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Ilson
draw a blank against stubborn Blyth
17th
September 2005 - UniBond League Premier Division
Ilkeston
Town 0
Blyth
Spartans 0
Att
378
Ilkeston
Town :-
Scott, Swinscoe, Jervis, Gaunt, Hoyle, Burns, Ludlam (Knowles 80),
Bonsall, Goddard, Jemson (Townsend 68), Jenkins (Adam 58).
Blyth
Spartans :-
Bartlett, Hanlon, Leeson, Smith, Forster, Snowdon, McCabe, Gildea R,
Dale (Priest 90) , Bell (Johnson 76), Gildea L (Williams 54).
Ilkeston
Town recalled Nigel Jemson
and gave David Jervis his
first start of the season as the Robins took on inform Blyth
Spartans. Ilkeston had not faced the Spartans since they knocked
them out of the FA Cup in the first round proper in 1958.
Blyth
started brightly and had the best of the early chance coming close
on a number of occasions. As the game wore on Ilkeston started to
have more possession but both sides were finding it difficult to
break down two resolute defences. On 30 minutes Blyth had the best
chance of the half when Ben Scott was called on to make an fine save to keep the scores
level.
As
the half closed the game became punctuated by a number of clumsy
challenges the majority from the visitors and at one point tempers
became frayed when Mick
Goddard tangled with Adam Bartlett in the Blyth goal.
After
the interval Ilkeston started to look more positive and they put the
Blyth defence under pressure for the first time in the game. On 48
minutes good play by Jemson
put Jervis in with a half chance and three minutes later Ryan
Ludlam forced a good save from Bartlett. Goddard then broke out of defence and ran the length of the field
before putting his shot just wide. The Byth were looking vulnerable
for the first time in the game and they had a lucky when Adam’s cross just evaded Goddard
and Bartlett scrambled the ball out for a corner. On 60 minutes Ludlam
sent in an excellent cross which Jemson
headed just over the bar.
Blyth
almost took the lead on 62 minutes when Robert Dale hit the bar with
a clever shot from an acute angle. Then two minutes later the
impressive Scott Bell gained a free kick on the edge of the box with
some neat play but the free-kick was placed well over the bar.
Despite this Ilkeston were playing much better with substitute Chris
Adam causing problems on the left.
However
the efforts of both attcks were not enough to breach either defence
and the closest the game came to a goal was when Colin
Hoyle almost put the ball into is own net in the dying minutes.
WhiteBallProject
Man of the Match – Craig Gaunt – Resolute at the back and a fine display.
Blyth
Spartans were well placed with their point at the New Manor Ground
and to extent so were the Robins because Blyth came closest to
scoring. It is scoring which seems to the Robins problem at the
moment. Ilkeston had few shots on goal and those that did occur were
from midfielders. All the forwards are working hard but at the
moment there is not enough creativity and how we could do with an
out and out striker. Somebody like Christian
Moore in his prime or even Gary Bradshaw. At the moment the team
look solid at the back and steady in midfield but they do not look
like scoring. Surely Phil
Stant and Ernie Oliver will be looking to step up their search for some new
faces in the coming weeks. |
