HARD LUCK FOR ILSON AFTER FIGHTING BACK

25th January 2003

Crawley Town 2 Ilkeston Town 1  Att 874 Dr Martens League Premier Division

Ilkeston line up:- 

Ilkeston Town's bid for their first back to back victories of the season were foiled by a Crawley side who were fired up by the resignation of their manager last week. As often happens when there is a change of leadership the players turned it on to impress the new management team. Unfortunately for the Robins they were the opposition and in the first thirty five minutes of this encounter they were outplayed, outclassed and more importantly two goals down. Strikes from Bagnall in 15 minutes and McDonald in 19 minutess had spoilt Charlie Bishop's plans for capturing three valuable away points. The Robins were playing an unchanged side a rarity these days and despite the early mauling they started to get back into the game in the last ten minutes before half time. After the break Crawley started to tire and Ilkeston pulled a goal back when a Tony Hemmings corner was headed home by James Impey. The Robins pushed forward and started to look the better team. Crawley's defending became increasingly desperate but they somehow managed to scramble away and block several goal bound efforts towards the end of the game.

Basically the Robins were outplayed for the first 35 minutes but after that they competed more in midfield and had the better of the game in the second half. Ilkeston can count themselves unlucky not to have got a point fron this game.

WhiteBallProject verdict:-

Matt Nurse – Had a fine game.

Niall Hudson – Improved as the game progressed.

Simon Futcher – Got better as Crawley tired.

Emeka Nwadike – Disappointing game and subbed at half time.

James Impey – Steady performance and scored a good goal.

Mark Lever – WhiteBallProject Man of the Match – Looked solid and a strong performance.

Chris Freestone – Poor first half when he could not get into the game. Looked better up front.

Tony Hemmings – Got more into the game second half and provided some dangerous crosses.

Carl Heggs – Put himself about and came close on two occasions. 

Leon Kelly – Worked hard but ineffective.

Ian Robinson – Worked very hard as usual.

Subs

Mark Harbottle – Showed some decent touches when bought on.

Ashley Murdock – Did well by working hard and using the ball well.

Ilkeston Town will be slightly disappointed that they came home with nothing from Crawley especially after the optimism of last Saturday which was contrasted with the strange happenings against Mickleover Sports and Paul Millership making clear his wish to relinquish the post of Chairman by the end of the season.

Next weeks encounter away to Hinckley United is seen by many as a make or break fixture as they are a team we might have to overhaul if we are to avoid the drop.

Last Tuesday Ilkeston Town played a makeshift side against Mickleover Sports in the Derbyshire Senior Cup. It would that Charlie Bishop had decided that with half his side ineligible and several carrying injuries that he would rest of the first team and ask the reserves to step into the breach. The reserve team provided by Morris Sammuels bore little resemblance to the team that has performed so well for him this season. It was in fact a third team and this may have been due to the reserves being involved in a Derbyshire Divisional Cup tie next week. Unfortunately players cannot play in the Divisional Cup after they have played in the Senior Cup.

As a result Morris Sammuels resigned the following day which is a shame because there can be no doubt he had been very successful.

Ilkeston Town 0 Mickleover Sports 2  Att 142 Derbyshire Senior Cup Quarter Final

Ilkeston line up:- 

HEGGS, HEMMINGS and HARBOTTLE  THE THREE H'S

18th January 2003

Ilkeston Town 3 Hednesford Town 1 Att 523 Dr Martens League Premier Division

Ilkeston line up:- 

Heggs gets his first	Hemmings hounded	Lever challenges

When the prodigal son returned in the bible I can not recall him being upstaged by a surprise elder prodigal son turning up unannounced. At Ilkeston Town things do not always go by the book and today was no exception. Most fans were just looking forward to seeing Tony Hemmings wearing a red shirt again but few could have expected to be greeted by the sight of Ilson legend Mark Harbottle warming up before the game. Twelve years since his debut Mark was making his third comeback for the Robins. Ilkeston also paraded new signing from Mansfield Town Mark Lever who was part of a virtually new back four which included another debutant Simon Futcher signed on loan from Forest Green Rovers.

In the opening spell Tony Hemmings made an impression against an out of sorts Hednesford side supported by a very vocal following by taking all the free kicks and orchestrating the Robins attacking moves. Unsurprisingly on 27 minutes Ian Robinson won possession in the middle of the park and fed Hemmings who provided the perfect cross for captain Carl Heggs to head home from close range. 

