Ilkeston Line up:-

1. Turner

2. Knowles 5. Swinscoe 4. Chettle 3. Lucas

7. Hindley  6. Clifford 8. Smith 11. Davies

9. Freestone 10. Copnell 

Subs

12. Jenkins for Freestone 45 mins

14. Lever for Knowles 45 mins

Sub not used 15. Laws

Yellow Cards

Davies 23 mins Copnell 31 mins Hindley 68 mins Lever 70 mins Chettle 86 mins

Red Cards

Copnell 90 mins Turner 90 mins

Ilkeston reverted  to a more familiar line up for the visit to Woodley Sports compared to the experimental formation that won at Spalding in the League Cup. Ross Turner, Steve Chettle, Ryan Hindley, Paul Smith, Allan Davies, Chris Freestone and Stuart Copnell all returned to the fray.

It was Woodley who started the strongest and they forced several corners in the opening minutes. Ilkeston were finding it difficult to cope with strong Woodley attack and after Ross Turner was forced to make an excellent save from Braine. Turner made another excellent save two minutes later from MacDonald and in between the Robins picked up the first of their five bookings when Allan Davies was booked for dissent. Woodley finally broke the deadlock on 37 minutes when Simon Hackney lobbed the ball over the hesitant Ross Turner from eighteen yards out.

After the break manager Phil Stant replaced Chris Freestone with Justin Jenkins and bought on Mark Lever for the injured Darren Knowles. Ilkeston's fortunes started to improve slightly and Justin Jenkins forced a good save out of Dale Newbrook in the Woodley goal.  However Woodley continued to hold the upper hand and should have increased their lead but Ilkeston doggedly held out as the game became more ragged. The referee by the end of the game had booked nine players and showed two Ilkeston players the red card as they left the pitch after the final whistle. Some unpleasant scenes at the end of the game summed up a miserable day for Ilkeston Town as they fell to the first away defeat of the season in the league.

WhiteBallProject Man of the Match - Steve Chettle (pictured above) – A rock at the back and rarely put a foot out of place.

Ilkeston Town lost their proud unbeaten run away from the New Manor Ground against a team that have caused the Robins problems in all of the three encounters so far this season. Ilkeston have never come to terms with the inventive Woodley attacking play in particular the excellent Simon Hackney. Ilkeston again looked impotent and rarely looked like scoring. This is an area that the management will surely looking to put right before Ilkeston's championship challenge starts to peter out.

We have to be careful what we say about referees but it was generally agreed by all who witnessed the game that Mr Storry did not have a good afternoon. But from all accounts it was the same for both sides and today Woodley Sports coped better than Ilkeston Town.

Thankfully the Robins do not have to face Woodley Sports again this season but they do have to face AFC Telford this coming Saturday. A lot of non league folk show animosity towards Telford but you do have to admire how the fans have clubbed together to rescue a club with a very proud record in non league football. They have not had the best of starts to the season but I am sure they will present another stern test for Phil Stant's Red, White and Black Army.