Ashby Ivanhoe 5-2 Dunton & Broughton RangersLeicestershire Senior League Premier Division
Tuesday 17th April 2012
Ashby Ivanhoe ended an era at their Hood Park home with a comfortable 5-2 victory over Dunton & Broughton Rangers with Phil Gibson and Dan Stevenson getting two apiece with George Carline adding the other.
From the beginning of next season Ashby will move into their new home at the NFU Sports Ground on Lower Packington Road so with this being the last first team match at Hood Park, their home since 1948, they wanted to finish off in style and the match started well as with just eight minutes on the clock they opened the scoring when a long ball forward found Sam Kirk on the right and his cross into the area found Gibson but when the ball was cleared Kirk attempted another cross which again found Gibson and this time is downward header was finished off by George Carline.
Ashby were creating the most chances during the first half and after Kirk went close to a second Ivanhoe goal the visitors, against the run of play, levelled the scores when a player took advantage of the space down the left before sending a cross into the area and after the initial shot was saved by John Noon the loose ball was forced home to make it 1-1.
Two minutes before half time and Ashby should have been back in front when Carline received the ball before going past a couple of defenders but his shot towards the far corner went narrowly wide.
Then on the stroke of half time Ashby were again denied a second goal this time by the woodwork when a cross into the area was headed towards goal by Chris Nettel but despite beating the keeper it thundered against the crossbar after taking a deflection which resulted in a corner which was swung into the area by Evan Cawley and Phil Gibson headed home to give Ashby a 2-1 half time lead.
After the break Ashby pushed on looking for a third goal and inside the first ten minutes of the half they had a couple of chances when Dan Stevenson headed over before a long range free kick from Jamie Yeomans went narrowly over the top but on 57 minutes Ashby did extend their lead when a cross into the area found Stevenson on the edge of the six yard box and with his back to goal he turned before slotting the ball into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.
Midway through the half Dunton and Broughton had a chance to pull a goal back when a long ball forward found a player just outside the area and his shot forced a good save by Noon to keep the two goal lead intact.
On 70 minutes Ashby scored a fourth goal and what a goal it was as Stevenson added his second. It started when a ball forward found him on the edge of the area and just like his other goal he had his back to goal before turning to his right and when the space opened up between two defenders he turned back to goal which left him with just the keeper to beat and he placed his shot just inside the near post for 4-1.
Ashby added a fifth goal in the 77th minute when substitute Elliott Bott was brought down inside the area resulting in a penalty and upstepped leading scorer Phil Gibson who sent the keeper the wrong way with a powerfully struck kick for his 42nd goal of the season.
With two minutes remaining the visitors pulled a goal back with a well taken goal when a cross into the area found the player at the near post and he struck a first time volley past Noon at the near post to make it 5-2 but Ashby had already done enough to ensure a third straight league win and a final win at Hood Park.