|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Ilkeston Line up:-
1.
Turner 2.
Knowles 5. Lever 4. Chettle 3. Jervis 7. Hindley 8. Johnson 6. Walshe 11. Smith 9. Jenkins 10. Freestone Subs 15. Eshelby for Johnson 45 mins 14.
Copnell for Freestone 55 mins
12.
Swinscoe for Knowles
79 mins
Yellow Cards Jervis 8 mins, Knowles 65 mins and Copnell 89 mins Red Cards None
Debutants Chettle, Smith, Jenkins and Copnell.
Ilkeston have never played Woodley Sports before and few people amongst the impressive 398 crowd knew much about them. However after a nervous start by both teams it was the visitors who started to dominate the game with their slick passing and quick movement up front. Both wingers Russell Headley and Simon Hackney were causing tremendous problems for the Robins rearguard and after eight minutes David Jervis was cautioned after one too many clumsy challenges on Hackney. Headley on the other wing beat Darren Knowles for pace and his cross just evaded Mickey Norton after 21 minutes. Two minutes later Woodley Sports deservedly took the lead when Mickey Norton ran on to a through ball which caught out a square Ilkeston defence and he thundered his shot past the despairing dive of Ross Turner.
On 29 minutes the home fans frustration was heightened when Tony Carrol cut in from the left and shot past Turner low in to the corner of the net to give the visitors a two goal lead. Woodley were now in complete control and even took in a bit a time wasting when there keeper took the ball for a walk back and forwards across his area before he decided to clear it. Unfortunately for Woodley this tactic backfired when Ilkeston pulled a goal back in added time at the end of the first half. Paul Smith's shot was parried by Richard Acton and the ball fell to Justin Jenkins whop tucked away the rebound to register his first league goal in an Ilkeston shirt.
After the break Paul Eshelby replaced the ineffective Steve Johnson and Paul Smith moved to the centre of midfield. Ilkeston started to look more threatening as Woodley appeared to be looking to defend their lead. After 51 minutes David Jervis crossed for Chris Freestone but he was thwarted by the excellent Mark Phillips just as he looked to be heading the equaliser. This was Freestone's last taste of the action and he was replaced by the more mobile Stuart Copnell. Woodley were starting to look a bit ragged and were starting to indulge in more aggressive tactics. A policy which resulted in the booking of Mickey Norton after 60 minutes.
Ilkeston were now starting to put the Woodley under a lot of pressure with Ryan Hindley getting in to the game for the first time. He came close with a freekick and then on 65 minutes he provided an excellent cross which just evaded the lively Stuart Copnell. Six minutes the Robins pressure finally paid off when Paul Eshelby's teasing cross was palmed by Richard Acton into the path of Justin Jenkins who cleverly hooked the ball home from eight yards to bring the scores level. Ilkeston now sensed that the game could be won and their spirits were raised when Richard Acton dropped a corner and David Jervis shot just over. When the winning goal did arrive it was a classic. Justin Jenkins controlled a long ball and played it in to the path of the onrushing Liam Walshe (pictured above) who cleverly chipped the keeper from eighteen yards. The goal was celebrated in ecstatic fashion by players and fans alike and a better goal will rarely be seen at the New Manor Ground this season. Woodley had a late chance to get back on level terms in the dying seconds but Andy Pavey put his shot into the side netting.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match - Justin Jenkins – Scored two and made the third. What a debut! Looks uncannily like Paulo Wanchope and even played like him today. Liam Walshe also had an excellent agame.
As mentioned Ilkeston looked a poor side in the first half. Woodley were two fast upfront and they looked solid at the back. Ilkeston did not have a shot on target until the 46th minutes. It lead to Justin Jenkins (pictured left) goal but up until that point we did not seem to have any idea of how to get back into the game. Chris Freestone was having a desperate afternoon against the impressive Mark Phillips and Mickey Ryan. He did not look very mobile and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Stuart Copnell in the second half.
Woodley did tire in the second half and appeared to lack ambition seemingly being content to defend their 2-1 lead rather than look for more goals. This gave Ilkeston confidenxce and has Ryan Hindley and Paul Eshelby got more into the game the cracks in the Woodley defence started to appear.
The game will leave Manager Phil Stant with a selection headache on Tuesday. Does he he bring in Nigel Jemson for his debut? Will Paul Smith stay in the centre of midfield? Will he reshuffle a defence that looked very slow in the first half? Whatever he does Stocksbridge Park Steels will not be as big a mystery as Woodley Sports were. Darren Knowles, Steve Johnson, Ricard Lucas, Stuart Copnell and Ryan Hindley have all played for the Yorkshire outfit and remember 'Middo' still plays for them.
A win today was a good start but no doubt Phil Stant and Ernie Oliver will be concerned about the first half performance and will be working hard to make sure the same does not occur on Tuesday night.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
If
this is what the UniBond League is going to be like we are going to be in
for a very entertaining season. For Ilkeston Town this was definitely a
game of two halves. The home side were very poor in the first when Woodley
outplayed and outfought the robins. In the second they were a different
side obviously inspired by a half time chat with Phil Stant and two
inspired substitutions.
