Needham Market

Needham Market v St Ives Town

Needham Market v St Ives Town  

Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central  16-08-2022

The Marketmen came into this game with only one point and no goals scored from their opening two games of the season. Ives riding high in the table with a maximum six points in the locker and seven goals scored. Those records meant absolutely nothing on the evening as the hosts came out hungry and got in the faces of Ives right from the off with their high pressing, high paced game. Unlike in their previous two fixtures Ives found themselves given no time on the ball anywhere on the park as the Marketmen cleverly hunted in packs unsettling their visitors.

The home supporters at Bloomfields had waited over 180 minutes for their opening goal of the season but it was not long coming on this overcast but warm evening. Only six minutes in Jamie McGrath was given time and space on the edge of Ives box to take down and pivot on a long ball in from the right. He did not hit his shot cleanly but it came through the legs of a defender and went in via James Goff’s right hand upright before the keeper could react.

Give them their due Ives do offer a real threat going forward this season and they reacted well to falling behind levelling things up in style only ninety seconds later. A quick break down the left saw Andrew Osei-Bonsu get away, he slid a perfectly weighted pass into the run of Jonny Edwards who fed the ball along the six yard line where the ever alert Nabil Shariff made no mistake sliding the ball under the body of the diving Marcus Garnham in the home goal. That strike took Shariff’s tally up to four for the season.

The equaliser seemed to lift Ives and they raised their pace to match that of their hosts and it was the visitors who created the next two opportunities. In 27th minute a Johnny Herd long throw was only half cleared out to the left where skipper Michael Richens picked it up. His clip into the centre was met by Edwards but he was unable to direct his glancing header on target. Greg Kaziboni was having a little bit of joy down the right and three minutes later he managed to get outside Jake Dye to the bye line before hanging up a teasing cross to the back post where Shariff got on the end of it but his downward header was scrambled away from the six yard box by Kyle Hammond.

The goal that put the hosts back in front came almost out of nothing in 34th minute as Patrick Brothers picked up a loose ball fully 25 yards from goal. Ed Hottor did not commit to the tackle as he was wary having picked up a yellow card for an innocuous challenge a few minutes earlier and Brothers took the chance to have a go. His powerfully struck left footed skimmer beat Goff low to his right to once again lift the home crowd.

Ives again came back at their opponents almost immediately and it took an excellent defensive header from Dye to prevent Shariff getting on the end of Richens curled free kick. The young full back facing towards his own goal did very well to glance the ball over his own crossbar.

The final opportunity of a very frantic, but open, first half came five minutes before the whistle and it fell to the hosts. This time it was their turn to break quickly and Jacob Lay fed in McGrath on the right corner of the box from where he unleashed a piledriver that flashed past Goff but slammed into his left hand post and rebounded to safety.

Ives fans probably anticipated that their team would come out at the start of the second half and tare into their opponents in search of a second equaliser. But that was not how it turned out to be as the Marketmen lifted themselves to an even higher level of intensity determined to add to their lead. Two good early chances went begging for them. Brothers was at the heart of most of the hosts good work and the second half was only two minutes old when he caught Herd in possession deep in his own half and fed in Seth Chambers who fired wide from just inside the box. 

It was Julien Saka’s turn to get caught out moments later as he was robbed by McGrath who similarly fed in Chambers with the same result the centre forward firing inches wide from a very good position.

But Ives could only ride their luck for so long and it ran out in 52nd minute as the visitors struggled to clear a ball into their box from the right. The ball eventually falling to Brothers on the edge of the box and he made no mistake finding the top corner with perfect strike that beat Goff all ends up.

Having got two goals to the good the hosts dropped their intensity a little and Ives were quick to exploit it to get back into the game. Only six minutes later a Herd long throw from the right was only half cleared the ball falling to Callum Milne at the back of the box where he met it sweetly on the half volley giving Garnham no chance from 15 yards.

Osei-Bonsu had a chance to level things up for the visitors only a couple of minutes later having been fed in through the left channel by substitute Myles Cowling he cut inside and curled his right foot effort from just outside the box a couple of feet wide.

