WhiteBallProject » Sat 8th Apr 23 : Ilkeston v Hednesford : ko 3pm

Matchman · 05/4/2023 5:22 PM

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This Saturday is Ilkeston's penultimate home game of the 2022-23 season. Hednesford are already relegated but Ilkeston have problems of their own. Four loan players have recently returned to their clubs leaving us very short of players and with the deadline for signings now past, we face having to play with a very understrength squad. We did manage to recall Ollie Brown-Hill from Stamford but an attempt to bring back Kallern Thomas from Corby has been unsuccessful. The Corby manager understandably wants to keep Kallern while they have a chance of making the playoffs
So with Finn Delap no longer with us, we have no central defender and it looks like we will have a makeshift lineup.

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finn delap @delap_finn
been a pleasure @ilkestontown_fc a great group of staff and players. all the best

A National League side have been tracking one of Ilkeston’s players

Last edited by Matchman (06/4/2023 7:58 AM)

Matchman · 06/4/2023 8:14 AM

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It's the Easter weekend and although we are no longer playoff contenders, it would be great to pick up six points.
Easter Saturday: Hednesford (home)
Easter Monday: Basford (away)
It's not going to be easy because of our available player situation.

Hope we can bounce back after our defeat at Alvechurch and return to winning ways against Hednesford.
Then it's the big one for the fans against local rivals Basford. Defeat in thay one would be devastating
Basford will be hoping for a big attendance with large numbers coming from Ilkeston.

Last edited by Matchman (06/4/2023 8:25 AM)

Matchman · 06/4/2023 7:05 PM

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This weekend sees every team in action. There are 2 matches on Good Friday and 9 matches on Saturday. All are 3pm kickoffs.

Friday 7th April 2023
Avechurch v Needham Market
Bedford v Redditch

Saturday 8th April 2023
Coalville v Bromsgrove
Hitchin v Royston
Ilkeston v Hednesford
Leiston v Barwell
Nuneaton v Kings Langley
Rushall v Basford
St Ives v Tamworth
Stourbridge v Rushden & Diamonds
Stratford v Mickleover

If Ilkeston can overcome Hednesford they have a chance to leapfrog Mickleover back into 6th position. The Micks are away to Stratford who are showing improved form and are desperate to pull clear of relegation.

Last edited by Matchman (06/4/2023 8:40 PM)

Matchman · 07/4/2023 8:08 AM

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In order to safeguard our position in the league, we need to win against Alvechurch because Barwell and Redditch are only 3 points behind us. Stourbridge are 5 points behind us with a game in hand. Alvechurch are now only 6 points behind us with two games in hand.
Alvechurch, Redditch and Stourbridge all have winnable games. Barwell have a tough one at Leiston

Friday 7th April 2023
Avechurch v Needham Market Result 1-1
Bedford v Redditch Result 0-1

Saturday 8th April 2023
Leiston v Barwell
Stourbridge v Rushden & Diamonds

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 9:17 AM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 7:04 AM

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It will be interesting to see our team to play against Hednesford.

This was last Saturday's team. 1 Foulkes, 2 Errat-Thompson, 3 Wilder, 4 Hilton, 5 Delap, 6 Fenton, 7 Campbell, 8 Thomas, 9 Lita, 10 Brown-Hill, 11 Bennett.
Bench: 12 Patterson, 14 Ward, 16 Woakes, 18 Kozluk, 19 Woodward (GK)

We no longer have Finn Delap so who is going to play in central defence?

I hope Leroy and Remaye are on form because our chances of keeping a clean sheet without Delap look slim. Hope I'm wrong.

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 7:07 AM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 12:32 PM

Ilkeston team
1 Harrison Foulkes, 2 Jack Thomas, 3 Henri Wilder, 4 Mason O'Malley, 5 Declan Errat-Thompson, 6 Kieran Fenton, 7 Remaye Campbell, 8 Ollie Brown-Hill, 9 Leroy Lita, 10 Tyree Wilson, 11 Triston Bennett.
Bench: 12 Lloyd Patterson, 14 Tom Hilton, 16 Mitchell Woakes, 18 Harley Kozluk, 19 Harvey Woodward.

Hednesford team
1 Oliver Basey, 2 Lucas Yeomans, 3 Stephan Morley, 15 James McGullkin, 5 Ben Kaninda, 6 Harvey Portman, 7 Zac Hartley, 8 Todd Parker, 9 Jordan Graham, 10 Fenton Heard, 11 Stanley Asomugha.
Bench: 12 Daniel Glover, 4 Germaine Agustion, 14 Ethan Patterson, 16 Chay Till, 17 Rhys Williams.

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 12:41 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 12:50 PM

So we have Mason O'Malley and Tyree Wilson back. Wasn't expecting that.

It's 10 minutes to kickoff and it's like a summer day

The teams are out. Ilkeston are in their home kit. Hednesford wearing sky blue shirts and navy shorts

Ilkeston are attacking the car park end we're off.......

