Deeping Rangers U18 v St Ives Town U18    

Thurlow Nunn Youth League – Western Division  15-10-20

Outgang Road has for many years been a graveyard for the young Ives with some heavy pastings inflicted in the past almost inevitably in awful weather. The omens did not look good pre-match either with Rangers boasting an unbeaten run going into the game and coming into it off the back of a home victory over Peterborough Sports who had recently despatched the Ives.

One thing certainly came true to form as right on kick off the heavy rain swept in to add damp to what was already a cold evening with a North Easterly wind sweeping in all the way from the North sea.

The early stages did not bode well as in only third minute keeper George Driver was beaten to a long ball over the top that held up in the wind by Alton Strachan but the Rangers striker pulled his effort wide with the goal gaping. 

A second chance came the way of the hosts in 14^th minute as Jack Squire fouled Archie Richards on the corner of the box. Richards picked himself up and curled the resulting free kick to the back post where Mapalo Mwansa rose above the crowd but steered his header over the top from eight yards. Two minutes later full back Leo Brando broke away down the left before feeding in Aaron Ake who took his time but carefully curled his shot just wide of the far post from the corner of the box.

Ives were battling hard and no one harder than midfield dynamo Squire who won a crunching tackle in the centre of the park before clipping the ball over the top into the run of Ryley McDougald in 18^th minute. The Ives centre forward tried to lob out of position keeper James Roberts from 25 yards but only succeeded in drifting his effort wide on the breeze.

By this point the game was evening up into an entertaining contest and the next chance came the way of the hosts as Will Howarth outmuscled Joe Cobb and battled his way into the box before unleashing a left footed effort that keeper Driver did well to block with his body before pouncing on the loose ball.

Back up the other end in 22^nd minute Squire again fed in McDougald who did well to hurdle a desperate lunging challenge from Jamie Allen. Had he gone down he may well have won his team a spot kick but he stayed honest and slid his shot past the advancing Roberts but inches the wrong side of the post.

Driver came to his sides rescue twice in quick succession around the half hour as he initially saved the blushes of Fayed Rhaman whose poor square pass along the back line had been cut out by Richards. Driver quickly closed down the striker as he strode into the box and stayed big to block his shot at point blank range. Only seconds later Ake got away down the right and picked out Howarth at the near post. The centre forward struck his effort cleanly from eight yards but a well positioned Driver was equal to it not only blocking but holding the shot.

A clever Ives corner almost saw them get their noses in front in 36^th minute. Zac Hope lost his man to get on the end of Faris Rhaman’s corner from the right but his near post effort rattled the upright and rebounded to safety.

Going that close lifted the visitors and they enjoyed a purple patch up to the break with keeper Roberts having to sprint from his line to just prevent Ben Smith getting on the end of a Hope through ball in 40^th minute. The ball was almost instantly fed back deep into Rangers territory where Faris Rhaman showed his silky skills as he picked up the ball fully 35 yards out before ghosting past two defenders, drawing keeper Roberts to him but sliding his shot just the wrong side of the post.

Hope managed to hit the woodwork for the second time in ten minutes as the game entered added time striking a 30 yard free kick that dipped late completely deceiving Roberts who looked on as the ball cannoned off the face of his right hand upright and rebounded into play.

They were now playing against the strong breeze but Ives continued where they left off in the early stages of the second half. In 57^th minute Smith got away down the right before driving in a cross that keeper Roberts just did enough with to prevent the late arriving Squire getting on the end of.

Ives went in front in classic fashion in the very next attack only ninety seconds later. McDougald wriggled his way out of two challenges on the left before hanging up the type of teasing cross that was crying out to be rammed in the net and Smith obliged in style as he hurled himself at the ball on the edge of the six yard box to emphatically ram the ball home.

It could so easily have been two six minutes later as Smith burst through down the right before cutting inside and trying his luck from a narrow angle but only firing straight at the keeper with Squire and Hope both unmarked and screaming for a pull back in the centre.

Having failed to kill off their opponents Ives found themselves pegged back with fifteen minutes to go. Richards latched onto a ball on the left but he was running away from goal when he was taken down just inside the box by a lunging tackle from O’Donovan. Substitute Jack Brumfield took the responsibility from the spot and sent Driver the wrong way to level things up. 