That proved to be Ives last opportunity of the evening as the hosts again lifted their tempo preventing the visitors finding any of the flowing rhythm that had been so evident in their previous two games. A fourth goal for the hosts on 63 minutes just about settled the contest. Ross Crane picked up the ball on the right side and was allowed to run across the face of Ives defence unchallenged before firing into the bottom corner left footed past Goff’s despairing dive.

The Marketmen did not make the mistake of lowering their intensity again and it was they who carved out more opportunities in the remaining time. A free kick delivered into the box almost caught out Ives again in 69th minute but Goff did well getting down smartly to his left to keep out a close range effort from Crane.

The visitor’s keeper did equally well to deny McGrath fifteen minutes from time after the hosts number ten had got on the end of a pull back to the penalty spot by Crane who had powered through to the bye line from the right.

Ives did huff and puff a little in the closing stages but failed to test Garnham in the home goal any further with wayward efforts from substitute Ethan Johnston and skipper Richens  summing up their unfortunate evening.

This result means that the Marketmen remain Ives bogy side. A run that dates back fifteen years and eleven fixtures to the days of a 5th Round FA Vase tie in 2007/8 has never once seen the boys from Cambridgeshire get one over on the Suffolk rivals. A target for the return fixture in November for sure.

Final Score: Needham Market   4  St Ives Town  2       

Goals: 

NEEDHAM: McGrath 6, Brothers 34 & 52, Crane 63

ST IVES: Shariff 8, Milne 58

Team Line Ups:

NEEDHAM: Garnham, Hammond, Dye, Frimpong, K. Morphew (capt), D. Morphew, Lay, Brothers, Chambers (Collard 74), McGrath, Crane, Unused subs: Clark, Exworth, Cullum

ST IVES: Goff, Saka, Herd, Richens (capt), J. Williams, Milne, Kaziboni, Hottor (Cowling 56), Edwards (Johnston 82), Osei-Bonsu (Baker 71), Shariff, Unused subs: Lewis

Cards:  Yellow:  NEEDHAM: Garnham (90+2)               ST IVES: Hottor (24)

IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Greg Kaziboni

Attendance: 200

Report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook

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Needham Market v St Ives Town

Needham Market v St Ives Town  

Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round  04-09-2021

For the second season in a row Ives timidly tumbled out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle to a team from Suffolk. Last season the minnows from Brantham took their heads this time it was their regular league rivals Needham Market that grabbed the only goal of the game eight minutes after half time.

No one was really expecting an old fashioned blood and guts cup tie from two teams that had played out a tight draw in a league fixture at the same venue less than three weeks ago. With that in mind this game did not surprise anyone as clear cut chances were very few and far between with defences dominating throughout. 

The goal that settled it came from an error by Ives goalkeeper Paul White who failed to hold onto a low driven cross shot from the left by Marketmen’s left back Callum Sturgess presenting an opportunity for his opposite full back Kyle Hammond to slam home from close range.

The afternoon started with a bit of good news for Ives supporters as Brett Solkhon had recovered from his knock picked up against Stratford the previous Saturday and took his place in the centre of defence also reclaiming the captain’s armband. Powerful midfielder Nathan Hicks also made his first start of the season having recovered from his hamstring injury picked up in pre-season. Unfortunately exciting winger Luke Fairlamb had not recovered sufficiently from his knock to make the squad.

As has seemed to be the way in recent games Ives started slowly seemingly inviting their hosts to come onto them. Sure enough the Marketmen seized the early initiative with their first effort on goal arriving in 5th minute with Hammond setting a trend for the afternoon by getting down the right. His low pass into the box was teed up well by Will Hunt but Noah Collard’s first time effort from the edge of the box was deflected wide for the first of the home sides eight corners in the first half.

The host’s next foray into Ives box came in 12th minute Byron Lawrence delivered a deep hanging cross beyond the far post Ben Fowkes rose unchallenged and found Hunt with his header into the mix but the centre forward failed to hit the target from a good position.

Six minutes later Luke Ingram probably should have put the home side ahead as Fowkes and Hunt combined down the left with the latter picking out Ingram in space twelve yards out but the Marketmen’s number seven slammed his first time effort inches over the top.

To tell you how one way the game had been to this point Ives first real threat arrived in 20th minute when patient build up play eventually ended with Ben Seymour-Shove almost threading a ball into the box to pick out the well timed run of Dylan Williams but Sturgess was alert to the danger and slid in to just cut out the threat.

