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News
25th
August 2008
| Ilkeston Town
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1 |
Frickley Athletic |
0 |
Att 495 |
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Howell 10
pen
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 Ilkeston
Town line up against A Frickley Athletic side who included two
ex Robins in their ranks in Steven Heath and manager Billy Heath.
With an unbeaten record the Robins started very brightly and took
the lead after ten minutes when Anthony Howell was flattened in
the box. Howell then made himself Ilkeston's third penalty of the
season but coolly became the first successful one of the season.
Frickley regrouped and started to get back into the game and
forced Adamson into a couple of fine saves. After the break both
sides found it difficult to create chances and although Frickley
enjoyed a greater share of the possession they had hardly
any shots on target as Ilkeston stoically defended their 1-0 lead
taking them up ti third in the league with the same points as the
first placed team.
In brief :-Ilkeston
started brightly and deservedly took the lead. They then let
Frickley back into the game but they were unable to create any
clear cut chances and in the end the Robins comfortably defended
their lead.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match -
Lee Thompson
(picture above) immaculate at the back and just pipped fellow
full back Paul Hurst.
Ilkeston Town line up:- Adamson,
Thompson, Hurst, Scott, Jones, Murphy, Istead, Pringle,
Morgan-Smith (Douglas 70 mins), Howell (Mitchell 78 mins), Duncum
(Adam 64 mins) Subs not used Haystead and Shaw.
23rd
August 2008
| Leigh Genesis |
1 |
Ilkeston Town |
2 |
Att 79 |
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Booth 28
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Douglas 85
Adam 87 |
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 Ilkeston
Town started their game against Leigh Genesis with the same
staring eleven that beat Buxton in midweek at a sparsely populated
Victory Park home of Chorley. Leigh started the game looking the
brighter of the two sides and were unlucky when a free kick from
Jerome Watt flashed past the post. The Robins were finding
it difficult to get any joy out of a solid and well organised
Leigh defence and the "home" side took the lead after 28 minutes
when Paul Booth rose to head from a corner. Leigh continued to
push forward and could have increased their lead when Watt saw his
effort headed off the line by Keiran Murphy just before
half time.
After the break and probably a few words of
wisdom from manager David Holdsworth Ilkeston
started to play much more positively creating a number of half
chances. However the Leigh defence although under pressure seemed
to capable of keeping the Robins out. With time starting to
run out Ilkeston bought on Chris Adam and Jon
Douglas. Douglas's aerial power started to cause
problems and he made his mark with five minutes to go when he
headed home from a Ben Pringle free kick. The Leigh plan to
settle for a 1-0 win lay in tatters and things got even worse for
them when the second substitute Adam fired home after Leigh
failed to clear a Pringle shot. Adam even found the
time to nearly add a third but he ballooned his shot over the bar.
In brief :-
Leigh dominated the first half and looked the best side
Ilkeston had faced this season. Ilkeston stepped it up
in the second half and gradually they wore down Leigh down. the
Robins got stronger and finished deserved winners.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match - Ben Pringle
(picture above) an excellent second half performance and a
hand in both goals..
Ilkeston Town line up:- Adamson,
Thompson, Hurst, Scott, Jones, Murphy, Istead, Pringle,
Morgan-Smith (Douglas 66 mins), Howell (Whittington 81 mins), Duncum
(Adam 62 mins) Subs not used Haystead and Shaw.
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The bench looks on as
Pringle tries to break clear |
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Fitzgerald clears from
Douglas |
Morgan-Smith is bundled over |
19th
August 2008
Buxton 0 Ilkeston Town 2
 Ilkeston
Town made the scenic journey to Derbyshire rivals Buxton with
some trepidation after the way Buxton dominated the Robins
last season.
However Ilkeston are a very different
team to last season and they started the game in a positive
fashion.
Amari Morgan-Smith, Anthony Howell and
Sam Duncum were causing problems for the Buxton defence
with their pace and it was no surprise when the Robins took
the lead after 28 minutes. Howell was bought down after yet
again evading the leaden home sides defence by ex Robin
Scott Hartley in the Buxton goal. Hartley alomost redeemed himself
by saving the spot kick but could not prevent Morgan-Smith
scoring from the rebound. Despite the fact that Buxton managed to
miss three gilt edged chances the Robins continued to push
forward and in stoppage time in the first half Morgan-Smith
was bought down in the box and was awarded another penalty. This
time however Sam Duncum stepped up to take the kick put yet
again Hartley was up to the mark and made a terrific save.
After the break Buxton made two substitutions
but they still could not contain a rampant llkeston side.