Ilkeston continued to dominate the game without being able to convert the chances they were making. Leon Kelly missed the best of these just before the break. Hednesford gradually started to get their game together and put pressure on Matt Nurse for the first time in the period just before half time. Despite this improvement the visitors were treated to a chorus of "What a load of rubbish!" by their own fans as they left the field for the half time cuppa.

After the break  the Pitmen got their reward when Piearce after an excellent passing move sliced through the Robins defence on 50 minutes. For the first time in the game Ilkeston started to wobble but on 59 minutes Leon Kelly fed Chris Freestone who raced clear and scored with a terrific shot wide of the advancing keeper and into the corner of the net. With Ilkeston on the crest of a wave manager Charlie Bishop made the fairy tale even more surreal when he bought on Mark Harbottle to replace the limping Chris Freestone. The game was sealed with ten minutes remaining when Tony Hemmings again supplied an accurate cross for Carl Heggs to score with a close range header. The Robins could have increased their but the visitors keeper made some good saves and Heggs went in search of a hat trick when a pass might have been more productive.

WhiteBallProject verdict:-

Matt Nurse – Looked solid as usual

Niall Hudson – Had a good game and got forward more.

Simon Futcher – An impressive debut a good touch and excellent passing.

Emeka Nwadike – Improved as the game went on.

James Impey – Commanding at the back.

Mark Lever – Caught on the turn a few times but impressive powers of recovery. An excellent debut.

Chris Freestone – A fine goal and a fine game, probably his best yet.

Tony Hemmings – A fine return to the NMG. Made two goals and a constant creatice threat.

Carl Heggs – WhiteBallProject Man of the Match – Took up good positions, worked like a Trojan and scored two goals. An excellent performance.

Leon Kelly – Worked hard missed two good chances and had bad luck later on.

Ian Robinson – Worked hard and got stuck in. Picked up an injury.

Subs

Mark Harbottle – Showed his experience in short time he was on.

Ashley Murdock – Looked very dangerous on the left for the last ten or so minutes

This game will go down as one of those unforgettable moments in the annals of Ilkeston Town folklore. From the depths of depression against Burscough to the fairy tale backdrop of the returning Tony Hemmings and the shock appearance of Mark Harbottle. It was also manager Charlie Bishop's first league win since his appointment and the first of 2003. For the club as a whole the most important statistic is that for the first time since September Ilkeston are not bottom of the table. Yes the Robins still have a mountain to climb but at least Hemmings, Harbottle and the rest have given the fans hope and will no doubt entertain whether we stay up or not.

Ilkeston's Derbyshire Senior Cup tie with Mickleover Sports  on Tuesday 21st January at the New Manor Ground will not include many of todays team. The DFA have allegedly said that only players eligible for the first game against Mickleover arranged before Christmas can play in the tie. That could count out Hemmings, Impey, Futcher, Harbottle, Hudson, Brown and Lever. The winners will meet Gresley Rovers in the semi final.

DEFENSIVE FRAILTIES END TROPHY RUN 

14th January 2003

Ilkeston Town 0 Burscough 3 Att 248 FA Trophy 3rd Round

Ilkeston line up:- 

A local tie against high flying Alfreton Town was the prize for Ilkeston Town if they beat Unibond League side Burscough. Any thoughts of an easy ride were quickly dashed when the team sheets were posted. The Robins started the game without the suspended Ryan Ford and Carl Heggs. James Impey was unavailable because Forest Green Rovers refused to allow him to play in the FA Trophy and new signings Simon Brown and Tony Hemmings were cup tied. Barry Woolley and Jo Atkinson were still injured and Simon Futcher and Ray Warburton have still to sign on the dotted line. So with eight players unavailable the Ilkeston team had a threadbare look to it particularly in defence.

The game started fairly evenly with Ilkeston adopting a vigorously physical approach and Burscough defending in depth. The weakness in the Robins defence however was cruelly exposed on 22 minutes when Mat McKenzie and Matt Nurse made a hash of a simple clearance which left Drew Ireland with an easy chance to score. McKenzie limped off shortly afterwards and was replaced by Scott Preistnall. Just before half time Simon Coleman was yet again beaten for pace and Ryan Bowen bent a shot clinically arouns the stranded Matt Nurse.