The game continued as a cagy cat and mouse affair with only one slightly noteworthy effort from each side before the break. In 31st minute Fowkes tried to emulate the goal that he had scored in the earlier league fixture by cutting inside from the right and attempting a curler from 25 yards that this time just went over the top. Ives first shot in 43rd minute was created by substitute Camron McWilliams who had only been on the field a few minutes having replaced the injured Eniola Agemoh-Davies. McWilliams cut inside from the right beating two men before teeing up Williams for a shot from just outside the D that can only be described as high and wide.

So the game reached the half time interval without either keeper being called upon to make a save. All of that changed in the first few minutes after the re-start. Home keeper Marcus Garnham was first into action with less than 30 seconds on the watch. Williams picked up a ball just outside the box and side steeped to create just enough space to curl and effort around his marker that was heading for the bottom corner but the big stopper was equal to it plunging full length to his left to palm the ball away.

Ives carved out a second on target effort in 52nd minute as Nabil Shariff and Seymour-Shove combined to feed in McWilliams on the right. The angle was very narrow but the young full back went for goal forcing Garnham to tip the ball over the top.

Having started the second period so well and looking like they were getting on top Ives had the wind taken out of their sails only ninety seconds later as the ball was played to the other end where Sturgess found space on the left to fire in his powerful low cross shot that White spilled presenting the opportunity for Hammond to gleefully hammer home what proved to be the winner.

Since his introduction McWilliams probing runs were looking like the most likely route for Ives to find a way through the Marketmen’s otherwise solid back line. In 58th minute he almost managed to put Shariff clean through as he went past two defenders before releasing the slide rule pass that looked like it had done the job but home skipper Daniel Morphew stuck out a long leg to take the ball of the strikers toe.

Having struggled so hard to find a way through for the first hour of the game the visitors suddenly found themselves presented with a gift. Centre back Josh Pollard woefully under hit an attempted back pass and Hicks burst clear onto the loose ball. With only Garnham to beat the midfielder decided to take the shot on early but struck his twenty yarder straight at the keeper who blocked the effort. Seymour-Shove was following up and looked likely to force home the loose ball but Pollard had kept running and just did enough to slide in a deflect the shot away from goal and make recompense for his error seconds earlier.

That proved to be Ives best opportunity to get level and the pace of the game dropped off again after the chance had come and gone. The next attempt on goal came from the hosts in 74th minute. Ed Hottor brought down substitute Tariq Issa 25 yards from goal. Ives five man wall did its job to block Issa’s initial free kick, the rebound fell to Lawrence who unleashed a low screamer that White was relieved to see deflect wide of his right hand upright off Fowkes.

Ives still kept looking for the elusive equaliser and they went close in 86th minute as substitute Michael Harding cleverly stepped over a ball in from Hottor. Shariff was on to it and looked to be clean through but he failed to get his shot away first time and was quickly surrounded by defenders. He did eventually manage to get a shot on target but it was a tame one straight into the arms of the grateful Garnham.

There was one final opportunity for the visitors to take their hosts back for a Tuesday night replay at Westwood Road in the last minute of the ninety as substitute Ryan Robbins ran at the heart of the Marketmen’s back four and was taken down inches outside the box. Referee George Laflin played an excellent advantage as the ball ran on to Liam Cross but the young winger fired over from a good position.

The final goalmouth action of this pretty tame encounter saw White pull off the save of the day as Hammond’s cross to the back post fell to substitute Tom Maycock who rattled in a powerful half volley that White reacted brilliantly to turn away at point blank range.

Overall a disappointing afternoon as the dream of an FA Cup run with all of its associated revenue streams and excitement ends for another year. It only remains to wish the Marketmen every success in the next round.

