First Team - Match centre

Stamford
Ilkeston Town
T Chitiza (57'), R Morgan (78'), P Mwanyongo (87'), O Brown-Hill (90')
Full time
C Dear (36', 75')
ti 20 elo 19:45 - The BetVictor Northern Premier League - South East Division Attendance 303

Daniels Comeback To Secure Victory

By

A superb second half showing helped Stamford secure a second successive BetVictor Northern Premier League victory after a 4-2 home triumph over Ilkeston Town on Tuesday night.

Stamford struck four goals in a pulsating performance after the break by twice battling back from going a goal behind to maintain their strong start to the South East Division campaign.

Tendai Chitiza and Rob Morgan scored the goals that twice got Stamford level before super-subs Pearson Mwanyongo and Ollie Brown-Hill both netted in the final three minutes of a cracking contest at the Zeeco Stadium.

Ilkeston had earlier taken a first half lead and, after Stamford’s equaliser, had regained the advantage following a rare error from goalkeeper Dan Haystead.

Ilkeston Town - 20th August 2019.  Photo's courtesy of Geoff Atton.
54 photos

But Stamford’s strong response left delighted manager Graham Drury hailing the togetherness of his new-look squad.

He said: “I didn’t know how were going to beat their goalkeeper at first because it could have been 4-1 at half-time.
“I don’t think they were bad misses either – it was unbelievable saves.
“I stayed really positive and buoyant at half-time though and said that I believed if we got the next goal then we would go on and win the game.
“I told the lads that we had to go and hunt that goal and we entered the box six times in the first four minutes of the second half.
“That really set the tone of how we were going to press and we were on the front foot for all 48 minutes of the second half.
“I did think Dan (Haystead) had gifted them it. I don’t know why he came out for it and you’re dreading it. You’re fearing the worst.
“But there is something in the back of your mind with this group of players that they don’t want to lose. They don’t want to get beat.
“To gel how it has as a whole squad with eight new faces in the starting line-up is just unbelievable.
“We were dominant in the press on the front foot and I thought the two centre halves – James Blunden and Sean Wright – were so strong.
“Dan was on the hero on Saturday. He’s made one mistake in I don’t know how long to give them lead again, but the reaction of the boys just shows the togetherness we’ve got.
“I can’t fault them and to win your first two games is a manager’s dream when you’re putting a new squad together.
“It’s so important to get points on the board early because you don’t really know each other yet.
“You can start seeing the little links with Tom Siddons and James Hicks though who are beginning to play off each other.
“That takes time to develop a partnership while the two boys in the wide area – Cosmos Matwasa and Tendai Chitiza – are both work-horses with skill.
Pearson Mwanyongo has come on and done what he does. They wanted to double up on him and he goes and scores an unbelievable goal.
“We stayed positive from half-time and believed that we could do it. I was really proud of my changing room from both games.”

Stamford – whose starting line-up was unchanged from Saturday’s opening day success over Glossop North End – had been kept at bay in the opening period by an inspired display from Ilkeston goalkeeper Ross Durrant.

After a cagey opening 20 minutes with clear-cut chances at a premium, Chitiza was the first home player to be thwarted by Durrant after bursting into the box and firing in a shot which was repelled by the custodian.

Morgan was then denied from close range in the follow-up before Durrant flung himself at the feet of the incoming Tom Siddons to deny the Stamford striker a tap-in.

Durrant’s saves were to prove crucial as Ilkeston broke the deadlock with 10 minutes of the first half remaining.

Stamford had been enjoying their best spell of the half when from an Ilkeston raid the ball broke for Cameron Dear who rifled home an unstoppable finish into the bottom corner of Dan Haystead’s net.

The Daniels responded strongly with Durrant again saving well from Hicks before Siddons rifled into the side-netting after a scramble from the
resultant corner.

Siddons then finally got the better of Durrant in first half injury-time as he rose highest to power a header goalwards only for his effort to rattle the upright.