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 1:01 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:07 PM

First corner to Hednesford but nothing from it. No chances yet. 0-0 6 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:13 PM

Hednesford No 11 Asomugha looks decent. Leroy tries a first time volley which goes wide. Another corner for Hednesford. Graham get his head on it but it's wide. Ilkeston shot from a tight angle hits the post and goes behind. 0-0 12 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:21 PM

Asomugha creates space for himself but his shot is blocked. Hednesford having a good spell just now. 0-0 20 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:23 PM

Goal Ilkeston Lita heads Triston Bennett's cross on 21 mins 1-0

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 9:17 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:26 PM

Oh no! Brown-Hill gets a red card for a foul. Presumably ref decided he was last man. We're down to 10 players on 24 minutes 1-0

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 1:28 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:35 PM

It's going to be difficult now, A long spell of Ilkeston possession ends with a save by Basey. Shot by Remaye is wide. 1-0 34 mins

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 1:36 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:43 PM

Despite a man short, Ilkeston are dominating possession but without creating anything. Errat-Thompson is doing really well. 1-0 41 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:50 PM

Fenton header makes it 2-0.

Matchman · 08/4/2023 1:50 PM

Half time - Ilkeston 2 Hednesford 0

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:15 PM

Att 627

Still 2-0 55 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:21 PM

Hednesford with the extra man are currently in the ascendency but ilkeston are defending well so far.
Great save by Foulkes from Graham pushing the shot for a corner, Good counter attack by Ilkeston ends with Campbell header over the bar. 2-0 61 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:28 PM

Leroy on the break is caught in the face by a defender's hand but the ref is too far away to see it. Hednesford now making the extra man count. Leroy gets flattened but the ref doesn't think so. Hednesford ford shot is high and wide. 2-0 68 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:31 PM

Good curling effort by Hartley but it doesn't curl enough. Wilson replaced by Kosluk. 2-0 70 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:35 PM

Good effort now by O'Malley which the keeper pushes for a corner . Fenton bullet header from O'Malley cross is on target but Basey is fortunately in the right place. 2-0 75 minutes

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 9:14 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:43 PM

Hednesford continue to push forward but Ilkeston's defence are still holding out. Good save by Foulkes. :Lita does well and wins a corner. From the corner Fenton heads in unchallenged 3-0 82 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:45 PM

Lita replaced by Patterson Bennett replaced by Woakes on 85 mins

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:48 PM

Free kick to Hednesford right on edge of area and a terrific save by Foulkes. 3-0 88 mins

Can we keep a clean sheet?

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 8:07 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:52 PM

No we can't Hednesford deservedly get one back scored by Chey Till 3-1 89 mins

Ilkeston go down the other end and Patterson scores to make it 4-1 90 mins

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 2:53 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 2:56 PM

Kozluk tripped on edge of area. Fenton goes for his hat-trick but its over the bar

And that is full time : Ilkeston 4 Hednesford 1

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 2:57 PM)

Matchman · 08/4/2023 3:20 PM

Some strange results today :

Coalville 1 Bromsgrove 1 !!!!!
Hitchin 1 Royston 0
Ilkeston 4 Hednesford 1
Leiston 2 Barwell 0
Nuneaton 1 Kings Langley 1 !!!!!
Rushall 0 Basford 1 !!!!!
St Ives 2 Tamworth 0 !!!!!
Stourbridge 0 Rushden & Diamonds 2 !!!!!
Stratford 2 Mickleover 1 !!!!!

Last edited by Matchman (08/4/2023 7:33 PM)

Alex · 08/4/2023 3:42 PM

Dont you just love football

Matchman · 08/4/2023 7:28 PM

The team deserve a lot a credit today for a fine win with only ten players for three quarters of the game. Jamie Ward said afterwards that we actually played better with ten players than we did with eleven. We certainly defended with determination and didn't concede until the 89th minute. When Ollie was sent off I thought we would be lucky to get a point. Kieran Fenton had an excellent game and capped it with two headed goals. Declan Errat-Thompson also played very well in the centre of defence. He seems to to able to play in any position. What an acquisition Leroy Lita has proved to be. It's like we can pretty much count on him scoring in every game. One of the Hednesford officials told me that their manager had upset Leroy with unfair criticism and made him want to leave Hednesford. By contrast, Jamie Ward seems to be saying the right thing to our players . He said that he had told the players that they should enjoy playing in this team because they are playing with other players of outstanding quality and they are the best footballing team in the league.

With Rushall losing again, we are 8 points behind them and we have 3 matches remaining so in theory we could still make the playoffs but realistically it's not going to happen. We have a big test on Monday at Basford. If we win that one we could also win the final two and finish on a high just outside the playoffs. Personally I think Jamie Ward has done well in his first season as manager and he's going to get better.

Alex · 08/4/2023 9:28 PM

Unbelievable if we made the playoffs.

But ive been watching town too many years so you never know