Howell came close on two occasions just after Keiran
Murphy had headed a Buxton effort over his own bar. The
Robins got the break their play deserved when Morgan-Smith
pounced to prod the ball after a goalmouth scramble following a
corner.
In the last twenty minutes the home side tried
in vain to muscle their way back into the game but always looked
looked vulnerable to an Ilkeston breakaway. The game then
descended into a series of unpleasant tackles designed to put the
Robins off their stride. They did not succeed and
Ilkeston emerged victorious and completed one of the best
performances by an Ilkeston side in many a year.
The fans who witnessed the win will now be
confident that the Robins can take on any team in the
Northern Premier League Premier Division. The exciting attacking
play will attract more fans and should make the New Manor Ground a
much happier place to watch football in the coming months.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match
- Amari Morgan-Smith (pictured above) although
there was many good performances with Sam Duncum, Steven Istead
and Ben Pringle also excelling..
Ilkeston Town line up:- Adamson,
Thompson, Hurst, Scott, Jones, Murphy, Istead, Pringle,
Morgan-Smith (Mitchell 87 mins), Howell,
Duncum (Adam 83 mins) Subs not used Haystead, Shaw and Douglas.
Att 372
16th
August 2008
Ilkeston Town 1 Kendal Town 1
 Ilkeston
Town started their first league game under new manager
David Holdsworth with a team that saw twelve players make
their Ilkeston Town debuts.
The Robins started the game brightly
with Chris Adam and Sam Duncum both casuing problems
for the Kendal defence. Both wide players had good chances to give
Ilkeston the lead but the closest they did come was when
Anthony Howell rattled the crossbar. Despite the Robins
creating more chances than the visitors Kendal still looked
dangerous and they eventually took the lead when the Ilkeston's
defence failed to clear a long ball and Ian Kilford pounced to
force the ball home.
The goal rocked Ilkeston and Kendal
seemed to grow in confidence. After the break the Robins
however regrouped and started to press forward. They had to wait
until the 84th minute for the breakthrough and it came from an
excellent volley from Amari Morgan-Smith after a cross from
Lee Whittington. In the end a draw was a good result for
Ilkeston but with a bit more luck early one the Robins could have
been celebrating their first three points of the season.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match
- Sam Duncum (pictured above) who just pipped Lee Thompson.
Ilkeston Town line up:- Adamson,
Thompson, Hurst, Scott, Jones, Murphy, Istead, (Pringle 57
mins), Adam, Morgan-Smith (Whittington 76 mins), Howell (Douglas
76 mins), Duncum . Subs not used Shaw and Haystead.
Att 393
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Istead holds the ball up |
Howell takes on the Kendal
defence |
8th August 2008
Ilkeston Town 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Ilkeston
Town showed the Olympic spirit by brushing aside a youthful
Forest side and recording their first win of the pre season.
The Robins kicked off with triallists
Rob Scott and Keiran Murphy in their ranks and hey took
the game to Forest with the speed of Anthony Howell and
Amari Morgan-Smith (pictured right) started to
cause problems for the visitors. Ilkeston went in at half
time satisfied with the manner in which they had controlled the
game. After the break the Robins got the break they were
looking when Stephen Istead was bought down when he was
clear on goal. From the free kick Lee Thompson hammered the
ball low past the Forest keeper to give Ilkeston a well
deserved lead. Seven minutes later the Robins went 2-0 when
Morgan-Smith recieved a pass from Chris Adam and
turned inside and bent his shot inside the far post. Last season
Ilkeston made a habit of throwing away two goal leads but
tonight was going to be different when on 69 minutes Istead scored
with twenty yard strike after excellent inter play by Howell
and Morgan-Smith. Forest pulled a goal back late on with an
excellent strike from an unknown defender but the night belonged
to David Holdsworth and his troops as they congratulated
themselves on a job well done.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match
- Paul Hurst.
Ilkeston Town line up:- Adamson,
Thompson, Hurst, Scott, Murphy, Jones, Istead (Manship 76 mins),
Shaw (Pringle 57 mins), Morgan-Smith (Whittington 76 mins), Howell
(Douglas 76 mins), Adam.
Att 747
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David Holdsworth looks on |
Howell holds up the ball |
2nd August 2008
Hucknall Town 1 Ilkeston Town 0
Ilkeston
were up against more ex Robins as Hucknall fielded Nathan
Winder, Matt McKenzie and James Lindley in their
starting line up. The home side also looked the better side in the
opening 45 minutes and it was no surprise when they went ahead
after 20 minutes when Dave Kettle was allowed an easy tap in after
a defensive/goal keeping mix up. After the break Ilkeston
played with more purpose and started to put Hucknall under
pressure. The Robins had a number of chances to win to
equalise and even win the game but Lee Whittington and
Chris Adam both missed good chances late on in the game when
Hucknall were started to tire.
