Match Report
St Ives Town v Stamford
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 15-02-2025
Suddenly draws are coming like buses for Ives as this was the third game where they have finished level with their opponents in a row that after only drawing two of their first 28 games. This, like the other two, are games where they will feel that they were probably worthy of grabbing all three points after a powerful second half display where they continually knocked on the door of their play-off chasing opponents without finding a way through.
Ives manager Ricky Marheineke pulled off a shrewd bit of business in the week to bring in FA Cup hero Luca Miller on loan from Kettering Town and the 19 year old was the only change in the starting line up from the excellent midweek point at Leiston replacing an unlucky Josh Allen who had scored Ives second in an exciting 2-2 draw at Victory Road. Daniels manager Graham Drury on the other hand made three changes from their previous line up, a 2-0 home defeat also against Leiston, with Charlie Marzano, Cosmas Matwasa and Kai Tonge coming in to replace George Hobbins, Ashton Offler and Tobias Liversidge.
The visitors were first out of the traps on a cold, rainy, February afternoon. Home keeper Dan Wilks was called upon to make his first save of the game in tenth minute when he warmed his hands holding on well to a crisp rising 20 yard drive from Matwasa, after Tendai Chitiza had teed up Lee Shaw’s low cross from the right.
The Daniels kept up their early pressure and Tonge should probably have done better after being fed in by Shaw three minutes later but the visitors number eleven failed to make clean contact allowing Wilks to comfortably gather the effort. The big keeper was called into much more impressive action in 15th minute when he spread himself well to keep out Jack Duffy’s close range effort after the centre forward had been fed through the right channel by Chitiza.
Connor Bartle was delivering long throws deep into Ives box and his 20th minute mortar was flicked on by Matwasa falling to Chitiza on the edge of the box. Wilks was again alert to hang onto the midfielder’s dipping volley. Ives survived that scare only to be caught out by a well weighted through ball only seconds later. Shaw sprinted clear onto the ball through the left channel and deftly flicked it past the advancing Wilks to give the Daniels the lead.
The goal seemed to spark a reaction from Ives and George Munday failed to hit the target with their first effort of the game in 24th minute. The big centre forward had run onto a long ball down the right and spotted keeper Tom Jackson off his line but he got far to much on the attempted lob with the effort sailing well over the top.
As the half wore on Ives stepped things up another gear in search of an equaliser before the break. Three corners in quick succession in 42nd minute stretched the visitors to the limit. Keeper Jackson made a real hash of Peter Abimbola’s first from the right almost dropping the ball into his own net. The second from the left was deeper and arced over everyone to arrive on the boot of Ethan Creary beyond the far post. His volley back into the mix was headed over his own crossbar by Bartle. The Daniels eventually managed to scramble the third one away to safety. But the pressure stayed on, Benji Mensah fired a 25 yarder wide of the post in the 45th minute.
The equaliser did finally arrive deep in added time thanks to a bit of quick thinking from Miller. With everyone lined up in the visitor’s box awaiting a Smith long throw he came short to receive the ball and lay it back to Ives full back in space. Smith delivered a tantalising cross that found the head of an unmarked Alex Collard eight yards out. The Ives skipped needed no more of an invite powering home his header into the corner of the net. There was just time to kick off before the half time whistle blew.
Ives looked to start the second half as they finished the first and it was another Smith throw that created a half chance five minutes after the restart. This time it was delivered long, ex Daniels player Will Glennon got a flick and Munday almost got onto the loose ball.
The visitors were by no means out of it and it took a brave save from Wilks to prevent them getting back in front in 53rd minute. Shaw fed in Duffy through the right channel but the big keeper was quickly off his line to close the striker and block his shot at point blank range.
Ives players were putting their bodies on the line for the team all over the park. This endeavour was personified in 68th minute as Jernade Meade charged down an attempted clearance by Jordon Cooke to put Amir Hadi away down the left. Hadi’s low cross into the centre just evaded the onrushing Munday and was scrambled clear.
The hosts kept the pressure on with keeper Jackson leaping spectacularly to tip over Glennon’s dipping 25 yarder in 71st minute and Meade going within millimetres of finding the bottom corner after receiving a quick 77th minute free kick and firing the ball across the face of goal from the corner of the 18 yard box. Munday pulled another save out of keeper Jackson in 79th minute as he took in a pass from Hadi down the left before cutting inside and trying to curl the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Having pushed so hard in search of a winner it was important that Ives now hang onto what they had got as the visitors looked to push forward in the closing stages. Ten minutes from time it was Wilks turn to make a good save as he dived low to his right to cling on to Duffy’s low drive from the edge of the box after good work down the right by substitute Liversidge. Ives then had a let off four minutes later when Duffy completely missed his kick having been set up twelve yards from goal by Shaw’s pull back from the right.
But the final chance to win it fell to Ives three minutes from time when substitute Allen cut in from the right and unleashed a fierce low drive that Jackson reacted quickly to save one handed low to his right.
So it finished honours even, the result still leaving Ives six points above the drop zone with a massive game to come as they visit one of those teams currently sitting in the relegation places, Hitchin Town, next Saturday.
Final Score: St Ives Town 1 Stamford 1 Half Time 1 – 1
Goals:
ST IVES: Collard 45+3
STAMFORD: Shaw 21
Team Line Ups:
ST IVES: Wilks, Creary, Smith, Meade, Miller (Makanjuola 88), Collard (capt), Abimbola, Glennon, Mensah (Pereira 67), Hadi (Allen 82), Munday (Williams 90+3), Unused subs: Hottor,
STAMFORD: Jackson, Marzano, Bartle, Burgess (capt), Cooke, Blunden, Chitiza, Matwasa (Liversidge 58), Duffy, Shaw, Tonge (Gregory 70), Unused subs: Offler, Burniston, Heath
Referee: Luke Scott
Cards: Yellow: ST IVES: none STAMFORD: Bartle (56), Jackson (71), Burgess (75)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Luca Miller
Attendance: 295