Penalty heartbreak in the final for Ives
St Neots Town v St Ives Town
Huntingdonshire FA Senior Cup – Final 25-03-2025
An entertaining and very open game for a final ended up going the way of the Saints in a penalty shoot out and even that had its swings and roundabouts with Ives failing to convert a potential match winning spot kick before Connor Furlong converted what proved to be the winner with debutant Claudio Dias thumping the crossbar with the final penalty.
Although both sides have much bigger fish to finish frying in their seasons yet, they each turned out their strongest sides for this showpiece event which was unusually held on a date in the crucial run in for both sides. Two more wins from their last five fixtures will probably be enough for promotion chasing step five Saints whilst a similar number of victories in their last six games will probably secure a remarkable tenth season at step three for the Ives.
The game started a little tentatively with both sides sizing each other up and the first half chance did not come along until twelfth minute when Jernade Meade’s in-swinging corner dropped to Will Glennon but his shot was blocked as was the follow up from George Munday and the ball was scrambled clear. Ex Ives defender Murphy Culkin has developed a mighty throw since his time at quattro tech Westwood Road and one of his missiles hurled into Ives box saw the Saints get the ball in the net two minutes later but referee Oliver Potter had spotted that it had been knocked down to Furlong by the hand of a Saints attacker.
Both sides then proceeded to rattle the woodwork within two minutes of each other. Ives were the first to go close to getting their noses in front. Greg Kaziboni was taken down 30 yards from goal as he tried to jink his way through Saints back line. Meade delivered the perfect free kick into the no man’s land between keeper and defenders. Glennon beat keeper James Goff to the ball but thumped the crossbar with his header. Only moments later at the other end Harvey Williams got to the bye line on the left and delivered a teasing cross to the back post where Aaron Smith did brilliantly to prevent Furlong heading it home. The resulting corner was won in the air by Charlie Bowen who proceeded to rattle the crossbar with his powerful header.
Saints kept the pressure on and Kieran Barnes 19th minute free kick fell to Furlong in a crowded box. The Saints number seven was perhaps a little unlucky to see his first time effort deflected wide of the post. Ives keeper Dan Wilks was forced into making the first meaningful save of the night only one minute later when another of Culkin’s long throws was knocked down to Williams his thirty yard strike was well held by the diving Wilks low to his left.
Play continued to swing from end to end and it was Ives turn to go close again in 22nd minute when Johnson Gyamfi hung up a teasing cross from the left that picked out skipper Alex Collard beyond the back post. Collard directed his downward header into the crowded six yard box where it somehow evaded everyone, beat the diving Goff and just crept past the far post. Back up the other end Wilks made a comfortable save to keep out Rhys Thorpe’s 25th minute rising shot from just outside the box.
Munday did well to get on the end of Smith’s teasing cross from the left on the half hour but the big striker was stretching and could not direct his free header from ten yards onto the target.
The opening goal arrived only sixty seconds before the break and it came for the hosts in unusual fashion. Bowen challenged Wilks for Willis’s in-swinging corner from the left and the ball ended up in the net with both the corner taker and the big centre back claiming the goal.
There was still time for Munday to get an opportunity to level things up before the break as he beat keeper Goff to Meade’s clip over the top and rounded the keeper only to be crowded out by covering defenders. His shot when it did eventually come being blocked by Saints skipper, another ex Ives man, Robbie Parker.
Mindful of Saturdays relegation six pointer against Sudbury looming Ives manager Ricky Marheineke made three changes at the break with Ed Hottor, Amir Hadi and Benji Mensah replacing Kaziboni, Gyamfi and Habib Makanjuola. These changes re-energised the visitors and they tore into their hosts in search of an equaliser. Only two minutes after the re-start Mensah was pulled back by Culkin as he tried to wriggle through 25 yards from goal. Hadi delivered the free kick to the back post where Collard sliding in was just unable to turn it home.