Final Score : Needham Market  1  St Ives Town  0      

Goals : 

NEEDHAM MARKET : Hammond 53

ST IVES : 

Teams

NEEDHAM MARKET: Garnham, Hammond, Sturgess, Lawrence, Pollard, D. Morphew (capt), Ingram, Collard, Hunt (De La Paz 67), Page (Issa 72), Fowkes (Maycock 79).  Unused subs: Fennell, Dye, Elsden

ST IVES: White, Agemoh-Davies (McWilliams 39), Flanagan, Hottor, Solkhon (capt), Milne, Cross, Seymour-Shove (Robbins 79), Shariff, Williams, Hicks (Harding 73)  Unused subs : Heath, Toseland, Snelus 

Ives Supporters man of the match : Brett Solkhon

Attendance : 161

Report by Nigel Howlett

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Needham Market v St Ives Town

Needham Market v St Ives Town  

Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central 17-08-2021

Coming off the back of an excellent opening day win Ives supporters may have expected manager Ricky Marheineke to name an unchanged side for this Tuesday evening trip into Suffolk but his hand was at least partially forced as injuries to Ben Toseland and Luke Howell kept them out of the squad all together and a knock for Nabil Shariff saw him drop to the bench. These changes gave the opportunity for first starts for promising young full back Eniola Agemoh-Davies, and two internationals who have recently joined Ives Pakistani midfielder Samir Nabi and St Kitts & Nevis centre forward Ryan Robbins. The final change was a straight swap at right wing with pacy American Michael Harding coming in for Northampton Town loanee Liam Cross who joined Shariff on the bench.

From early on it quickly became obvious that these were two sides with very similar styles. Both hard working when out of possession and very quick on the break when they acquired the ball. The first half chance of the evening went the way of the visitors as Harding and Agemoh-Davies combined well on the right in only the third minute. The young full back getting to bye line and it took a stretching Kieran Morphew to just get a touch to prevent the lurking Robbins getting on the end of his pull back.

First shot on target of the evening came eleven minutes later and it was Paul White in the Ives goal who was called upon to make a routine save low to his right as Byron Lawrence took a quick free kick to tee up Luke Ingram who tried his luck from 30 yards as Ives defenders were a little slow to close him down.

That failure to close players down quickly enough cost the visitors dear only two minutes later as the hosts showed their ability to break at pace in perfect style. Ives own throw in near to the Marketmen’s corner flag was quickly cleared across the park to left back Callum Strurgess who was allowed to gallop forward deep into Ives territory before laying the ball inside to Ben Fowkes who had time and space to take a touch before unleashing an exquisite curling right footer from 25 yards that found the top corner beyond the grasping fingers of the leaping White. Referee Aaron Farmer is also worthy of a mention in the goal as he played an excellent advantage on the half way line allowing Strugess to continue his run in spite of an obvious attempt to haul him down by Dylan Williams.

The visitors continued to pressurise their hosts and picked up a whole series of free kicks in promising positions deep in Marketmen’s territory but the delivery was not right on any of the eight that were delivered into the box and home keeper Marcus Garnham was not called into any meaningful action before the break.

At the other end the hosts continued their speedy breaks into the Ives defensive third with half chances coming at the end of flowing moves being wasted by Kyle Hammond who crashed his powerful drive from just outside the box into the boards to the right of White’s goal in 30th minute and Noah Collard who skimmed a shot past the keeper’s opposite post after having been fed through by Lawrence five minutes before the break.

Ives knew that they had to lift themselves to get back into the game and it was evident from the re-start that they had upped the pace. Garnham was called into his first real action of the evening only three minutes later as a quick throw was fed to Harding who cut inside before laying the ball into the path of Nabi his 25 yarder was well struck but straight at the Marketmen’s keeper who held on well.

The game was opening up with both sides now tearing at their opponents and the next couple of opportunities both went the way of the hosts. Lawrence unleashed a screamer that flew inches wide in 50th minute and only ninety seconds later a flowing Marketmen move down the right ended with Collard thumping in a rising drive from the edge of the box that White did well to push away.

The Ives keeper was almost caught out on the hour as an unexpected turn and shot from fully 30 yards by Callum Page saw him scrambling to his left to only just turn the ball around the post. However there was a sting in the tail for the hosts as the resulting corner lead to Ives equaliser. The near post delivery was initially only half cleared but it fell to a defender on the edge of the box who put his foot through it. Somehow the Marketmen had managed to leave only one man marking Luke Fairlamb on the half way line and in a foot race with Fairlamb Hammond was always likely to come off second best. The speedy wide man set off in pursuit of the ball over the top leaving the hosts full back trailing in his wake. Garnham came to meet him but the Ives man showed perfect composure rounding the exposed stopper before rolling the ball into the empty net and wheeling away in celebration.

