Match Report
St Ives Town v Alvechurch
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 01-02-2025
Previously out of form Ives looked like they were going to be blown away by their in-form visitors who took a third minute lead courtesy of a well taken finish from overlapping full back Ammar Dyer who took advantage of an overload down the left to convert Dylan Allen-Hadley’s lay off past the exposed Dan Wilks.
But new signings Habib Makanjuola and George Munday proceeded to turn the game on its head with two brilliantly taken goals in eight minutes to complete the afternoon’s scoring inside the opening twenty minutes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly manager Ricky Marheineke made five changes to Ives starting line up following last Saturdays dismal defeat at rock bottom Biggleswade Town. In addition to Makanjuola and Munday there was also a first start for Sidney Pereira and returns to the starting eleven for Ethan Creary and Aaron Smith. To counter that Church manager Tim Flowers, equally unsurprisingly, made only one change to his side following their previous outing a victory against table topping AFC Telford United.
It took a little while for Ives new signings to bed in and the visitors ruled the first ten minutes with Joe Willis firing a 25 yarder over the top soon after Dyer’s opening goal. But the visitor’s confidence was dented as Ives found an equaliser from their first meaningful foray into Church territory. Munday caught the Church defence napping as he was allowed to run onto Amir Hadi’s through ball down the right. Keeper Ronnie Hollingshead had come a long way expecting to claim the ball and was caught in no mans land as Munday calmly picked out Makanjuola in space just inside the box. A cool finish from the debutant midfielder saw him curl the ball around defenders on the line to find the corner of the net.
The goal lifted Ives and they enjoyed a purple spell and the third of the home debutants Pereira seized his opportunity to try and get on the score sheet picking up a ball inside from Creary the young midfielder surged forward before letting fly with a 25 yarder that skimmed inches wide of Hollingshead’s right hand post as the keeper hurled himself across to cover.
The hosts forced their first corner of the game in 21st minute and used it to get their noses in front. Peter Abimbola’s deep flag kick was won at the back post by skipper Alex Collard. His header back into the centre was only half cleared to Pereira on the edge of the box. Pereira’s first time shot was blocked with the ball ricocheting to Munday 15 yards out in the centre of a crowded box. The youngster belied his years as he curled his effort with the outside of his right boot around the defence and just inside the upright giving Hollingshead no chance.
More normally seen in midfield for Ives Will Glennon had reverted to his old position with Stamford and was forming a formidable centre back pairing with Collard. He came to the rescue in 32nd minute as he used his pace to get back and dispossess Shay Willock as the visitor’s powerful centre forward looked to break clear having cut out a poor ball in midfield from Jernade Meade. Glennon was again in the thick of the action four minutes later as he did just enough to prevent Sam Perry forcing home Willock’s header back across the six yard box.
It was no surprise that the visitors came out for the second half with a determination to get back on level terms and they took the game to their hosts. But unlike in recent weeks it was a much more resilient Ives back line that refused to yield and battled hard to retain their lead. There were chances in 51st minute Allen-Hadley got down the left before cutting inside and feeding Willock he in turn teed up Willis who fired wide from 20 yards. The visitors were clocking up corners (they ended with thirteen in all), but they found a commanding figure in Wilks who managed to get a decent fist onto Callum Sullivan’s 57th minute in-swinger. The ball dropped to Kieran Wakefield 25 yards out, but his attempt at the spectacular flew well over the top.
Wilks was called into more action ninety seconds later when he made an excellent close-range block to keep out Dyer after the full back had been allowed to cut in from the right and forge a path deep into the box.
Although the tide was generally flowing towards Ives goal they did have opportunities to kill off the game and the first of those came on the hour when Munday forced his way to the bye line on the left and delivered a low cross that evaded all in the centre. Creary eventually picked up the loose ball and delivered a cross that was knocked down to Makanjuola on the edge of the box. But this time he went for power rather than finesse and fired his first time effort wide.
By this point both sides were making changes Church manager Flowers replaced the towering Willock with Dan Sweeney and soon after Marheineke replaced the tiring Makanjuola with the experienced Ed Hottor. The two replacements were involved in efforts at either end in the 68th minute. Sweeney cleverly teed up Willis for a shot from the edge of the box that was well held to his left by the diving Wilks. From the resulting clearance Hadi battled his way down the right to win a free kick by the corner flag. Meade delivered a clip to the near post where Hottor got across in front of his marker but steered his powerful header over the top.
Chances continued to come for Ives to get that vital third goal Creary going close twice in two minutes. In 72nd minute Glennon got a flick onto Smith’s long throw from the right and Creary bravely beat keeper Hollingsworth to the ball but could only steer his header wide of the post. Moments later he timed his run to perfection to meet Abimbola’s out-swinging corner at the near post but his powerful header flew just over the top.
Ives defenders put their bodies on the line to retain their slender advantage in 81st minute as a corner lead to an almighty scramble in the host’s box that saw shots from two Church attackers bravely blocked by defenders at point blank range before the ball was finally cleared to a mighty cheer from the home faithful.
Glennon again came to Ives rescue with seven minutes to go as he somehow managed to recover and take the ball off Allen-Hadley when it looked like the Church number ten was clean through with only Wilks to beat. The visitors continued to huff and puff but the hosts were not to be denied. One more excellent save from Wilks to deny substitute Erik Savin deep in added time and Ives had made it over the line to claim what is arguably one of their best wins of the season, and certainly one of the most hard fought.
The win completes a double over Church and with results elsewhere going for them it also offers a little daylight above the drop zone with Ives now sitting fifteenth six points above the bottom four and only one point behind their visitors who sit two places above them.
Final Score: St Ives Town 2 Alvechurch 1 Half Time 2 – 1
Goals:
ST IVES: Makanjuola 13, Munday 21
ALVECHURCH: Dyer 3
Team Line Ups:
ST IVES: Wilks, Creary, Smith, Meade, Makanjuola (Hottor 65), Collard (capt), Abimbola, Glennon, Hadi (Mensah 69), Pereira (Williams 89), Munday (Allen 86), Unused subs: Kaziboni
ALVECHURCH: Hollingshead, Sephton, Perry, Pearce (capt), Willis, Allen-Hadley, Dyer, Sullivan (Stretton 74), Wakefield (Savkin 80), Willock (Sweeney 54), Crowther, Unused subs: Richards, Wilson,
Referee: Oliver Potter
Cards: Yellow: ST IVES: Meade (35), Hadi (65) ALVECHURCH: Willis (30), Pearce (87)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: George Munday
Attendance: 393
Match highlights below.