St Ives Town V Banbury United
Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central 10-11-2025
High off their impressive 3-2 away win against Spalding United just over 48 hours earlier, manager Ricky Marheineke’s men would’ve been hoping to produce a similar level of attacking intensity against a somewhat struggling Banbury United side, who previous to their 4-1 away win over Bishop’s Stortford had lost six out of seven in the league. However, despite showing signs that their weekend victory had taken a bit out of the players on the pitch, Marheineke’s side did enough to get the win, with goals from Liam Cross and Michael Richens enough to secure all three points on the night, despite a late fightback from the visitors.
The Ives manager made two changes from Saturday’s win, with Jiah Medrano coming into the side for Matty Miles at fullback and academy graduate Alfie Shepherd coming in for Kellan Hickinson, with the 18 year-old earning the opportunity to make his first start for the club in front of the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road faithful.
Puritans manager Kelvin Langmead named a team that included two former Ives players, with Peter Abimbola and Josh Flanagan making their return to Cambridgeshire to face familiar opponents. Flanagan’s inclusion was the only change made by Langmead from his side’s victory over Stortford, with Keegan Bloom making way.
Before the game, both sets of players, management teams and supporters joined together in a two minute’s silence to honour Armistice Day, which was perfectly observed by all inside the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road.
Referee Ashley Tyne got the game underway with both sides having early half-chances. Saturday’s Man of The Match Jahrel McKoy saw his shot fly over the bar from just outside the area before Connor Ferguson produced an effort for the visitors which called Ives keeper Ollie Taylor into action, with the shot-stopper able to gather the ball comfortably.
Nine minutes into proceedings the home side produced an incisive passage of play that should’ve resulted in a goal. Jordan Williams played a superb lofted ball down the line to find Theo Alexandrou on the right of the penalty area. Ives number 17 squared the ball to Liam Cross inside the area, but the forward saw his effort well blocked by the Banbury defender.
The visitors came back strongly with a string of attempts of their own, with Chris Wreh cutting inside on his left foot and unleashing a strike that flew narrowly wide of Taylor’s right-hand post, before Aaron McCreadie almost pulled off what would’ve been a sublime lob, with the ball dropping just over the crossbar from a long way out.
Puritans fans will feel they should’ve been ahead in the 21st minute as Wreh got on the end of a well-directed cross from Alex Prosser, who swung a delicious cross to the back post, only for the Banbury forward to guide his close range header wide of the goal.
Eight minutes later it was the home side that will feel they should’ve broken the deadlock as a lung-bursting run from Cross saw the Ives number 10 make his way to the by-line before floating a lofted ball into the area for Alexandrou, who couldn’t quite provide the acrobatic finish from no more than six yards out from goal, with keeper Jack Harding able to gather the ball and calm Banbury nerves.
The last 15 or so minutes of the half summed up the physical nature of proceedings, with both sides attempting to test the other’s backline with crosses into the box, none of which resulted in clear-cut opportunities as both sides remained resolute in defence.
However, when it looked like there would be nothing to separate the sides at the break, the deadlock was broken deep into stoppage time at the end of the half. Medrano played Alexandrou through on the left, with the Ives forward squaring the ball to Cross, who managed to tuck his right-footed effort across Harding and into the bottom corner to give his side the lead with the first shot on target in the match.
Despite receiving a huge boost from that goal at the end of the half, there was a lingering feeling amongst Ives supporters that a second would be needed to see off their Oxfordshire counterparts. Four minutes after the restart, they were granted an opportunity to extend their lead as Flanagan was adjudged to have held Richens as a corner was swung into the area, with referee Tyne showing no hesitation in pointing to the spot. The Ives skipper, fresh off scoring the winner at the weekend, stepped up to take the penalty which he calmly despatched, sending Harding the wrong way and doubling his side’s lead.
The frustration on the faces of the Banbury United players was very apparent, with Langmead’s men struggling to turn their possession into clear-cut opportunities. Some great defending by Shepherd at the back post prevented the returning Flanagan from tapping home from close range in the 52nd minute.
It wasn’t long before we saw both managers looking to their benches for inspiration, with Banbury bringing on Joel Anker and Jonathan Lawson for Wreh and Ball whilst Ives introduced midfielder Gibou Njie and defender Aaron Smith, with McKoy and Alexandrou making way for the home side.
The visitors continued to look for a way back into the contest and felt aggrieved that they didn’t get a lifeline in the 73rd as the ball found its way to Prosser at the back post. Banbury’s number 10 hit a well struck effort towards Taylor’s near post that looked like it may have crept over the line, but referee Tyne waved away the appeals as Taylor got enough of fingertip on the shot to keep Ives’ two goal advantage intact.
Attacks from the home side were coming mainly in the form of counter attacks at this stage, with Cross having the best of the opportunities to put the game to bed. Cross nicked the ball of the Banbury defender just inside his own half, with the Ives forward gliding past two defenders before seeing his shot saved by the legs of the onrushing Harding to keep Banbury’s slim hopes alive.
The visitors did manage to get a goal back in the 87th minute as Ethan Creary was adjudged to have fouled Lawson in the penalty area attempting a recovery tackle. Referee Tyne pointed to the spot and Ferguson, who scored a hat-trick in his side’s 4-1 win at the weekend, showed no signs of nerves as he sent Taylor the wrong way to make it 2-1, with just over four minutes plus injury time to go.
There were a few nervy moments for the hosts as they looked to hold on for a vital three points that would take them up to 8th in the Southern League Premier Division Central table. Yaw Ofosu came closest to an equaliser as the defender found himself through on goal before unleashing an effort that was parried over the bar by Taylor.
It wasn’t to be for Langmead’s men as the referee brought an end to proceedings, with Ives managing to secure back to back wins in the league for the second time this season, despite the contest being a little bit closer at the end then they might have hoped. The focus for Marheineke’s men will now turn to this Saturday, where they host in form Needham Market in the second of three consecutive home league fixtures.
You can listen to manager Ricky Marheinke’s thoughts on the game below!
Final Score: St Ives Town 2-1 Banbury United Half Time 1-0
Goals:
ST IVES: Cross 46, Richens 50
BANBURY UNITED: Ferguson 86
Team Line Ups:
ST IVES : Taylor, Creary, Medrano, Richens, Williams, Idehen, Shepherd (Miles 81), McKoy (Njie 61), Cross, Alexandrou (Smith 69), Meade, Unused Subs: Hickinson, Riordan
BANBURY UNITED: Harding, Flanagan, McCreadie, Ofosu, Jones, Ferguson, Abimbola (Stokoe 83), Wreh (Anker 70), Prosser, Ball (Lawson 70), Worley, Unused Subs: Bloom, Giles
Referee: Ashley Tyne
Cards: Yellow: ST IVES: McKoy (39), Cross (90),
BANBURY UNITED: Abimbola (83), Prosser (86)
IVES SUPPORTERS MAN OF THE MATCH: Jahrel McKoy
Attendance: 290
