all of their effort and energy Ives were struggling to create anything much around the hosts box. The closest they came to grabbing an equaliser was fifteen minutes from time when Jackson timed his run to perfection to get on the end of a Curtis corner from the right. But his goal bound header was deflected taking all of the power out of it and allowing Bramley to make a diving save low to his left.

The hosts went a lot closer to doubling their lead only one minute later as Hottor brought down the tricky Williams just outside the box to set up a shooting opportunity for Hickey. The Canaries skipper was denied by the woodwork for the second time in quick succession as he curled the resulting free kick over Ives five man wall and with Iron rooted to the spot he was unlucky to see the ball strike the crossbar and go over the top.

Iron came to Ives rescue again with five minutes to go as he did brilliantly to deny Hakeem who rose above the visitor’s defence to get on the end of Eliot Putman’s cross from the left. The keeper hurled himself to his left to tip the substitutes powerful header around the post and keep his sides hopes alive.

The hosts hit the woodwork for the third time only sixty seconds later and once again Hickey was the unlucky man as he curled an effort from the left edge of the box that beat the diving Iron but rebounded into play off the far post. Substitute Sam Hollis pounced on the loose ball but fired well over the top from a good position to keep the score at one nil.

Ives continued to battle but despite their urgency and efforts they were unable to carve out a decent opportunity in the remaining time and fell to their eighth League defeat on the road this season, seven of those have been by a single goal. Their conquerors moved to within one point of the play off places in a very tight top half of the table. On the positive side many of the injured players are still getting back up to full match fitness, Alfie Powell and Ben Toseland have fitted in well and Edmund Hottor showed some very nice touches when he came on. A couple of wins could still turn this tough season around but they must be found soon to get some momentum going.

Final Score : Barwell 1 St Ives Town 0

Goals : none

Team : Iron, Jackson, Toseland, Clifton (Hottor 64), Powell, Jarvis Wilson, Bailey (Snaith 75), Parker (capt), Foy, Curtis, Dylan Wilson (Seymour-Shove 81)

Unused subs : Johnson, Ward

Supporters man of the match : Alfie Powell

Attendance : 149

Report by Nigel Howlett

Barwell vs St Ives Town

Barwell v St Ives Town

Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division Central – 22-01-19

The second one all draw on the road in three days reinforced Ives mid table position but as on Saturday it could so easily have been even better as again a defensive error meant they failed to hold onto a lead gleaned just before the break with another fantastic goal.

Andrew Osei-Bonsu’s weaving run and clinical finished deep in added time at the end of the first half warmed the cockles of the thirty or so Ives fans who had braved the wintery weather to make the trip to this historic Leicestershire village. Those brave souls along with the small crowd of locals that had ventured out were all worried pre-match as the game was put in doubt by a heavy snow shower two hours prior to kick off. Fortunately the weather relented and with both sides eager to play the excellent referee Sam Kane was happy to allow the match to go ahead following a line sweeping exercise from the groundsman and a few willing volunteers.

It looked like a scene from the 1980’s games that are regularly shown on tv at the start although the yellow ball should probably have been changed for an orange one just to complete the image. It was the hosts that started best and it took an excellent clearing header from Ben Jackson at the back post to prevent Antony Dwyer getting on the end of a teasing cross from the right by Kurtis Revan in sixth minute.

Dwyer went even closer two minutes later as Ives struggled to clear a Brady Hickey free kick into their box. The ball eventually being fed back to Hickey who picked out Dwyer well at the near post with his return cross but the big centre forward headed over from a good position under pressure from Charlie De’ath.

The visitor’s first telling penetration into the host’s final third of the pitch came in 27^th minute as Danny Kelly and George Bailey combined well on the break to put Osei-Bonsu clear. The pacey Ives striker was only stopped by a very well timed covering tackle from Henry Eze who slid in to take the ball off his toe just as he entered the box. The resulting corner was half cleared to Munashe Sundire who’s attempted cross back into the mix from the right took a deflection and looped into the air. Home keeper Liam Castle looked a clear favourite to claim the ball but on a cold night his first real handling job of the evening was not a good one and he spilled it. Fortunately for him his defenders reacted first and Ruben Desrosiers scrambled the loose ball out for another corner. Castle made no mistake with this one claiming the ball cleanly at the back post.