In the second half Ilkeston pressed forward more consistently but were unable to trouble the Burscough rearguard who were well drilled and on the break continued to look the more likely team to score. This was confirmed on 77 minutes when John Norman stabbed home a rebound after a shot had cannoned off the bar. To give the Robins their due they kept pushing forward but even when Burscough seemed to be helping them to score Ilkeston still contrived to miss the few easy chances they had. Towards the end Burscough had a number of chances to increase their lead even seeing one shot hitting both posts before landing in Matt Nurse's arms.

WhiteBallProject verdict -

Matt Nurse - Could have been at fault with the first but kept the score down later on

Niall Hudson - Looked neat and again showed some good touches

Andy Lodge -  Tried to push on but got little joy

Simon Coleman - Maybe his last game but not a good farewell. Too slow!

Mat McKenzie - One almighty gaff and then went off injured

Carl Lawrence - Honest player but looks well out of his depth at this level

Charlie Hartfield - Showed some good touches especially from set pieces but needs a new engine

Ian Robinson - WhiteBallProject Man of the Match. Not his best game but good enough gave 110%

Chris Freestone - Spent a lot of time running down blind alleys

Leon Kelly - Strong running but usually ended in the same spot as Chris Freestone

Emeka Nwadike - Started the first half with some crunching tackles and then seemed to lose interest

Subs

Scott Preistnall - Not a centre half is Scott. Had a poor game defensively

Ashley Murdock - Not on long enough to influence the game

Dion Evans - Only on for closing minutes

This was a depressingly predictable result and was one of the worst defensive performance by an Ilkeston team for many a year. The only light at the end of a very long dark tunnel is that Ilkeston had a lot of players unavailable. The crowd was poor and 248 is one of the lowest for a major game at the New Manor Ground for some time. A sign of the times perhaps when the biggest cheer was reserved for the appearance of former boss Keith Alexander on a scouting mission. One can only presume that it was Leon Kelly he came to watch and not the available Simon Coleman.

Ilkeston's Derbyshire Senior Cup tie with Mickleover Sports will now be played on Tuesday 21st January at the New Manor Ground and Ilkeston should have the opportunity to field almost a completely new team. They could do with one at the moment.

ILSON FOILED BY LAST GASP CHELMSFORD WINNER

4th January 2003

Chelmsford City 2 Ilkeston Town 1 Att 455 Dr Martens League Premier Division

Ilkeston line up:- 

Ilkeston Town went to deepest bleakest Essex looking to end a run of nine league games without a win and twelve away games without a win. Niall Hudson made his first start at left back and Emeka Nwadike returned to the midfield. the biggest surprise in Charlie Bishop's team selection was the dropping of star performer Leon Kelly. 

On a very cold afternoon both sides found it difficult to create many clear cut chances as the pitch which started the consistency of glue started to freeze. The game burst into life on the hour when Chelmsford's Cross dramatically rifled home a cross. Despite the goal the play was still disjointed and on 89 minutes when Carl Heggs equalised for Ilkeston it looked like the Robins would gain a very hard fought point. However it was not to be and on the sixth minute of added injury time a free kick rolled across the Robins box evading all the defenders but not Kersey who fired home to give Chelmsford all three points.

WhiteBallProject verdict -

Matt Nurse - Played well made some important saves

Niall Hudson - Promising full debut and showed some nice touches

Andy Lodge -  Had a quiet game seems more effective when he can push forward

James Impey - Strong and steady performance

Mat McKenzie - Starting to improve again

Simon Brown - Very solid, a good display

Ryan Ford - Worked very hard but held on to ball too long

Ian Robinson - WhiteBallProject Man of the Match. Very good game best for some time!

Carl Heggs - Had a quiet game but his goal almost secured Ilson a point

Chris Freestone - Quiet game substituted at half time

Emeka Nwadike - Much improved on Tiverton performance

Subs

Leon Kelly - Quiet game but played all of second half

Dion Evans - Struggled when pressed into action

Carl Lawrence - Little time to shine!

Ilkeston slim chances of avoiding finishing in the bottom four look remote. The Robins must get three from teams like Chelmsford if they are to compete at this level. It now looks as though the new Conference Division could be Ilkeston's only route out of the relegation mire. 

Ilkeston's Derbyshire Senior Cup tie with Mickleover Sports will be played on Tuesday 14th January at the New Manor Ground depending on the outcome of Saturdays FA Trophy tie against Burscough. A draw or a postponement will mean the Mickleover fixture being moved to Tuesday 21st January.