Lowestoft Town v St Ives Town

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 27-11-2021

On the day when Storm Arwen swept through the UK the Ives should have blown away the sorry Trawlerboys in this vital six pointer at the wrong end of the table. A dominant first half performance saw them two up and cruising with the break approaching when a howler from keeper Ben Heath not only gave the hosts a route back into the game but suddenly made them favourites to take the spoils.

With Camron McWilliams serving a one game ban Ives had a slightly unfamiliar look to their line up with Callum Milne moving across to right back and Ben Toseland returning to the centre of defence following his successful spell in a forward role. With Dylan Williams missing recent signing from Banbury Ethan Johnston came in for his debut alongside Nabil Shariff up front.

Initially playing with the wind at their backs the Ives started on the front foot although the first half chance of the game fell to the hosts in eleventh minute when the lively Kieran Higgs got through the centre of Ives defence but he delayed his shot allowing Toseland to get around and block the effort when it finally came.

Ives first attempt on goal in 13^th minute came within inches of putting them in front. Milne delivered a deep cross from the right that Johnston won in the air heading the ball down into the six yard box where Shariff got a toe to it but his effort was straight into the hands of keeper Warren Burwood who managed to hold onto the ball right on his goal line.

Johnston made a dream start to his debut as he put the visitors in front in their next attack in 19^th minute. Michael Richens ran across the hosts back line before sliding a ball into the feet of Johnston inside the box. A lightening turn and shot surprised keeper Burwood who although he got a hand to the ball could not keeper it out of the net.

Tyrone Baker scored a screamer to double Ives lead only three minutes later. It was a goal scored in the simplest fashion possible. A well directed kick out from Heath picked out Kyle Davison-Gordon just inside the hosts half. Baker ran onto his flick down the line, cut inside and unleashed an unstoppable effort from the left hand corner of the box that flew into the far corner of the net past the despairing dive of Burwood.

Now well on top Ives continued to pile on the pressure Richens flashed a thirty yarder inches past the post with Burwood well beaten just after the half hour. That opportunity had been set up by Nathan Hicks and Hicks himself twice went close to increasing the lead in 33^rd minute. Richens slid a quick free kick down the right channel for Ed Hottor to deliver into the box. His cross was only half cleared to Hicks and his powerful drive from the edge of the D was deflected just wide. The resulting corner was only cleared as far as the same player who this time blazed well over from 25 yards.

Shariff flashed a header inches over the top as he got in front of his man to get on the end of another teasing Hottor cross from the right in 37^th minute. The best chance to increase the lead came only moments later as the excellent Richens slid through another slide rule pass to pick out the perfectly timed run of Baker. Clear into the box he managed to take the ball around keeper Burwood but decided that the angle was then to narrow and tried to find Shariff with a pull back allowing Adam Tann to cut out the pass and scramble the ball away.

With time ticking down to the break it looked like Ives were going to go into the dressing room with a comfortable two goal lead when keeper Heath made his mistake. Owen Murphy was chasing a ball clipped over the top but Heath was always favourite to claim it without incident. However the keeper somehow failed to collect the ball allowing to go through his hands. Murphy was going to be clear onto the rolling ball and to prevent him getting to it Heath had to shoulder barge him away. Referee Emily Heaslip had no hesitation in awarding the spot kick she also decided that as the last man Heath had to receive a red card to add to his red cheeks. With no goalkeeper on the bench the versatile Milne showed another string to his bow as he bravely donned the gloves. His first act was to pick Higgs emphatically despatched penalty out of the net.

Seconds later the half time whistle sounded with Ives joint management team now needing to deliver a completely different team talk to the one that they had been expecting only moments earlier. With Milne clearly not a proper keeper between the sticks Trawlerboys manager Jamie Godbold had obviously told his charges to shoot on site and in the first few minutes after the re-start long range efforts from Higgs and skipper Travis Cole both flew harmlessly wide.

Milne was called upon to make his first save in 51^st minute and he did brilliantly to deny Adam Sherwood in unorthodox style. Higgs delivered a ball from the left that flicked off a head in the centre and arrived at the feet of Sherwood on his own at the back post it looked like he must score but he got the ball tangled in his feet allowing Milne to slide across his line and block the shot away with his legs.