An exciting last fifteen minutes was promised but as the two sides tired it began to look like a share of the spoils was looking inevitable until the final three minutes. In 87^th minute Richards teed up his skipper Ben Baker for a fierce drive from 25 yards that Mihayl Mitkov bravely blocked with his body just outside the box.

Then with only one minute of the ninety remaining the young full back teamed up with Faris Rhaman to produce a goal worthy of winning a Premiership game let alone an under 18 fixture out in the windswept fens. Mitkov picked up the ball inside his own half and exchanged passes with Rhaman at least three times as they played their way through the bemused Rangers defence on the left hand side. The final ball inside from Mitkov put Rhaman into the box and he did the rest prodding the ball past Roberts low to his right to spark wild celebrations amongst the visitors and silence the noisy group of home supporters on the rails.

There were four added minutes and that was just time for Driver to earn his corn as he plunged low to his left to fingertip away a powerful drive from the edge of the box by Baker. The resulting corner was powerfully headed away by McDougald and the referees whistle blew on a very satisfactory performance and an excellent result for Ives. 

Final Score  :  Deeping Rangers U18  1  St Ives Town U18  2 

Goals : Smith 58, Faris Rhaman 89

St Ives team : Driver, Fayed Rhaman, Mitkov, Faris Rhaman, Quinsee, Cobb, Smith (Taylor 78), O’Donovan, McDougald, Squire, Hope (capt)

Other substitutions (roll on roll off) : none

Unused Subs : Sulman

Attendance  : 86

Deeping Rangers U18 v St Ives Town U18   

Thurlow Nunn Youth League – Western Division  12-09-19

Outgang Road is always a tough place to come particularly for Ives U18’s who have taken a hiding almost every time they have travelled to this Fenland market town in recent times and the hosts shaped up as if they will prove to be a very competitive outfit in this competition again this season so make no mistake this well deserved point on the road suggests the Ives will also be a match for all. 

Right from the outset Rangers skipper Ryan Olbromski looked a threat and it was he who had the first shot of the evening as he found a bit of space to cut inside and curl a shot from the corner of the box just over in the ninth minute.

Connor O’Donovan set up Tom Wakley for Ives first effort three minutes later as the visitors centre forward forced home keeper James Hogg into a low diving save to his left to keep out Wakley’s well hit shot from 20 yards.

The opening goal arrived just two minutes later as Jack Brumfield did well to keep the ball alive by the left corner flag and delivered a curling cross to the back post which just carried on the strong breeze over the head of Mihayl Mitkov to allow the waiting Olbromski to stoop and head home.

Ives had struggled to deal with dead ball deliveries into their box against the giants from March in their previous game and the jitters emerged again in 16^th minute as Rangers first corner of the evening from the left by Olbromski flashed across the visitors six yard box with no one able to get a touch on it including Ben Roberts who arrived at the back post and looked like he must nod home.

The visitors first corner of the night did not arrive until 28^th minute when Wakley’s near post flick on Connor Gibbs flag kick caused panic in the hosts goalmouth but no one was able to force the ball over the line in the scramble that followed and it was eventually hacked clear.

Kai Bradley’s distribution was excellent all evening and his quick roll out to the feet of Ryley McDougald set up Ives next chance in 31st minute, McDougald strode forward into the space on offer before clipping a ball over the top that the ever willing Wakley ran onto. The presence of Laurence Wood forced Wakley to take his shot on early and Hogg made another good save to keep out the well struck effort.

Each side managed to rattle the woodwork in the run up to half time. Rangers were the first to be denied by the frame of the goal as Roberts curling 37^th minute effort from 25 yards beat the diving Bradley but rebounded back into play off the base of the keepers left hand upright. Having escaped that scare Ives were similarly denied two minutes before the break as skipper Karl Frans put Wakley away down the right. The big striker burst past a defender and fired past the fast retreating Hogg from a similar distance to Roberts and was equally unlucky to see his effort beat the keeper but rebound to safety off the upright.

Rangers had probably just about shaded the first half but it was Ives who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck to get on top right from the start in the second period. There were only ninety seconds gone when a well rehearsed short corner routine saw Mitkov deliver a low ball into the box that Ewan Young cleverly back heeled into the mix McDougald got on the end of it to fire in a shot from point blank range that Hogg somehow blocked with his body.