The game continued at its high tempo with both sides going in search of a winner. The hosts continued to try their luck from distance and Fowkes fired a powerful shot well wide after having been worked into space in 66th minute.

Cross who had replaced the tiring Harding before the Ives goal was now combining well with Agemoh-Davies on the right and the two carved out Ives best chances to win the game in quick succession either side of the 75 minute mark. In the first move Cross fed the overlapping Agemoh-Davies, his cross into the centre evaded both hosts centre backs and arrived at the feet of Robbins only ten yards out. But the big centre forward seemed surprised that the ball had got through to him and reacted slowly only succeeding in knocking it up onto his hand with the goal at his mercy.

Agemoh-Davies return the compliment to Cross only a few seconds later and again the young wingers low cross seemed to cause panic in the Marketmen’s back line. Two ricochets took the ball through to Fairlamb arriving at the back of the box. His low driven effort was blocked by the desperately lunging Hammond and despite Ives claims for handball a corner was their only reward.

The final opportunity for a winner fell to the hosts ten minutes from time but White was again equal to the effort this time spreading himself bravely to block at the feet of Andy Fennell after the substitute had been fed through by Fowkes.

The pace of the game showed in added time when cramp got the better of Keiran Morphew and his lengthy treatment lead to the added three minutes extending to an added six, but by this time both sides had settled for a hard fought point which was probably a fair reflection of the game.

A few contenders for Ives man of the match in this one but the accolade went the way of Eniola Agemoh-Davies who stood solid defensively and when he found opportunity to roam forward always looked a threat. 

Final Score : Needham Market  1  St Ives Town  1      

Goals : 

NEEDHAM MARKET : Fowkes 16

ST IVES : Fairlamb 61

Teams

NEEDHAM MARKET: Garnham, Hammond, Sturgess, Lawrence, K. Morphew, D. Morphew, Ingram (Issa 77), Collard, Hunt (Fennell 68), Page, Fowkes.  Unused subs: Maycock, De La Paz, Pollard

ST IVES: White, Agemoh-Davies, Flanagan, Nabi, Solkhon (capt), Milne, Harding (Cross 54), Hottor (Seymour-Shove 84), Robbins (Shariff 77), Williams, Fairlamb   Unused subs : Evans 

Ives Supporters man of the match : Eniola Agemoh-Davies

Attendance : 266

Match report by Nigel Howlett

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Needham Market v St Ives Town

Needham Market v St Ives Town 

BetVictor League Southern Premier Division Central 26-12-19

Keeper Finley Iron was the Ives hero not only pulling off a string of fines saves but also providing the assist for Ben Seymour-Shove’s late equaliser as the visitors grabbed a hard earned point on a very wet and windy Boxing Day in Suffolk.

Iron’s wind assisted punt proved pivotal in the closing stages but the game had not started that way for the Ives custodian as he struggled to make clean contact on an fourth minute attempted clearance against the strong Westerly breeze his attempt falling at the feet of Craig Parker fully forty yards from goal. The midfielder took a touch and tried to drill a low drive into the vacant net fortunately for the scampering Iron Alfie Powell just managed to stretch out a long leg to divert the effort past the post.

The hosts kept the pressure on against a disjointed looking Ives and managed to get their noses in front only four minutes later as Ty Ward got caught out ball watching at the back post. Gareth Heath took advantage of a slip from Aaron Phillips to get to the bye line on the left and clipped the ball up to the back post where Parker managed to get in front of Ward and prod the ball home from close range.

The early flow of the game was all one way as the Marketmen continued to find holes in the Ives back line. In twelfth minute a quick break through the centre saw Will Hunt and Parker exchanged passes before the former got around Ward on the outside and unleashed a rising drive from just outside the box that flew over the top.

Iron started his heroics halfway through the first period as he spread himself well to deny Joe Neal after the host’s number seven had been put clear down the centre by a perfect through ball from Adam Mills. Tom Wood was on hand to scramble the loose ball to safety.