Ten man Ives seized every opportunity to get forward and still looked dangerous on the break, They had a shout for a penalty of their own turned down on the hour as Shariff got onto the end of an overhead kick into the box by Johnston only to be muscled off the ball by the combined efforts of Cole and Tann.

The equaliser did arrive for the hosts in 64^th minute as Jerrell Barbor delivered a ball in from the right that found Josh Harvey in a little bit of space inside the box. The sixteen year old striker belied his tender age as he took a touch before smashing a right footed effort past stand in keeper Milne from 15 yards.

Now on level terms the hosts went in search of a winner and Milne was called upon to make another save ninety seconds later. The dangerous Higgs cut in from the left and hit a powerful rising effort that Milne got both hands to pushing the ball into the air. Davison-Gordon did very well to just prevent Harvey forcing the dropping ball home at the back post.

Despite their reduced numbers Ives themselves were also still looking to get a maximum return from this vital game and dead ball situations at least gave them chance to get a few more bodies into the opposition box. A 73^rd minute corner from the right by Toseland caused panic in the Trawlerboys box as it dropped to the feet of Davison-Gordon by the penalty spot but his first time effort got a big deflection off a defender which took all of the sting out of it and allow keeper Burwood to make a comfortable save.

Seven minutes later at the other end substitute Marcus Wilkinson had a goal bound effort deflected wide off the body of Ives substitute Eniola Agemoh-Davies. This presented the hosts with their seventh corner of the second period but skipper Brett Solkhon was at his imperious best as he rose to head it away from almost underneath his own crossbar.

One last Ives opportunity to grab a winner was denied by an assistant’s flag four minutes from time as substitute Jason Dwumfuo got clear onto a threaded Ben Toseland pass. With that chance gone it had to be a case of the visitors hanging on to what they had got and they did just that with only one real scare in the final added minute as Richens took down Louis McIntosh inches outside the box. Milne lined up a five man wall then stood behind it clearly unable to see a thing. McIntosh himself took the kick and much to the relief of Ives small travelling contingent he curled it over the bar.

In the circumstances, having to play the entire second half with ten men and a stand in keeper between the sticks this has to go down as a point gained. But after the magnificent first half performance the game should have been dead and buried well before Heath’s howler so two points were really thrown away. Lots of candidates for man of the match Milne had to be a front runner for his heroics as a stand in keeper and Solkhon was back to his best during the second half but the behind the goal crew picked Ethan Johnston for what we hope is the first of many awards on a lively debut.

Final Score : Lowestoft Town 2 St Ives Town 2

Goals :

LOWESTOFT: Higgs 45+3 (pen), Harvey 64

ST IVES: Johnston 19, Baker 22

Teams

LOWESTOFT: Burwood, Fleming, Smith, Barbor, Tann, Cole (capt), Murphy, Sherwood (McIntosh 76), Harvey (Oladipo 81), Higgs, Johnson (M. Wilkinson 61) Unused subs: Ruffles, J. Wilkinson

ST IVES: Heath, Milne, Davison-Gordon, Richens, Solkhon (capt), Toseland, Baker (Agemoh-Davies 58), Hicks, Shariff, Johnston (Dwumfuo 83), Hottor, Unused subs : Rhaman, Patrick

Ives Supporters man of the match : Ethan Johnston

Attendance : 258

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Shirley D Whitlow.

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Lowestoft Town v St Ives Town

Southern League Challenge Cup – Preliminary Round 10-09-19

A well taken early goal from debutant striker Matt Foy settled this cup tie but the equally important statistic from the game was Ives first clean sheet of the season and it was not easily come by as they came under heavy pressure almost throughout from the Trawlerboys who were keen to match their run to the semi-finals of this competition last season.

Recent acquisition from Cambridge City Foy was not the only Ives debutant on the warm evening on the East coast as ex Coventry City and Northampton Town defender Aaron Phillips also made his first start at right back as manager Ricky Marheineke shuffled his squad making eight changes to the starting eleven from Saturday’s FA victory.