Three minutes later a wind assisted punt down the middle by Bradley was allowed to bounce deep in Rangers territory giving Wakley chance to try and lob Hogg but he did not quite get enough on his effort allowing the keeper to make a comfortable save. 

The pressure from Ives continued to mount in 67^th minute an in-swinging McDougald free kick from the left just evaded everyone and flashed past the far post. A goal was beginning to look inevitable as the hosts defence continued to creak and it finally cracked 20 minutes from time. Gibbs was given the freedom of the park to receive a throw in midfield, he weighed up his options before picking out the well timed run of Jamie Stork cutting in from the right. The pass was perfect and Stork burst past his man before running on into the box and calmly slotting the ball under the diving body of the exposed Hogg.

Everything to play for with twenty minutes to go and it was the hosts who initially rose to the occasion to try and grab a winner and they should have really gone back in front three minutes later as Ethan Allen and Oscar Benson combined down the right with the latter sending a dangerous curling cross into the danger zone between defenders and goal keeper. Bradley could not come and his defenders were struggling, substitute Joe Burborough arrived at the back post looking like he only had to side foot it home from six yards but he went for glory and somehow blazed the ball over the top much to Ives relief.

Following that escape the visitors had two good efforts of their own to claim a winner Wakley was denied by an assistant’s flag as he went just to soon in 84^th minute and two minutes later a swift break saw McDougald feed Smith down the right and his first time cross was only just deflected away from the waiting Wakley by a struggling Wood.

There was one agonising heart in mouth moment to survive for the visiting supporters before the hard earned point could be claimed as deep in added time a Burborough cross arrived at the feet of fellow substitute Sam Ogden whose shot from the edge of the box took a big deflection off an Ives defender before curling agonisingly wide of Bradley’s left hand upright with the keeper and his fellow defenders all looking on. The corner was successfully dealt with and overall the draw was probably a fair result.

It was good to see that Ives had learnt well from their previous defeat and things from the training field were being taken onto the pitch some of the football played was very impressive and although this division looks very tough this season it is an environment which will provide a good opportunity for the development of these lads and a top three finish looks a realistic target. The next challenge for the boys is an FA Youth Cup tie at home to Biggleswade Town on Monday evening get along and give them a bit of support. 

Final Score  :  Deeping Rangers U18  1  St Ives Town U18  1  

Goals : Stork 70

St Ives team : Bradley, Frans (capt), Mitkov, O’Donovan, Quinsee, Young, Smith (Stork 26), McDougald (Roberts (90+2), Wakley, Gibbs, Cobb 

Other subs used roll on roll off : Smith for Cobb 73

Unused Subs : Darnell, Hope

Attendance  : Approx 50

Report by Nigel Howlett.

Deeping Rangers U18s 6 St Ives Town U18s 0  

Thurlow Nunn Youth League – Western Division  13-09-18

For the second year in a row the young Ives took a pasting at Deeping. The game was all over as a contest after only twelve minutes in which the rampant hosts exposed gaping holes in an inexperienced Ives back line to race into a three goal lead.

Manager Lloyd Groves made two very early substitutions to give a couple of the shell shocked defenders a chance to recover and things improved a little, however the well drilled hosts continued to play through the Ives back line and doubled their score by half time. The second half proved a more even contest with the recovering visitors even managing to carve out a couple of chances of their own.

Right from the off it was quite clear that the hosts were not only bigger and stronger they were also very well organised and every man knew his job. The route started in only the third minute as Ives tormenter from last season Harrison Dee was allowed to run through three poor challenges before feeding the ball into the path of Rangers skipper Sam Green inside the visitor’s box. Green made no mistake steering the ball into the bottom corner past the exposed Shay Griffiths.

It was almost two five minutes later as Ives struggled to clear a Dee cross into their box from the left. The ball eventually fell to left back Jared Carver who fired a powerful drive from a narrow angle straight at Griffiths who held on well.

Carver was only to be denied for a matter of seconds as he found space at the back of the box as Ives struggled to clear a long throw. The ball eventually squirmed out of the mass of bodies around the penalty spot and rolled to the unmarked Carver who slotted home from close range.

