ASHBY IVANHOE 2-4 ST ANDREWS
FA VASE SECOND ROUND QUALIFYING
SATURDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER 2011

Ashby Ivanhoe failed to cause an FA Vase shock against East Midlands Counties League leaders St Andrews as the visitors raced into a 3-0 lead inside the first half hour before running out 4-2 winners after a late fight back from the home side.

This was Ashby’s third Vase campaign and they were looking to reach the first round proper for the first time but it was the visitors who started the match the better and after just seven minutes they opened the scoring when from the right side a cross into the area took a deflection and a header at the near post crept inside the post.

The advantage was doubled eleven minutes later when Ashby gave away possession too cheaply inside their own half and the ball was then played down the right and a cross was played into the area and a player came running into the area to send a diving header into the bottom corner.

Poor defending was the cause in the 24th minute as St Andrews added a third goal when a long ball forward from the Andrews goalkeeper split the Ivanhoe defence and the striker ran through the gap to reach the ball and with just Noon to beat he sent a low shot into the net and then a couple of minutes later Noon produced a good save to deny the visitors a fourth.

Ashby did have a couple of half chances before the end of the first half with Phil Gibson heading narrowly wide and a Jamie Yeomans free kick forcing the keeper into a save but with no breakthrough the visitors held a comfortable 3-0 lead at the break.

The second half saw an improved performance from Ashby and they were trying to get back into the match and they spent more time inside the opposition half but there was no end product and with twenty minutes remaining St Andrews increased their lead to four when again poor defending cost Ashby when a free kick was taken by the keeper to his defence who then lost the ball cheaply which left the opposition striker plenty of time before sending a powerful shot past.

The final twenty minutes saw Ashby mount a small comeback as they were the better side and they scored a couple of consolation goals to make the score line more respectable. On 73 minutes, and just four minutes after coming on as a substitute, Jack Willars pulled back the first when a long ball forward from a free kick found him inside the area and his first time shot over the keeper went under the bar and into the net to make it 4-1 before the final goal came in the first minute of stoppage time when Luke Thorogood swung in a corner and at the near post Phil Gibson’s glancing header found the net to end the match 4-2 and end Ashby’s FA Vase campaign for another season.