The visitors were quickly out of the traps and could have gone in front even before Foy’s early goal as Robbie Parker changed down an attempted clearance by Adam Tann and forced his way to the bye line before picking out Foy with his pull back, it took an excellent recovery block by Miguel Lopez to prevent the Ives striker opening his account in second minute.

However Foy was not to be denied for long as only two minutes later he picked up a ball out of defence by Ollie Snaith on the right hand side and cut inside between Jack Wilkinson and Ross Jarvis before drawing keeper Luis Tibbles to him and the cleverly slotting the ball between the exposed custodian and his near post.

Falling behind seemed to spark the hosts into action and they pressed forward with purpose to win the first of many corners on the evening only four minutes later. Louis McIntosh delivered it to the near post when Malachi Linton rose above the crowd to power in a header that Martin Conway did well to block at point blank range. The loose ball was quickly scrambled away by the alert Jarvis Wilson.

Ty Ward conceded a free kick in a dangerous position as he sent the speedy Jacek Zielonka sprawling just outside the box in 12^th minute as the tricky winger was tearing at the heart of Ives defence. Zielonka took the resulting free kick himself and curled it around the wall but the effort was gathered by a well positioned Conway.

Ives raids on the Trawlerboys goal were sporadic the best of them coming midway through the half when a Ward free kick into the box was only half cleared and Snaith snatched his shot well over the top with a better balanced Phillips bearing down on the loose ball just outside the box.

But play soon swung back to the other end where Jack Wilkinson managed to time his run to perfection to arrive beyond the back post and get on the end of a deep McIntosh free kick. The full back was perhaps a little unlucky to see his powerful header cannon off the back of Ward and ricochet wide.

Crosses and corners continued to rain into the Ives box but Wilson well backed up by Jeff Woodward and Charlie Johnson remained firm generally winning the headers and knocking away any loose balls to deny the hosts much in the way of clear cut opportunities. The closest the Trwalerboys came to an equaliser before the break was ten minutes before the interval when Tann managed to get on the end of an in-swinging Jack Wilkinson free kick from the right. But he only succeeded in steering his header from ten yards straight into the grateful arms of Conway who held on well.

Ives were forced into a change at the break as Phillips succumbed to a knock to be replaced by Charlie De’ath who went into the centre of defence with Woodward moving across to the right.

Both sides created good opportunities to add to the score in the early stages of the second half. Only thirty seconds after the restart Ezra Forde’s clip into the box from the right was just flicked away from Foy by a stretching Jarvis.

Ives then had a huge escape just sixty seconds later as the clearance from the resulting corner was worked down the left with Zielonka, Jack Wilkinson and Marcus Wilkinson all involved before the latter cut inside and unleashed a fizzing drive from the corner of the box that beat the despairing dive of Conway and crashed into the inside of the post before rebounding across the face of goal at such a fine angle that Linton following up was only able to screw his effort into the side netting.

Having survived that scare the visitors then created a good opportunity to double their lead in 51^st minute as the ever busy Parker robbed Kyle Richardson 30 yards from goal and drove forward before teeing up Andrew Osei-Bonsu just outside the box. The silky Ives striker eyed up his options and curled his right footed effort beyond the grasping fingers of Tibbles but inches the wrong side of his left hand upright.

That proved to be the visitors final opportunity of the evening as the hosts again started to crank up the pressure but now rather than simply delivering the ball into the box where they were getting little joy out of Wilson and his colleague they started to more cleverly work their way through the mass ranks of orange defenders. In 53^rd minute another intricate passing move this time down the right ended with McIntosh setting up Richardson who curled his effort just wide from the edge of the box. The same player thudded an effort into the boards eight minutes later after yet another corner had been knocked down to him inside the box.

As in the first half Ives raids into the Trawlerboys box were rare. The only noteworthy effort in the last half an hour coming in 68^th minute when patient build up play was concluded with Wilson delivering a deep cross from the right which Foy was rising to nod in at the back post only for the ball to skim off the head of Travis Cole and evade the Ives striker.