The Marketmen went close again in 26th minute as Mills got away down the left onto a long wind assisted punt from keeper Marcus Garnham he teed up a cross to the back post where Ward made sure that he was not caught out this time but in attempting to head the ball to safety over his own crossbar he got it a little wrong and was very lucky when the ball struck the woodwork and rebounded into play. Heath was onto the loose ball in a flash only to be denied by a combination of the recovering Ward and keeper Iron who between them managed to keep the close range effort out.

The one way traffic assisted by the elements continued almost unabated and in 33rd minute a Callum Sturgess corner from the right picked out Parker in space beyond the far post and he tried to go for the spectacular as he swung a leg at the dropping ball and caught it on the volley fortunately his contact was poor and the ball screwed across the face of goal where Ward this time got his clearance right knocking out at the expense of another corner.

Another smart break from the Marketmen carved out yet another opportunity for them in 35th minute as Heath and Sturgess combined well to feed the ball into the feet of Mills on the left side of the box but with his back to goal. A little shimmy and a smart turned created enough space for him to get the shot away but fortunately he only ruffled the side netting with his well struck effort.

The final minute of the half saw Iron called upon to make one of the more routine saves of his busy afternoon as he held onto a well struck right footed effort from Hunt after the Marketmen’s centre forward had cut in from the left and slammed in a powerful drive that was fortunately straight at the Ives stopper.

Ives first meaningful attempt on goal arrived three minutes after the restart when skipper Robbie Parker found a little bit of space just outside the box and unleashed a snap shot that nearly caught out Garnham who was forced to parry the effort into the air and was grateful that his left back was first to react to the dropping ball and Sturgess calmly headed the ball back into his hands.

Iron was back to his heroics again two minutes later as he twice denied the hosts in quick succession. Initially Hunt was put clear down the centre and Iron was instantly off his line to close him down deflecting the centre forwards effort wide off his body at point blank range. The resulting corner saw Sturgess and Heath work a clever routine that finished with Sturgess breaking into the box at pace and firing in a fierce effort from a narrow angle that Iron did well to parry away, the loose ball fell to Mills who probably should have done better but snatched at the chance and only managed to screw his effort wide from ten yards.

The goal frame came to Ives rescue again on the hour as Iron came for a dangerous in-swinging corner from the right and got a fist to it through the crowd but the ball fell to Heath just outside the box and the Marketmen’s play maker calmly curled the ball over the crowd and past the grasping fingers of Iron only to be denied as the ball rattled the crossbar and bounced down into the six yard box. Parker was first to react but the assistant’s flag was raised to prevent him prodding the loose ball home.

Home keeper Garnham was fortunate to get away with an error in the 62nd minute as he tried to shepherd a rolling ball out of play just outside his eighteen yard box only to be robbed by substitute Matt Foy who had only a few moments earlier replaced the tiring George Bailey. Unfortunately none of his fellow strikers had bargained on Foy gaining possession and so he found himself alone amongst a crowd of red shirts with not a team mate he could pick out inside the box. He was forced to go for goal only to be dispossessed  by the covering Dan Morphew.

Keeper Iron pulled off his best saves of the afternoon to keep Ives in the game two minutes later Hunt got away down the middle with a perfectly timed run. As Iron came to meet him the centre forward tried to flick the ball over him but an upstretched arm by the Ives keeper did just enough to divert the ball away from goal but Mills was following up at pace and the ball was dropping to his feet ten yards from goal it looked like he only had to make clean contact to bury the ball but he reckoned without the never say die attitude of Iron as the young keeper bravely flung himself full length across the shot and managed to deflect it away from goal much to the disbelief of the home faithful.

Lifted by the heroics of their keeper Ives began to probe the hosts defence in search of a possible equaliser. In 66th minute Ollie Snaith got on the end of a quick passing move through the centre involving Parker and Joe Curtis he was just about to get his shot away when Russell Short took his legs from under him just outside the box. There was a queue of people to take the resulting free kick Seymour-Shove took the responsibility but failed to trouble Garnham as his effort flew well over the top.

Iron was called upon again as the game entered the final twenty minutes. Mills cut out a poorly directed pass from Curtis on the halfway line and burst forward running fully forty yards before forcing a diving save low to his left out of Iron to keep out his crisp left footed effort from just inside the box. Only seconds earlier Hunt had failed to hit the target from a good position having got on the end of a teasing cross from the right by Neal.