Although this was another defeat the second
half was particularly promising and given a bit more luck the
result could have been very different. Paul Hurst seemed to
be an answer to the problematic left back spot and once players
who have suffered niggling injuries return we should see the best
from the much revamped Ilkeston Town.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match
- Lee Thompson (pictured above).
Ilkeston Town line up:- Haystead,
Thompson, Hurst, Shaw, Timons, Brewer (Crane 67 mins), Adam,
Manship (Sleath 83 mins), Morgan-Smith (Whittington 75 mins),
Howell (Douglas 85 mins), Duncum (Istead 32 mins).
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Amari
Morgan-Smith holds up the ball |
Lee Thompson pushes up |
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Tony Howell causing problems |
Amari Morgan-Smith looks to
get an opening whilst Stephen Istead looks on |
30th July 2008
Ilkeston Town 2 Leicester City 4
 Ilkeston
suffered another defeat but this was offset by a very encouraging
first half performance. New boy Tony Howell opened the
scoring after only five minutes and eh added a second on 27
minutes after excellent work by Amari Morgan-Smith.
Leicester made a number of changes up front at half time and these
paid dividends as the Robins defence were stretched in the
second half. Andy King got Leicester's first with a smartly taken
free kick a minute after the restart. Billy McKay added a brace
with strikes in the 68th and 73rd minute. Levi Porter added a
fourth four minutes from time.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match
- Chris Adam and the Robin (pictured above).
Ilkeston Town line up:- Haystead
(Adamson 80 mins), Thompson, Ryan (Timons 66 mins), Tait (Shaw 60
mins), Jones, Adams, Adam, Pringle (Sleath 60 mins)
Morgan-Smith (Douglas 70 mins), Howell (Whitingham 70 mins),
Duncum (Shaw 68 mins).
Att 437
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Chris Adam comes close |
Last ditch challenge by Tom
Jones |
26th July 2008
Retford United 2 Ilkeston Town 1
 Ilkeston
Town suffered their second pre season defeat against last
seasons UniBond Division One North champions Retford. The Badgers
included popular ex Robins Ryan Hindley, Dan White
and Stuart Copnell in their ranks but they were 1-0 down
after Tom Jones gave the Robins the lead after 40
minutes. The home side equalised just five minutes later when
substitute Tomlinson out muscled the Ilkeston defence to
score with a crisp shot. Players from both sides started to wilt
in the baking conditions but it was Retford who had the last say
when Chris Timons bought down and Mark Godber scored from
the resulting penalty kick. The Robins should have got more
from this encounter but missed a string of good chances in the
second half.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match
- Chris Adam (pictured above).
Ilkeston Town line up:-Adamson (Haystead
45 mins), Thompson, Pringle, Brewer, Walker, Timons (Brewer 81
mins), Jones, Adam, Tait (Duncum 58 mins), Morgan-Smith (Douglas
51mins), Whittington, Instead (Shaw 68 mins)
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Sam Duncum runs at the
Retford defence |
Jon
Douglas hits the post |
23rd July 2008
Ilkeston Town 0 Mansfield Town 1
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Amari Morgan-Smith heads for goal against Mansfield
Town |
 Bright
sunshine and a healthy crowd of around 500 welcomed
Ilkeston Town as they played
their first fixture under new manager David Holdsworth.
Opponents Mansfield Town are starting anew as
well in the Blue Square Premier. The Stags started the game well
and made it difficult for an Ilkeston staring line up with only
two players in Rik Brewer and Chris Timons remaining
from last season. It was no surprise then when Mark McGregor opened the scoring for the Stags
after 20 minutes. The Robins
however showed this new team were not about to crumble and
gradually fought their back into the game. Mansfield had a few
chances to score more goals but Ilkeston
showed that they are now a very fit outfit and grew in confidence
as the second half progressed.
Results in pre-season usually do not mean much
and it is the performance that is important. The
Robins did look disjointed and
very nervous in the first half. Just what you would expect from a
team who have never played together. However they fought hard and
started to match their visitors as the game wore on. Most fans
will have known few of the players but will have been impressed
with Tom Jones in the centre of defence, Lee Thompson
at full back and both Sam Duncum and Stephen Istead
looked useful in their wide midfield positions.
Overall this was a promising start. The ground
looked immaculate, the new club shop was open and the team showed
a spirit lacking from much of last season. It's just a pity the PA
bit the dust an hour before kick off.
WhiteBallProject Man of the Match
- Tom Jones (pictured above).