The chances kept coming at the other end and in 74^th minute a corner was well cleared to Jack Wilkinson fully forty yards from goal but for once the powerful Linton escaped from his marker in the box and he managed to get a clean header onto Wilkinson’s clip back into the danger zone but steered his effort wide from an excellent position.

Two minutes later the sparse home crowd erupted as one when Richardson had a coming together with Ward inside the Ives box when he looked like he was running clear onto a McIntosh through ball but the somewhat eccentric referee Mark Ames quickly waved the incident away but equally strangely failed to book the Lowestoft player if he thought he had dived so his ultimate conclusion must have been an accidental collision!.

The one way traffic continued and with ten minutes to go Conway needed the help of Johnson after the keeper did well to block a rasping drive from 20 yards by McIntosh that bounced off the keeper’s body and back into the mix but Johnson was first to react to scramble the loose ball away.

With the clock ticking down it looked like the hosts were finally going to get the reward of an equaliser as referee Ames decided in favour of the attacking side as the grappling in the area got a little out of hand with bodies landing on the deck as the Trawlerboys umpteenth corner of the night was delivered into the box with two minutes of the ninety remaining. Substitute Dylan Williams was given the task of despatching the spot kick which would almost certainly take the tie to a shoot out. He struck the ball well but Conway guessed right a palmed the effort away to ensure Ives progressed to the next round of the competition.

It was a night where a defender had to take the man of the match accolade and even though he may have been the one at fault for the spot kick Wilson won the honour for an imposing display at the heart of Ives defence. Matt Foy also gleaned votes from the small contingent of Ives fans that had made the long trek to the coast on a Tuesday evening but Wilson just shaded it.

Final Score : Lowestoft Town 0 St Ives Town 1

Goals : Foy 4

Team : Conway, Phillips (De’ath 46), Ward, Jarvis Wilson, Woodward, Johnson, Snaith, Parker (capt), Foy, Osei-Bonsu (Wood 56), Forde (Bailey 78)

Unused subs : Seymour-Shove, Wakley

Supporters man of the match : Jarvis Wilson

Attendance : 173

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook.

Lowestoft Town v St Ives Town

BetVictor League Southern Premier Division Central 13-08-19

Ives slipped to defeat in controversial circumstances as Trawlerboys ace marksman Jake Reed stabbed home the only goal of the game just after the hour when a Jacek Zielonka corner had deflected off the head of Charlie De’ath and landed in the mix where claims for foul on Robbie Parker were waved away by the officials before Reed pounced.

De’ath had passed a pre-match fitness test to replace Danny Kelly as one of three centre backs in the only change to Ives starting eleven from Saturday’s promising opener against Tamworth.

The Trawlerboys enjoyed the best of the opening exchanges and created the first opportunity from a sixth minute corner as Connor Deeks rose highest at the back post but glanced Wilkinson’s flag kick wide of the post.

Both sides were struggling to create anything from open play as defences looked solid and the next half chance did not arrive until 24^th minute when Charlie Johnson timed his run to perfection to get on the end of Ty Ward’s corner from the right but like Deeks before him he too failed to trouble the keeper as he powered his header over the top.

The hosts were making good use of their very wide pitch getting both full backs forward to support their wingers at every opportunity and Josh Curry combined well with Zielonka on the right in 28^th minute. The former eventually delivered a teasing cross into the centre which Reed attacked at the back post rising above Ben Jackson and powering a header that beat Martin Conway and crashed into the underside of the crossbar. Shaun Bammant following up failed to hit his effort cleanly and Conway was alert to smother the loose ball.

Instantly play swung to the other end as a swift clearance from Conway allowed the hard working Ezra Forde to win a corner off Deeks. Ward’s flag kick flicked off the head of Deeks at the near post and looked like it might sneak in at the back post but Travis Cole was on hand to head the ball away before an Ives player could force it home.

Ives best chance of the game fell to De’ath five minutes before the break. Jack Snelus cleverly won a free kick 35 yards from goal on the left as Deeks nudged him as the pair challenged for a high ball. Ward curled in the in-swinging free kick and De;ath lost his marker in the centre giving him a free header eight yards out. He rose well and made good contact but his effort skimmed the crossbar as keeper Luis Tibbles looked on.