The young Ives keeper made his final good save of the afternoon twelve minutes from time as he leapt high to tip over a powerful Short header after the Marketmen’s number four got on the end of Heath’s in-swinging corner from the left. But that was not the keeper’s final telling contribution of the day as his wind assisted goal kick with three minutes to go deceived the hosts back line and the ever alert Seymour-Shove was onto the bouncing ball lifting it over the advancing Garnham who could only look on as the covering Dan Morphew tried desperately to hook the ball back off the goal line. Those of us behind the goal are convinced he did not achieve it but fortunately goal line technology was not required as Seymour-Shove followed up to spark gleeful celebrations as he fired home the loose ball with Morphew stuck in the back of the net.

There was just time for one other noteworthy event deep in added time when Ives substitute Edmund Hottor who had only been on the field a few minutes recklessly launched himself into a sliding tackle on Marketmen’s Jake Dye that saw him receive a red card for his pains from referee Emily Heaslip. Hottor got a bit of the ball, but also got quite a lot of Dye it was the sort of tackle that few years ago would not have been deemed a problem but these days more often than not attracts a red card as Ives found out to their advantage a few weeks ago at Bromsgrove.

Overall the red card cannot detract from a very good point on the road for struggling Ives who can certainly thank their gallant keeper for keeping them in the game on a number of occasions but it was very nice to see them grab a point rather than lose points with a late goal. Once again I say we must take the positives from this and push on hoping for a change in fortunes into the New Year. The perfect way to welcome it in would be three points off our old adversaries the Diamonds on New Years Day.   

Final Score : Needham Market  1  St Ives Town  1       

Goals :  Seymour-Shove 87 

Team : Iron, Phillips, Ward (Dylan Wilson 78), Toseland, Powell, Wood, Snaith (Hottor 80), Parker (capt), Bailey (Foy 58) Curtis, Seymour-Shove    

Unused subs : Clifton

Supporters man of the match : Finley Iron

Attendance : 214

Match report by Nigel Howlett. Video by Dave Hook.

  

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Needham Market vs St Ives Town

Needham Market v St Ives Town

Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division Central 20-04-19

Ives seven game unbeaten away run dating back to January came to a juddering halt at Bloomfields as the hosts took their chances to claim all three points in this mid table end of season clash. However the score line rather flattered the hosts as Ives created as many chances as their hosts but whilst they were unable to finish the Marketmen took advantage of an unusually poor second half defensive performance from the Ives to condemn them to a heavy defeat.

All this came after the visitors had the perfect start a fourth minute Ben Seymour-Shove corner was only half cleared to Robbie Parker his clip back into the box was flicked on by Tom Wood and fell perfectly for Jake Newman who picked his spot low past the exposed Jake Jessup’s left hand from by the penalty spot.

The lead was however only short lived as The Marketmen equalised in simple fashion only six minutes later. A Russell Short free kick from half way was won on the left edge of the box by Adam Mills his header back into the mix was only headed down by an under pressure Jarvis Wilson and Mills peeled around to pounce on the loose ball and slam home a right footed drive low to Martin Conway’s right.

Mills was giving stand in right back Munashe Sundire a tough time and he caught the Ives defender in possession in 18th minute. Robbing the full back he strode forward before unleashing a powerful drive from 25 yards which was fortunately straight at Conway who held on well. Conway was in action again in 23rd minute plunging to his left to palm a powerful Joseph Marsden drive around the post. The Marketmen’s winger had been allowed space to cut in from the right before firing off his powerful strike.

Most of the remainder of the first half was fairly even with both sides looking to attack at every opportunity and although both defences were stretched on occasions Kieran Morphew for the hosts and Owen Wallis for the visitors both ensured that their respective back lines remained intact.

Ives then created two good opportunities in less than sixty seconds to put themselves in the driving seat before the break. In 40th minute a Seymour-Shove free kick from the left caused problems for the home defence. A poor defensive header from Morphew fell to Wilson on the edge of the box. He chested the ball down but was quickly closed down by Short who blocked his well struck shot a point-blank range. Within seconds the ball was fed back into the feet of Newman on the edge of the box. He in turn laid the ball into the run of Parker who curled a cross to the back post where Ty Ward had ghosted in unmarked but the Ives midfielder was always stretching and steered his close range header over the top.

