Diamonds fell to their third consecutive away defeat as they were edged out by St Ives on Bank Holiday Monday.
Dean Snedker made a few early excellent saves to deny Jordan Williams, Johnny Edwards and Enoch Andoh, but Rushden largely looked comfortable in the opening period as they kept the ball well and created a few opportunities. Connor Furlong had a fizzing 25-yard strike parried away, and the winger also curled narrowly wide before mishitting an effort after skipping into a threatening position. There was a huge moment of controversy, and perhaps a turning point in the game, when Jenson Cooper broke through to finish into the bottom corner but, after originally awarding the goal, the referee then disallowed it for a foul following consultation with his assistant.
After a decent opening for both sides in the early exchanges of the second half, the hosts forged ahead when Tyrone Baker cut in from the left to hit a low deflected strike inside the near post. Diamonds equalised ten minutes later when Furlong’s low pull-back was superbly controlled by Eniola Agemoh-Davies before skipping past a challenge and thrashing an effort into the roof of the net. Connor Tee was denied, but Ives then retook the lead when Edmund Hottor was found in acres of space to fire home from just inside the area. After hitting the bar, they sealed the contest six minutes from time when Edwards latched onto a defensive mistake to clinically finish past Snedker.
Manager Burgess made one enforced change to the side that had drawn with Ilkeston on Saturday afternoon. Striker Jack Connor was unavailable so Jenson Cooper returned to the starting XI, and there was also a change amongst the substitutes as Luis Pinto-Leite and Josh Going were named on the bench.
The home side came into the contest sitting third and had won both of their matches at the Quattro-Tech Westwood Road without conceding a goal. They started on the front foot as a long-throw from the left after less than a minute was flicked on to defender Jordan Williams whose effort was well tipped behind by Dean Snedker. Winger Tyrone Baker then cut inside from the left before curling a strike narrowly over the bar, and Dylan Williams fired over from a narrowing angle.
In the meantime Diamonds did well to win a few corners in a short space of time, though the deliveries were easily dealt with. A neat passing exchange, of which there was a few during the first half, then led to Connor Furlong finding space 25 yards out before he drilled a strike towards goal. Home keeper James Goff parried it away, and he was fortunate that it ran to a teammate to clear upfield rather than a Rushden man.
The visitors found success pressing high which led to them winning the ball back on several occasions. One such moment saw Jesse Akubuine hassle the hosts into a mistake, and his subsequent pass found Furlong whose curling effort went wide of the far post. The winger threatened again moments later when he jinked inside from the right, but his eventual effort was mishit and so it bobbled through for Goff to collect.
Ives came mightily close to breaking the deadlock on a couple of occasions midway through the half. Firstly a ball in from the right seemed to catch Johnny Edwards by surprise, though Snedker was still forced to make a good instinctive save to bat it away. From the following long-throw Williams glanced it goalwards, but it bounced narrowly wide of the target. Snedker also made a save to deny Enoch Andoh after a powerful run took him into the right of the area.
In the 27th minute there was a huge moment of controversy. A long ball forward saw Cooper and an Ives defender running towards goal, and the home man went down which allowed the Diamonds striker to run through and bury a strike past Goff. The assistant referee had been waving his flag to signal a foul, but referee Jack Bloxham initially appeared to award the goal. However, following a discussion with the assistant, he decided to award a foul and so the scoreline remained 0-0.
A quiet period of play for around ten minutes was ended when Ryan Hughes went down on the left and, following some initial treatment, he was unable to continue so he was replaced by Courtney Lashley in a like-for-like change. It didn’t seem to impact on Diamonds’ general rhythm though as Paddy Casey glanced a free-kick wide and Furlong struck a shot off-target after Cooper almost got in, but the half ended goalless.
Half time: St Ives Town 0-0 AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Rushden began the second half quickly, and they had another decent opening to take the lead. Furlong led the press which led to a turnover of possession, and it rolled for the advancing Akubuine in the area only for the midfielder to poke it wide under pressure. However, after home midfielder Edmund Hottor fired wide and then had a long-range strike saved, the hosts opened the scoring. Tyrone Baker received the ball on the left before skipping inside and finishing low past the sprawling Sneder courtesy of a slight deflection.
Just over ten minutes later, Diamonds found a leveller. Swift build-up play involving captain Nathan Hicks and Furlong sent the winger down the right, with his low cross finding Eniola Agemoh-Davies. The full-back took the ball in his stride, moved past a challenge and slammed a fierce effort into the roof of the net.
Ives almost responded straight away as Lashley made a crucial clearance after Snedker was beaten in the mist of a goalmouth melee, and Edwards then met a cross from the right only to head straight at the Rushden keeper. Diamonds responded as Conor Tee bent an effort from just outside the area that Goff easily claimed but, a minute later, Ives went back in front. A move down the left saw the ball pulled back from the byline to Edmund Hottor inside the area. He had time to take a touch, skip away from Hicks and then thrash an effort past Snedker.
Burgess had introduced Tyrese Sutherland for Cooper, and he then brought on Fraser Corden for the industrious Morgan Worsfold-Gregg. They weren’t able to create any late pressure though and, after Williams had flashed a header off the woodwork from a corner, they sealed the match when a long ball forward resulted in confusion amongst the away defence. Johnny Edwards seized upon the hesitation to control and hit a low strike inside the near post.
Five minutes of additional time were played but, apart from Evangelos Nikalaos-Empochontsif firing wide after latching on Sutherland’s attempted overhead kick, these passed without any more action of note as Diamonds were consigned to defeat.
Full time: St Ives Town 3-1 AFC Rushden & Diamonds
After Saturday’s largely positive performance, Diamonds started well here and had more than their share of neat play and chances especially in the opening 45 minutes. If Cooper’s strike had been awarded the it might have been a different game, but ultimately lapses in concentration and individual defensive mistakes were punished in the second half.
There is a break from league action as Rushden’s next assignment sees them travel to face Step 5 Enfield FC in the FA Cup First Qualifying Round (Sunday 4th September, 1pm kick-off).
Diamonds Player of the Match: Jesse Akubuine
Attendance: 423
Match report by Ollie Mortimer
Diamonds: Snedker, Casey, Hughes (Lashley 38), Furlong, Akubuine, Cooper (Sutherland 73), Hicks (C), Agemoh-Davies, Tee, Empochontsif, Worsfold-Gregg (Corden 81) (subs not used: Pinto-Leite, Going)
Diamonds goal: Agemoh-Davies (66)
Diamonds yellows: Agemoh-Davies (14), Empochontsif (52), Cooper (73)
St Ives: James Goff, Kane Lewis, Johnathan Herd, Michael Richens (C), Jordan Williams, Callum Milne, Tyrone Baker (Myles Cowling 74), Edmund Hottor, Johnny Edwards, Dylan Williams (Ethan Johnston 87), Enoch Andoh (Greg Kaziboni 81) (subs not used: Owen Sheriff, Nabil Shariff)
St Ives goals: Baker (56), Hottor (76), Edwards (84)
St Ives yellows: Richens (80)