Stamford started the second half strongly and peppered the visiting goal before equalising in the 57th minute.

Cosmos Matwasa was the architect of the leveller as he chased down a lost cause before defying the presence of an Ilkeston defender to keep the ball in play on the byline.

Matwasa then calmly laid it back into the path of the in-coming Chitiza who slid home to get Stamford back on level terms.

There looked likely to only be one winner at this point as Stamford staged regular raids on the Ilkeston goal.

Hicks came closest to putting the Daniels in front only to be denied by a goalline clearance from Lavell White.

Chitiza then picked out a cross to find the marauding Cleveland Taylor who surged into the Ilkeston area, but unfortunately his shot flew over the Robins’ crossbar.

A rare Ilkeston foray into the Stamford half then saw the visitors regain the lead in bizarre circumstances with 15 minutes remaining.

Goalkeeper Haystead chose to charge out of his box to hunt down a long ball and, as a posse of players converged on the Stamford custodian, he smashed his clearance straight at Dear with the rebound flying off the Ilkeston attacker and into the home net.

That could have stung Stamford, but they took just two minutes to get back on level terms.

A long throw into the Ilkeston box caused a goalmouth scramble and Morgan pounced to ram the ball home from close range.

The momentum was now with Stamford and they added fresh attacking impetus by bringing on both Mwanyongo and Brown-Hill.

And, with three minutes remaining, Mwanyongo conjured up a moment of magic to put Stamford in front.

A sharp turn saw him shrug off a challenge before looking up and lifting an audacious shot over Durrant from well outside the box which left the in-form Ilkeston goalkeeper grasping at thin air.

There was still enough time for Stamford to add a fourth goal in the 90th minute as Brown-Hill started and finished the move which sealed the success.

Winning possession in the centre of the park, he played the ball into Hicks before latching onto the return pass and slotting home past the advancing Durrant to cap a memorable Daniels display.

Rob Morgan

Star Player

Rob Morgan

Key moments

36:00
Goal Cameron Dear scores for Ilkeston Town
57:00
Goal Tendai Chitiza scores for Stamford
75:00
Goal Cameron Dear scores for Ilkeston Town
78:00
Goal Rob Morgan scores for Stamford
87:00
Goal Pearson Mwanyongo scores for Stamford
90:00
Goal Ollie Brown-Hill scores for Stamford

Videos and photos

Highlights

View 0 new events
90:00 +2:00 Sub On
Jack Keeble is substituted on for Stamford
90:00 Goal 4 - 2
Ollie Brown-Hill scores for Stamford
90:00 Assist
James Hicks makes an assist for Stamford
87:00 Goal 3 - 2
Pearson Mwanyongo scores for Stamford
83:00 Sub Off
Tom Siddons is substituted off for Stamford
83:00 Sub On
Ollie Brown-Hill is substituted on for Stamford
80:00 Sub On
Pearson Mwanyongo is substituted on for Stamford
80:00 Sub Off
Cosmos Matwasa is substituted off for Stamford
78:00 Goal 2 - 2
Rob Morgan scores for Stamford
78:00 Sub Off
Shaun Harrad is substituted off for Ilkeston Town
78:00 Sub On
Harry Wakefield is substituted on for Ilkeston Town
75:00 Goal 1 - 2
Cameron Dear scores for Ilkeston Town
71:00 Missed Shot
Cleveland Taylor misses a shot for Stamford
64:00 Yellow Card
Fabian Smith is yellow carded for Ilkeston Town
62:00 Missed Shot
Harry Vince misses a shot for Stamford
62:00 Blocked Shot
James Hicks has a shot blocked for Stamford
59:00 Saved Shot
Cosmos Matwasa has a shot saved for Stamford
57:00 Goal 1 - 1
Tendai Chitiza scores for Stamford
57:00 Assist
Cosmos Matwasa makes an assist for Stamford
55:00 Corner taken
Corner for Stamford
49:00 Missed Shot
Tom Siddons misses a shot for Stamford
End of period 1
45:00 +51:00 Star Player
Rob Morgan is awarded star player for Stamford
45:00 +47:00 Sub Off
Tendai Chitiza is substituted off for Stamford
45:00 +4:00 Yellow Card
Reece Fyfe is yellow carded for Ilkeston Town
45:00 +2:00 Blocked Shot
Tom Siddons has a shot blocked for Stamford
45:00 +1:00 Corner taken
Corner for Stamford
39:00 Missed Shot
Shot missed for Stamford
38:00 Corner taken
Corner for Stamford
38:00 Saved Shot
James Hicks has a shot saved for Stamford
36:00 Goal 0 - 1
Cameron Dear scores for Ilkeston Town
32:00 Missed Shot
Rob Morgan misses a shot for Stamford
28:00 Saved Shot
Tendai Chitiza has a shot saved for Stamford
28:00 Missed Shot
Tom Siddons misses a shot for Stamford
27:00 Corner taken
Corner for Ilkeston Town
24:00 Corner taken
Corner for Stamford
22:00 Yellow Card
Harry Vince is yellow carded for Stamford
7:00 Corner taken
Corner for Ilkeston Town
Start of the game
Replay game