The game seemed to open up at the start of the second half with both sides looking to get in front. It took an excellent recovery tackle to prevent substitute Decarry Sheriff giving the hosts the lead in 51st minute after he had been played through the left channel by Short.

Ives were not so fortunate two minutes later when a poor ball from Sundire was picked up on half way by Callum Sturgess. He exchanged passes with Mills before hanging up a cross to the back post where Gareth Heath found a clear path between defenders to power home a header giving Conway no chance from eight yards.

Ives fought hard to get back to try and get on terms, keeper Jessup almost presented them with an equaliser as he spilled a right wing Seymour-Shove corner on the hour. The ball fell to Wood who had two goes at stabbing the ball home both blocked by defenders before the ball was finally scrambled clear. Seymour-Shove went close himself two minutes later as he ran onto a perfectly weighted clip over the top by Ward. He looked like he would beat Jessup to the ball but in the end both players missed the bouncing ball and it took the covering Morphew to hack it clear as it rolled towards goal.

Having twice gone close to getting back on terms the visitors found themselves two behind in the simplest fashion in 66th minute. A deep Heath free kick from the left found Marsden in space beyond the far post. He rolled the ball first time into the six yard box where Mills got between defenders to stab the ball home from close range.

The visitors still looked to get forward at every opportunity to try and find a route back into the game. Their next opportunity came from yet another teasing Seymour-Shove corner. Wood won the ball beyond the far post and headed it back into the mix. A poor defensive header fell to Parker who cleverly fed the ball back out to Seymour-Shove it took a brave block from Morphew to prevent Newman forcing the ball home at the near post.

Whilst Ives continued to look dangerous going forward they continued to look unusually vulnerable every time the Marketmen broke. Mills came close to claiming his hat trick fifteen minutes from time. Sturgess and Heath combined well down the left the move ending with the latter feeding the ball through to the host’s wide man who lifted the ball over the exposed Conway but also over the crossbar from twelve yards.

Conway pulled off an excellent save to deny Sheriff and keep the host’s lead to only two goals in 79th minute. The substitute’s opportunity had arisen when Ives struggled to clear a Marsden cross into the box from the right the ball eventually falling to Sheriff’s whose low left foot shot was only just kept out at full stretch by Conway. Heath was following up but was prevented from prodding the loose ball home by an assistant’s upraised flag.

The final nail in Ives coffin arrived as Mills completed his hat trick nine minutes from time. Dan Morphew was given time to deliver a cross from the right that skimmed off Sundire’s head and fell invitingly for Mills on the left. The winger gleefully accepted the gift and steered the ball over Conway and into the net before wheeling away knowing he would be getting a match ball for his mantlepiece a few minutes later.

To their credit Ives continued to go in search of another consolation goal substitute George Bailey showed that he was still willing as he chased down a long ball into the left corner in 86th minute. He pulled the ball back to Seymour-Shove who unselfishly fed the ball into the run of Wood on the edge of the box. Unfortunately the battling midfielder was undone by a bobble off the otherwise excellent surface and fired his shot over the top.

The final effort of the afternoon also went the way of Ives as the industrious Parker found space in the centre of the park before striding forward and firing in a rising effort from 25 yards that failed to trouble Jessup as it flew past the post to end a sad afternoon for the visitor’s.

With the results going against them today St Neots come to Westwood Road on Monday with only pride to play for. We will hope for a positive reaction from Ives after this game to ensure that we give our big local rivals a suitable send off on their way down to step four. 

Final Score : Needham Market  4  St Ives Town 1    

Goals :  Newman 4

Team : Conway, Sundire, Coulson, Wood, Wallis, Jarvis Wilson, Penfold (Snaith 84), Parker (capt), Newman (Bailey 84), Ward (Osei-Bonsu 76), Seymour-Shove 

Unused subs :Griffiths

Supporters man of the match : Ben Seymour-Shove

Attendance : 337

Report by Nigel Howlett. Photos by Louise Thompson.

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