Bishop’s Stortford v St Ives Town
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 21-02-2026
Written by Nigel Howlett
What looked like it was going to be a dour goalless draw between two sides low on confidence ended up going against the Ives courtesy of two penalty kicks. The opening spot kick just after half time was awarded when Duncan Idehen bundled over the bustling Frank Norris as he forced his way into the box. Cole Dasilva stepped up nervously and side footed his effort at a nice saveable height to Ollie Taylor’s right. The keeper guessed correctly and made a good save but Dasilva pounced on the rebound to put his side in front.
The second spot kick of the afternoon was also correctly awarded by referee Nathan Oakes fifteen minutes from time when Idehen’s powerful downward header from Dan Lawlor’s free kick struck the hand of Brad Russell on the six yard line. Jonny Edwards, who had endured a torrid afternoon up to that point, but was always so deadly from the spot during his previous spell with the Ives, looked as nervous as had Dasilva as he stepped up. He decided to go for power but blazed his effort high over the crossbar to mark the end of what must be termed an underwhelming loan spell from Hednesford Town with manager Ricky Marheineke immediately replacing him with Kellan Hickinson.
The afternoon had started brightly for the visitors, in only the second minute the lively Tyrone Baker fired a low cross shot across the face of goal that was only just out of reach of Edwards and Mark Jones both arriving at the back post.
The Blues, off the back of a 5-0 home beating from Real Bedford four days earlier looked the least confident of the two sides but they were the first team to force a save from the keeper, albeit a routine one. In 15th minute Norris got on the end of Obi Onyeagwara’s cross from the left but could only direct his header straight at Ollie Taylor in Ives goal. The lively Baker forced the first save out of Taylor’s opposite number, Adam Hayton, three minutes later as he got down the left before cutting inside and forcing a diving save out of Hayton at his near post.
The hosts just about edged the remainder of the first half without testing Taylor. Midway through the that first period a Dasilva corner caused Ives problems with the ball ricocheting around the box before falling to Fabio Virciglio who fired wide from 15 yards. Norris should also have done better two minutes later when he managed to escape his marked to get on the end of Jack Smith’s clip in from the right. But his free header from twelve yards went straight into the arms of the grateful Taylor. The same player again went close ten minutes before the break as he got fed in through the left channel by Virciglio but fired wide from the edge of the box.
After that very cagy first period most of us expected more of the same to follow, but the second half was only ninety seconds old when Norris tried to bustle his way through only to be hauled down by Idehen to concede the spot kick that decided the game. Referee Oakes was in the perfect spot to see the offence and had no doubt. It is harsh to criticise Taylor who made an excellent save but unfortunately his parry went straight back to Dasilva who gleefully took his second chance by firing into the roof of the net.
Falling behind stunned the Ives and with their central strike pair of Jones and Edwards both struggling they were unable to create anything of note in the next twenty minutes. The only noteworthy effort on goal in that period coming from the hosts just after the hour when Virciglio was perhaps a little unlucky to see the sting taken out of his 25 yard effort as the ball cannoned into Ryan Fryatt. Taylor was initially wrong footed but recovered to make a comfortable save.
A couple of minutes later Jones limped out of the action to be replaced Jahrel McKoy and it was the Cambridge United youngster who had Ives first attempt on goal of the second period in the 72nd minute. His powerful 30 yarder was always rising and flew into the grandstand behind the goal without troubling Hayton.
Then came the drama of the second penalty. Lawlor delivered an inviting free kick from the left to the back post where Idehen rose above the crowd to power a header down into the six yard box. The ball clearly struck the hand of Russell and once again the excellent Mr Oakes was in the perfect position to see the offence and award the spot kick. We have all seen Edwards take penalties for Ives and they are always confidently slid in to left, or right, of the keeper. This time inexplicably he went for power and cleared the crossbar by about half a metre to leave him bereft with his head in his hands. Manager Marheineke’s instant response said it all.
The introduction of Michael Richens for the tiring Jernade Meade came at the same time and these replacements did spark a little bit of life into Ives previously pedestrian front pairing. Moving Baker into the centre added more life that had not previously been seen. But all that Ives had to show for this extra energy and endeavour were a 25 yarder from Alfie Shepherd straight at keeper Hayton with ten minutes to go and a couple of occasions when they did put pressure on Hayton’s goal but every time that a shot came in there was a defender willing to throw themselves across the line to preserve their lead.
The closest that the visitors came to an equaliser was from the very last kick of the game when an Aaron Smith long throw was knocked back to Lawlor on the edge of the box and he carefully curled his effort inches wide with keeper Hayton struggling to get across.
The Blues first win in nine games lifts them ten points clear of the drop zone and they will hope on the way to safety. Ives sixth defeat in a row leaves them a precarious three points above the bottom four and with their next four games all against teams in the top six things are definitely looking tough.
Final Score: Bishop’s Stortford 1 St Ives Town 0 Half Time 0 – 0
Goals:
STORTFORD: Dasilva 48,
ST IVES:
Team Line Ups:
STORTFORD: Hayton, Crace, Davies, Dasilva (Forde 89), Thompson (capt), Norris (Castle 68), Russell, Onyeagwara (Aiye 81), Virciglio (Kreka 90+4), J. Smith, Johnson, Unused subs: Haines
ST IVES: Taylor, Creary (capt) (Miles 90+1), Smith, Fryatt, Idehen, Shepherd (Njie 86), Edwards (Hickinson 77), Lawlor, Baker, Meade (Richens 77), Jones (McKoy 64), Unused subs: none
Referee: Nathan Oakes
Cards: Yellow: STORTFORD: none ST IVES: Creary (39), Edwards (57)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Tyrone Baker
Attendance: 342