By this point in the game Ives were looking fairly comfortable and dealing well with what the hosts were throwing at them. They were also beginning to look threatening on the counter attack. In 35^th minute another good Ives break saw Osei-Bonsu threat a perfectly weighted pass into the run of Ben Seymour-Shove cutting in from the left but the Ives winger was forced wide and when his shot finally came in from a narrow angle it was blocked by a covering defender.

The indication was for an added two minutes at the end of the first period and the goal when it came arrived in the second of those and although completely different to Jake Newman’s stunner on Saturday it was another contender for goal of the season. Osei-Bonsu picked up a ball inside from Seymour-Shove on the left fully 35 yards from goal. He set off on a mazy run at the retreating Canaries back line beat one man just outside the box then jinked past Eze just inside the box and showed his honesty as he was clearly clipped but did not go down choosing instead to keep his balance before slotting the ball under the body of Castle and into the far corner of the net.

The warming half time cuppa was greeted in very happy style by the Ives faithful and not one of them had ventured to the Clubhouse outside the ground which may have been just to far in the cold. Jackson succumbed to an injury he picked up just before the break and was replaced by Mark Coulson who slotted in on the right hand side with Kettering loanee Ben Toseland retaining his spot on the left. Toseland was involved in the first threatening Ives attack of the second half in 56^th minute as he threaded a ball down the line to allow Seymour-Shove to deliver a deep cross that Bailey half volleyed well over at the back post.

Ives went close to adding to their advantage again three minutes later as Eze misjudged a long Martin Conway punt down the centre allowing Kelly to challenge Desrosiers and keeper Castle for the dropping ball on the edge of the box. Kelly got his toe to it first but directed his prod the wrong side of the post.

Although Ives had been defending well up to this point the Canaries were still very much in the game and the mobile Dwyer was causing a few problems. In 63^rd minute he managed to find himself a little bit of space on the left and flashed a head height cross across the six yard box just ahead of two of his colleagues rushing in. The ball went out for a throw on the left and it was in trying to work their way forward from that throw that the usually ultra-reliable Robbie Parker made the fatal error that cost Ives two points on the night. He allowed himself to be dispossessed by Revan deep inside his own half. A ball inside Toseland put Dwyer through to the bye line Conway managed to get to his low driven cross but could not hold onto the greasy ball and Hickey gleefully accept the gift ramming home the loose ball from close range to level things up.

The hosts continued to push on in search of a winner but the frugal Ives back line was soon back to it’s best and was very effective in dealing with what was being thrown at them. There were a couple of opportunities for the Canaries from dead ball situations. The best of these came in 85^th minute when Jake Newman’s first act on being introduced as a substitute was to foul Dwyer just outside the D in a central position. Hickey lined up the free kick and although he cleared the four man Ives wall he also cleared the crossbar by a good two metres.

Ives came within millimetres of breaking Barwell hearts deep in added time. A De’ath long throw was headed out to Sundire fully 25 yards from goal. He took a touch and unleashed a howitzer that flew past the startled Castle without the keeper moving a muscle. It looked like it was going to dip in but it just did not dip enough in the cold night air and it rattled the goal frame before rising high into the air giving Castle chance to recover his wits and claim the ball as it dropped.

All in all an entertaining game that ended with honours even on a night when the referee’s decision to allow the game to go ahead was fully vindicated. George Bailey claimed the man of the match award for a very hard working display on the right, although he was pushed close by Andrew Osei-Bonsu who on his first start looks like a player of huge potential he took his goal brilliantly let us hope it is the first of many he claims for the Ives.

Final Score : Barwell 1 St Ives Town 1

Goals : Osei-Bonsu 45+2

Team : Conway, Jackson (Coulson 45), Toseland, Sundire, De’ath, Jarvis Wilson, Bailey (Snaith 79), Parker (capt), Kelly, Osei-Bonsu (Newman 83), Seymour-Shove,

Unused subs : Baker, Ward

Supporters Man of the Match : George Bailey

Attendance : 136

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook

Goal – Barwell 0 St Ives Town 1 – Andrew Osei-Bonsu 45+2′