ASHBY IVANHOE 2-2 STAPENHILL
LEICESTERSHIRE SENIOR LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
SATURDAY 20TH AUGUST 2011
Ashby Ivanhoe began their defence of the Leicestershire Senior League in disappointing fashion as after playing really well for the majority of the match they let visitors Stapenhill back into the match in the final 25 minutes who rescued a point with a goal eight minutes from time.
Last season started with a trip to today’s visitors and that match also ended in a 2-2 draw but from the first whistle Ashby looked determined to hit the ground running and they went close to opening the scoring in the eleventh minute when Phil Gibson received the ball inside the area and after bringing the ball under control his shot came back out off the post with the keeper beaten.
Stapenhill had been quiet in the opening twenty minutes before their first chance of the match brought out two fine saves from Ashby keeper John Noon when firstly a shot towards the far corner was tipped away before the follow-up shot was also saved one-handed to keep the home side ahead.
Midway through the first half and after being the better side Ashby deservedly took the lead when Luke Thorogood on the right of midfield sent an accurate ball into the area where Gibson was waiting to head home from close range for 1-0.
Ashby went close to doubling their lead just before the half hour and again it was Ashby’s goalscorer who was involved but for the second time in the match his effort crashed back off the woodwork.
The final chance of the first 45 saw Stapenhill denied an equaliser by the offside flag after a free kick was heading for the top corner until Noon intervened and got a hand to the ball to tip it onto the bar before the Stapenhill player following up saw his header also hit the crossbar before the ball was headed in by another player who was then deemed to be in an offside position leaving Ashby to end the first half with a narrow 1-0 lead.
The second half started in the best possible way for Ashby when just two minutes in they doubled their advantage with a well taken goal. It came from a throw in inside Ashby’s half which John Smith launched down the line for Ben Pollard to run onto and after holding off the Stapenhill defender he sent the ball into the area where Thorogood was there to lift the ball over the keeper.
Stapenhill then had a chance to pull a goal back almost immediately but after the striker had battled past the Ivanhoe defence he fired his shot from close range straight at Noon who produced another fine save to keep the two goal lead intact.
As the second half progressed the visitors worked their way back into the match and midway through the half it was 2-1 when a cross into the area saw Noon come out to claim the ball but the Stapenhill player managed to get their first and send a header into the empty net.
Stapenhill continued to push forward as the match entered the final stages and Ashby were struggling to get the ball out of their half and with eight minutes remaining the visitors drew level when a corner wasn’t cleared and from the edge of the area a shot beat Noon into the bottom corner.
Neither side could come up with a winner in the remaining few minutes and the match ended in a 2-2 draw and Ashby will be disappointed that just like last season they only managed a point after holding a 2-0 lead but they will look to bounce back and claim a first win of the season on Tuesday night at home to last season’s runners-up FC Dynamo.