Overall a pretty even first half concluded with the statistics showing each team had five attempts on goal but the wayward nature of those efforts was clear as neither keeper was forced into a meaningful save.

After dealing well with an early Trawlerboys corner Ives then enjoyed a very good ten minute spell at the start of the second half. Snelus had a powerful run past two defenders from the centre circle only to be just beaten to the ball by the alert Tibbles who sprinted from his line well. Ward also skimmed a dangerous cross from the left across the face of goal just out of reach of a stretching Forde.

The only goal of the game arrived in 62^nd minute from the hosts second corner in quick succession. De’ath rose well to Zielonka’s flag kick at the near post but failed to make clean contact his header looping into the air and dropping just outside the six yard box. Bammant challenged for it and the ball dropped on the six yard line where Robbie Parker fell onto it but in spite of his presence and that of a group of Ives defenders the ever alert Reed showed why he is a top striker at this level as he reacted first to force the ball home,. Ives protests that Parker had been fouled fell on deaf ears leaving the visitors needing to match Saturday’s heroics to come from behind to get anything from the game.

Dylan Wilson was Ives hero in this fixture last season and he was quickly introduced by manager Ricky Marheineke in place of the tiring Forde but the visitors continued to struggle to create much from open play. Their only opportunity to grab an equaliser inside the ninety minutes came with nineteen minutes to go when Wood was fouled on the left to give Ward the opportunity to curl in another dangerous free kick. This time it was Johnson who timed his run well and rose to meet the ball eight yards out but he was always stretching and failed to make clean contact steering his header wide from a good position.

Tactical changes followed as Jackson and Wood were sacrificed to allow manager Marheineke to throw on more strike power with the introduction of Andrew Osei-Bonsu and Ben Seymour-Shove but the Trawlerboys back line remained firm with a leg or a head always in place to cut out any intended through ball.

Ives only chance to grab anything from the game arrived in the fourth of five added minutes when Parker found just enough space to jink his way into the crowded box past a couple of defenders but his attempted shot when it eventually came was blocked at point blank range by Cole. The loose ball fell to Wilson on the edge of the box but he could only curl his hurried effort wide of the post.

Overall a disappointing result as Ives flattering to deceive as they enjoyed good periods of possession but continued to struggle to create much from open play and although they had seven efforts at goal they did not force keeper Tibbles into a single save in the entire ninety minutes. Having said that the defence generally continued to look solid and it was in my humble opinion probably a better all round performance than last season when Ives came away with all three points. Bottom line though is that it is points that matter and after the opening two fixtures last season Ives were riding high with six points. Things do not get any easier either as a trip to Biggleswade awaits on Saturday with the Waders smarting after a spanking from early pace setters Royston.

Final Score : Lowestoft Town 1 St Ives Town 0

Goals : none

Team : Conway, Jackson (Osei-Bonsu 80), Ward, Jarvis Wilson, Johnson, De’ath, Wood (Seymour-Shove 80), Parker (capt), Forde (Dylan Wilson 64), Snelus, Clifton

Unused subs : Coulson, Snaith,

Supporters man of the match : Charlie Johnson

Attendance : 436

Match report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook.

Lowestoft Town vs St Ives Town

Lowestoft Town 0 St Ives Town 1

Evo-Stik League South Premier Division Central – 14-08-18

A solid defensive performance topped off with a brilliantly taken Dylan Wilson goal seconds into added time ensured that the Ives kept their perfect start to the season going as they made a first ever visit to the home of the Trawlerboys and came away from the seaside with all three points.

The visitors started very positively winning two corners in the opening four minutes. From the second of those Declan Rogers picked out Sam Cartwright rising powerfully by the penalty spot but he could only direct his header just over the top.

The hosts first real attack came in the eleventh minute but a deep cross from the left by Ben Fowkes was well defended at the back post by Mark Coulson at the expense of a corner. Jacek Zielonka picked out Josh Curry who rose powerfully at the near post, but only directed his header over the top.

