Match Report
St Ives Town v A.F.C Sudbury
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 08-09-2025
Cross off the mark as Ives secure back to back wins!
On the back of an impressive 4-0 away victory against Bromsgrove Sporting, manager Ricky Marheineke was keen for his side to back up the performance with the same level of quality that brought his team all three points in Worcestershire. There was no doubting that the Ives boss got his wish as the home side made it back to back league wins with a 2-0 home victory against A.F.C Sudbury.
On Saturday, it was Jamal Adams who became the latest new addition to the squad to open his goal-scoring account for the season, but Monday night saw his fellow forward Liam Cross get off the mark, as his late goal, which came around 25 minutes after captain Michael Richens opened the scoring, saw his side claim all three points on a mild Monday evening in September.
Ives made two changes from their win at the weekend, with Jiah Medrano, who picked up a knock against Sporting, replaced by former Sud Matty Miles. George Munday, who had been included in Saturday’s travelling squad, featured from the start in place of the inform Adams, with the returning Cambridge United loanee making his first appearance for Ives since April 26th.
Sudbury named an unchanged starting XI to the side that featured in their 2-1 win over Banbury United at the weekend.
It was the visitors who had the better of the early exchanges, with Marcel Lewis causing a few problems down the Ives right-hand side. In the 5th minute, the forward received the ball just outside the area, cut in on his right foot and unleashed a powerful strike that was always rising over the bar.
The Suds may feel as though they should’ve been a goal ahead in the 12th minute as Liam Pearce found himself clean through on goal, but the forward dragged his right-footed effort across the face of Ollie Taylor’s goal as it passed inches wide of the post.
Despite Danny Laws’ side having the best of the opening 15 minutes, Ives started to work their way into the game and create some meaningful chances of their own. Miles, who looked good throughout, swung a delicious ball to the back post, picking out Cross, with the Ives forward not quite able to keep his effort down from close range.
The home side went close again moments later as Theo Alexandrou used the outside of his boot to play the ball across the box, but the pass just evaded the onrushing Ives attackers. Ives continued to build pressure as Alexandrou had two shots of his own within quick succession, both saved by Garnham in the Sudbury goal.
The 283 in attendance, including representatives from RAF Wyton, were being treated to an end-to-end first half of football, with both sides looking to take a lead into the break. Suds forward Callum Page had the best chance of the last 10 minutes of the half as he was found in the penalty area by Pearce, but Page couldn’t keep his effort on target.
Ives got the second half underway having made a half time substitution, with Munday, who had put himself about for the majority of the first 45 minutes, replaced by Adams. The 18-year-old forward is currently on limited minutes from his parent club Cambridge United but will no doubt have more opportunity to make an impact as the season progresses.
The opening period of the second half picked up where the first half left off as both sides continued to create openings through crosses into the box. In the 54th minute, Alexandrou produced a wonderful demonstration of ball control in a tight space to jink his way into the penalty area, but the subsequent cross was well blocked for a corner.
The home side started to dominate proceedings at this stage as the crowd inside the Quattro-tech Westwood Road started to sense that their side was on top. When Richens won a free-kick on the edge of the Sudbury area on the hour mark, an expectant hush fell around the ground. The hush soon turned to jubilant celebrations, as the Ives captain wrong-footed Garnham and placed his effort in the bottom left corner to give his side a deserved lead.
Ives were really in the mood now and they had the ball in the back of the net 6 minutes later as Alexandrou tapped home from close range. However, the moment of joy was short lived as the linesman’s flag came to the Yellow’s rescue.
The hosts continued to put pressure on Sudbury’s goal as Adams began to make his presence felt. First, the Ives number nine struck a thunderous volley towards goal that stung the palms of Garnham in the 71st minute. Soon after, the forward nearly turned provider as his attempted header back across goal was met by Duncan Idehen, who could only turn his effort into the hands of the Suds keeper.
Whilst Ives continued to have their chances, it always felt like one goal wouldn’t be enough to win the game, a sentiment that was echoed by many nervous watchers in attendance. However, in the 87th minute, the moment of the game arrived as Cross was played through on goal and, when faced with the onrushing Garnham, hammed his shot home into the roof of the net and took the adulation of his coaches, teammates and those in attendance as he scored his first league goal for the club.
And so, after an additional five minutes was played at the end of the half, referee Thomas Kelly brought the game to a close as Ives claimed yet another big three points and yet another clean sheet (4th of the season, 3rd at home). The result puts Ives on 11 points from their opening seven games as they took up 6th place in the Southern League Premier Division Central. As for Sudbury, they fall to a defeat which keeps them down near the bottom end of the table, with the Suds losing all four of their opening away fixtures.
Final Score: St Ives Town 2 A.F.C Sudbury 0 Half Time 0 – 0
Goals:
ST IVES: Richens 61, Cross 87
A.F.C SUDBURY
Team Line Ups:
ST IVES: Taylor, Creary, Richens, Williams, Idehen, Cross (Shepherd 92), Miles, Monday (Adams 46), Njie (Hadi 76), Alexandrou (Chong 82), Meade
Unused Subs: Watkins
A.F.C SUDBURY: Garnham, Lewis, Goredema, Turner, Page, Clements, Pearce (Corrigan 76), Allen (Gilbert 58), Dettmar (Mulqueen 73), Parsons (Heron 67), M. Lewis
Unused Subs: Mark-Arnold
Referee: Thomas Kelly
Cards: Yellow: ST IVES: Alexandrou (74), Richens (79)
Yellow: A.F.C SUDBURY: C.Lewis (33), Dettmar (41), Parsons (42), Heron (68)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Liam Cross
Attendance: 283