With Ives now pushing forward there was always going to be opportunities for the speedy Saints front line on the break. Jordan Williams had an attempted clearance charged down by Harvey Williams to put Barnes away on the hour and it took an excellent save high to his left from Wilks to keep the deficit to one.
Keeping in mind Saturday’s upcoming game manager Marheineke continued with his substitutions with Ethan Creary replacing Meade in 62nd minute and Claudio Dias coming on for his Ives debut replacing Smith with twenty minutes to go. The hard working Saints continued to restrict Ives opportunities but the pressure from the visitors continued to grow. Dias showed a little of his silky skills by floating in a 75th minute cross from the right that Glennon headed down to the feet of Collard but Bowen flung himself in to block the skipper’s effort at point blank range.
But Bowen’s next diving effort six minutes later brought about Ives equaliser and a yellow card for the flying defender. Hadi’s clip into the box from the right fell to Josh Allen who struck a goal bound first time effort that was blocked by the hand of the Saints defender. Referee Potter was unsighted but after consultation with his assistant the spot kick was awarded. Bowen was perhaps fortunate to only pick up a yellow for his “save”. Glennon struck his spot kick well but keeper Goff guessed right and made an excellent save. The big ex Ives stopper was unlucky to see the ball rebound straight to Glennon who kept his cool to roll it into the empty net.
Game on!, and it was Saints who now tore into their opponents looking for a winner. Christian Tavernier put Williams through the left channel but the speedy winger fired well over from the edge of the box. But then an uncharacteristic error from Glennon presented the hosts with a goal with five minutes remaining. The centre back’s intended back pass to Wilks was woefully short and Thorpe seized on the loose ball to fire past the exposed keeper.
But there was still time for Dias to show another touch of quality as he slid the perfect ball through Saints back line to put Munday clear through the left channel and the Cambridge United loanee striker made no mistake firing home past Goff to deflate the Saints supporters who had already started celebrating.
There were an added seven minutes and during that time both sides had their opportunities to win it. In the third added minute Hadi got on the end of a clip through from Mensah but miss hit his effort. The ball ran on to Munday but Goff was swiftly off his line to block at close range. Only one minute later at the other end Thorpe unleashed a 25 yarder that a well positioned Wilks held onto well.
The final chance in the last of the seven minutes went Ives way but it was probably fitting that Bowen was the man who again bravely flung himself in to block Munday’s shot from just inside the box after Mensah had picked out the centre forward.
So it ended, perhaps fittingly for a game where neither side deserved to lose, in a penalty shoot out. Both sides fired home their first five spot kicks before Barnes fired over the top for Saints giving Creary chance to win it for Ives. Once more Goff guessed right and made an excellent diving save to keep his side in it. Furlong then scored to put Saints back in front before Dias sent Goff the wrong way but hit the crossbar with the final penalty.
Both teams can now look forward to crucial games at the weekend, hopefully without any injuries picked up in this final.
Final Score: St Neots Town 2 St Ives Town 2 Half Time 1 – 0
(St Neots Town won 6-5 on penalties)
Goals:
ST NEOTS: Bowen 44, Thorpe 85
ST IVES: Glennon 81, Munday 90+1
Team Line Ups:
ST NEOTS: Goff, Willis (George 67), Culkin, Tavernier, Parker, Bowen, Furlong, Amaeshike, Thorpe, Barnes, H. Williams (Butler 90+6), Unused subs: Hatch, Jessop, Fox
ST IVES: Wilks, J. Williams, Smith (Dias 69), Meade (Creary 62), Makanjuola (Hadi 46), Collard (capt), Gyamfi (Mensah 46), Glennon, Kaziboni (Hottor 46), Allen, Munday, Unused subs: none
Referee: Oliver Potter
Cards: Yellow: ST NEOTS: H. Williams (79), Bowen (81) ST IVES: none
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: George Munday
Attendance: 557