Two minutes later ex Norwich City striker Kieran Higgs found some space cutting in from the right before unleashing a low skimming drive from 20 yards which fizzed just wide of Tim Trebes’s right hand post and thudded the boards.

The best opportunity of the first period fell to Munashe Sundire in 20^th minute as he was allowed to run clear onto a long ball curled into the box from the left by Charlie De’ath. Both keeper Elvijs Putnins and centre back Rossi Jarvis hesitated and Sundire got between them. He met his header cleanly from just inside the box, but only managed to steer the ball just over the top.

The end to end first half continued as the hosts again went close in 37^th minute. Connor Ingram combined well with Matt Brown on the left the move finishing with the full back cutting in and firing in a powerful drive that keeper Trebes did well to cling onto low to his right.

Brown was again involved four minutes later as he drilled in a cross from the left that Ives struggled to clear the ball eventually falling to fellow full back Josh Curry also up from the back. He took a touch before curling in an effort from 20 yards that just crept outside Trebes right hand post.

The final action of the first period was another Sundire burst that almost got him clear as he pounced on an error by Curry and then beat keeper Putnins to the loose ball. But the keeper did just enough to force him wide allowing defenders to cover around behind him and Jarvis blocked the shot when it eventually arrived.

After an open first half Ives decided to change their tactics a little in the second period ensure they tightened things up by keeping a better defensive shape and defending their box more resolutely. This allowed the hosts more possession but made sure they had a much more difficult task to find a way through. Keeper Trebes was maintaining a high starting position to ensure that he was in place to gather anything over the top. He took a clattering from Connor Deeks as he just beat the Trawlerboys striker to a ball over the top in 55^th minute fortunately he had fully recovered one minute later as he dived to his right to cling onto a snap shot from 20 yards by the same player.

The hosts came closest to getting on the score board five minutes later as a quick throw on the left was channelled across the park to Zielonka 20 yards from goal he unleashed a rasping drive that flashed past Trebes desperate dive but only skimmed the crossbar on its way over the top.

In spite of continuing to enjoy the lion’s share of possession the hosts were finding it harder and harder to make inroads into the resolute Ives backline and were beginning to resort to pumping hopeful balls into the box which was proving food and drink to the powerful Ives centre back pairing of Jarvis Wilson and a back to his best De’ath who won everything that came his way both in the air and on the deck. These two and their hard working colleagues were so effective in snuffing out the Trawlerboys attacks that Trebes only had one more comfortable save to make in 82^nd minute.

With time fast running out Ives began to realise that there could be a full three points for the taking and they went perilously close to grabbing them in 90^th minute as substitute Dan Moyes got in front of the keeper to a Robbie Parker free kick from the left causing Putnins to completely miss the ball which bounced just millimetres wide of the far post.

Ives had one more chance to grab the hard earned victory only ninety seconds later as the willing running of young Dylan Wilson allowed him to capitalise on an error from Jarvis who misjudged a long ball out of defence allowing the Ives substitute to gain possession. Wilson was 25 yards out with his back to goal but he showed the true touch of a striker who knows where the goal is as he took the ball in turned and curled it left footed past the despairing dive and grasping fingers of keeper Putnins and into the bottom right hand corner of the net to stun the home crowd into silence whilst sending the small travelling contingent into raptures.

Ives played out the remaining four minutes without further scares to claim a memorable three points on the road. The celebrations at the final whistle showed just how much it meant to players and supporters alike. Six points from the opening two games against two “big club” teams who were both playing a higher level in the recent past must have exceeded the expectations of even the most ardent Ives supporters. But all who have seen the two games will realise just how hard working this group of players are and that level of commitment and passion makes anything possible.

Result : Lowestoft Town 0 St Ives Town 1

Goals : Dylan Wilson 90+1

Team : Trebes, Cartwright, Coulson, McGowan, De’ath, Jarvis Wilson, Snaith (Seymour-Shove 73), Parker (capt), Bailey, Rogers (Moyes 86), Sundire (Dylan Wilson 64)

Unused subs : Short, Leslie

Man of Match : Charlie De’ath

Attendance : 393

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Gemma Thompson