The third goal which arrived in 12^th minute was a cracker as Green picked up possession in centre of the park glanced up to see Alex Moroz in space cutting in from the right. With no one closing him down Green had time to clip his pass over the out of position Hadyn Brown, Moroz ran on taking the ball down with his first touch and firing a fierce drive past Griffiths from the edge of the box with his second.

The hosts should have had a fourth in 19^th minute as Griffiths was slow off his line allowing Moroz to get on the end of another Green through ball but this time the speedy winger spurned a much easier chance than his previous one by rolling the ball past the exposed keeper but also just past the post.

The hosts fourth in 28^th minute was a disaster for the Ives back line Green delivered a dangerous ball from the right into the box that had to be dealt with. Louis Bald covering at the back of the box thought that his keeper was coming to claim it, but again Griffiths was hesitant and with Carver lurking Bald felt obliged to take action. Unfortunately he got it completely wrong as his attempt to get the ball over his own crossbar ended in dismal failure with the ball ending up in the roof of the net.

The hosts fifth goal in 32^nd minute came from a well worked free kick routine that completely outfoxed the Ives. The free kick from the left corner of the box was fed in low to the feet of Kai Haggett-King with his back to goal eight yards out. Haggett-King simply laid the ball back into the path of Moroz who had peeled off the opposite end of the Ives wall completely losing his marker in the process. The flying winger completed his brace by firing home from close range.

The Ives comedy of errors continued as the hosts added a sixth in 38^th minute. Yet again they failed to clear a ball into their box and a defender allowed himself to lose possession deep inside his own box allowing Kever Spindari a run at goal. Griffiths narrowed the angle but Spindari unselfishly rolled the ball across the six yard box to set up Carver for a tap in for his second.

The half which had been completely dominated by the hosts ended with one of the best players on view Green slamming a 35 yard effort against the foot of Griffiths right hand post. This time Ives escaped further punishment as the ball rebounded to safety.

Manager Groves made three further changes at the break introducing more of his younger contingent at the expense of some of his more experienced players. This seemed like a desperate measure but it was effective in stemming the tide. Ives did however have a fortunate escape in 51^st minute as Spindari turned home a Green cross from the right only to be denied by an assistant’s flag.

The youngsters were very willing to put their bodies on the line for the cause efforts from Spindari and substitute Will Gore were blocked at point bank range by Ives defenders in 63^rd minute. Gore went close again three minutes later forcing Griffiths into a smart save at his near post.

The game evened up as it entered it’s final third and Ives began to carve out a few half chances to grab something back. An audacious lob from 45 yards by Billy Mobbs almost caught out keeper Fabio D’Agnano in 67^th minute. The Rangers stopper had to back peddle furiously before leaping to claw the effort away from the top right hand corner of his net.

Mitchell Pillin thought he had got a goal back ten minutes from time. A driven Bald free kick from the left got right through the box and Pillin sliding it at the back post made good contact and was unlucky to see his effort rebound from the upright to safety.

Bald proceeded to carve out Ives best chance of the night in 85^th minute as he sprinted forward from midfield and slid a pass through the channel to put substitute Jamie Stork away. The Ives striker unleashed his shot from the edge of the box but was denied a consolation goal as D’Agnano hurled himself to his left to make a good save.

Last seasons Ives recovered from their early season mauling at Outgang Road to move up the table and eventually finish third holding this evening’s winners to a goal less draw at Jubilee Park in the return fixture. I still say that this seasons group will improve and matching last seasons return result and finishing position are a realistic proposition but that will take a lot of hard work.

Final Score  :  Deeping Rangers U18  6  St Ives Town U18  0  

Goals : none

St Ives team : Griffiths, Bald (Quinsee 45), Brown (Mitkov 13), Pillin (capt), Paine, Perreira (Gibbs 13), Cawte (Wakley 45), Garlick, Sargent (Stork 45), Mobbs, Hope

Other subs roll on roll off : Brown for Hope 54, Perreira for Paine 69, Hope for Mobbs 76, Bald for Garlick 76

Unused Subs : none

Attendance  : approx 60

Report by Nigel Howlett