As it happened

  • Stamford
  • Ilkeston Town
  • 0
  • Harry Vince Yellow Card 22:00'
  • Cameron Dear Goal 36:00'
  • Reece Fyfe Yellow Card 45:00 +4:00'
  • Tendai Chitiza Sub Off 45:00 +47:00'
  • Tendai Chitiza Goal 57:00'
  • Cosmos Matwasa Assist 57:00'
  • Fabian Smith Yellow Card 64:00'
  • Cameron Dear Goal 75:00'
  • Rob Morgan Goal 78:00'
  • Harry Wakefield Sub On 78:00'
  • Shaun Harrad Sub Off 78:00'
  • Pearson Mwanyongo Sub On 80:00'
  • Cosmos Matwasa Sub Off 80:00'
  • Tom Siddons Sub Off 83:00'
  • Ollie Brown-Hill Sub On 83:00'
  • Pearson Mwanyongo Goal 87:00'
  • Ollie Brown-Hill Goal 90:00'
  • James Hicks Assist 90:00'
  • Jack Keeble Sub On 90:00 +2:00'

Team selection

Haystead, Dan Haystead, Dan
Taylor, Cleveland Taylor, Cleveland
Blunden, James Blunden, James
Matwasa, Cosmos Matwasa, Cosmos
Wright, Sean Wright, Sean
Challinor, Jon Challinor, Jon
Chitiza, Tendai Chitiza, Tendai
Morgan, Rob Morgan, Rob
Siddons, Tom Siddons, Tom
Hicks, James Hicks, James
Vince, Harry Vince, Harry
Ilkeston Town
  • 1. Ross Durrant
  • 2. Lavell White
  • 3. Conor Green
  • 4. Reece Fyfe
  • 5. Tyreece Robinson
  • 6. Dean Freeman
  • 7. Fabian Smith
  • 8. Jermaine Hollis
  • 9. Shaun Harrad
  • 10. Cameron Dear
  • 11. Alex Marshall
  • 12. Jordan Nadat
  • 13. Mason Lee
  • 14. Kevin Bastos
  • 15. Harry Wakefield
  • 16. Richard Stainsby

League round up

Other South East Division results

2
0
Loughborough Dynamo
Stocksbridge Park Steels
3
2
Sheffield FC

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League table

# Team Pl Pts
1. Leek Town 28 72
2. Stamford 29 70
3. Cleethorpes Town 29 57
4. Belper Town 26 49
5. Carlton Town 26 48
6. Stocksbridge Park Steels 30 47
7. Sutton Coldfield Town 28 44

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