Ilkeston Town line up:-Haystead
(Adamson 55 mins), Thompson, Brewer (Triallist No17), Tate (Walker
72mins),Timons, Jones, Istead, Shaw, Douglas (Green 62mins),
Mitchell (Morgan-Smith 20 mins), Duncum (Adam 60 mins).
8th July 2008
Ilkeston Town have confirmed their list
of pre season friendlies starting with an attractive home tie
against Mansfield Town.
22-July-08 Mansfield Town HOME
7.30pm
26-July-08
Retford United AWAY 3.00pm
30-July-08
Leicester City HOME 7.30pm
02 Aug-08
Hucknall Town AWAY 3.00pm
08-Aug-08
Nottingham Forest XI HOME 7.30pm
09-Aug-08
Shepshed Dynamo AWAY 3.00pm
ALL SEASON TICKETS
HOLDERS WILL HAVE FREE ENTRY TO HOME PRE SEASON GAMES
At last the waiting is over and the 2008-09
fixtures are out and Ilkeston Town can look forward to a
home tie against Kendal Town as their opening fixture followed by
two challenging away games at Buxton and Leigh Genesis. The Boxing
Day derby is a home tie against Matlock Town and the fans away day
looks like another visit to the North Yorkshire and three points
from Whitby Town.
16-Aug-08 Kendal Town HOME
19-Aug-08 Buxton AWAY
23-Aug-08 Leigh Genesis AWAY
25-Aug-08 Frickley Athletic HOME
30-Aug-08 North Ferriby United HOME
02-Sep-08 Witton Albion AWAY
06-Sep-08 Marine AWAY
09-Sep-08 Boston United HOME
20-Sep-08 Bradford Park Avenue AWAY
23-Sep-08 Worksop Town AWAY
04-Oct-08 Guiseley HOME
07-Oct-08 Ossett Town HOME
11-Oct-08 Nantwich Town AWAY
14-Oct-08 Bradford Park Avenue HOME
25-Oct-08 Hednesford Town HOME
29-Oct-08 FC United of Manchester AWAY
08-Nov-08 Frickley Athletic AWAY
11-Nov-08 Marine HOME
15-Nov-08 Eastwood Town AWAY
22-Nov-08 Ashton United HOME
29-Nov-08 Witton Albion HOME
06-Dec-08 Prescot Cables AWAY
13-Dec-08 Whitby Town HOME
20-Dec-08 Ashton United AWAY
26-Dec-08 Matlock Town HOME
01-Jan-09 Hednesford Town AWAY
10-Jan-09 North Ferriby United AWAY
17-Jan-09 Nantwich Town HOME
24-Jan-09 Cammell Laird HOME
03-Feb-09 Guiseley AWAY
14-Feb-09 Matlock Town AWAY
21-Feb-09 Worksop Town HOME
28-Feb-09 Leigh Genesis HOME
07-Mar-09 Cammell Laird AWAY
14-Mar-09 Buxton HOME
21-Mar-09 Ossett Town AWAY
28-Mar-09 Prescot Cables HOME
04-Apr-09 Kendal Town AWAY
11-Apr-09 Eastwood Town HOME
14-Apr-09 Boston United AWAY
18-Apr-09 FC United of Manchester HOME
25-Apr-09 Whitby Town AWAY
20th May
2008
 A
new era for Ilkeston Town Football Club was unveiled as
owner Chek Whyte introduced new manager David Holdsworth
(picture right) to the press and a substantial gathering of
fans. New members of the new backroom team including Jim
Cheetham and Denis Harris were also present as was
Rachel and Steve Thornton representing the Ilkeston
Town Juniors teams.
New boss Holdsworth
impressed those present with his professional approach and his
commitment to improving the overall effectiveness of Ilkeston
Town Football Club. He spoke of new signings including a
classy winger and stressed the importance of getting local talent
involved in the club.
There are without doubt
exciting times ahead for Ilkeston Town and we can be sure
there will be more changes.
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New Ilkeston Town Manager David Holdsworth |
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Chek and David |
Chek meets the press |
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Jim Cheetham,
David Holdsworth, Chek Whyte and Dennis Harris |
14th May
2008
 The
protracted takeover of Ilkeston Town was finally completed
when earlier today Chek Whyte
(pictured right) officially became the new owner of the
club. As promised Chek clinched the deal on his birthday.
The takeover will no doubt
herald a new era at the New Manor Ground with Chek already
professing to want to develop the youth and community involvement
with the club. The position of Manager Nigel Jemson should
become clear in the very near future but many local experts expect
to see a new manager within days. David Holdsworth the ex
Gretna reserves and youth team manager has been mentioned as a
candidate.As further details emerge they will be posted on the
WhiteBallProject.
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