Coalville Town 1 (Chambers 54)
Ilkeston Town 4 (Campbell 43, Gibson 63, 82, Arlott-John 65)
By Mark Duffy
We secured our first league win of the season in style on Tuesday night as a superb away performance secured three points and a victory for caretaker boss Jamie Ward.
In a display full of quick, attacking football, we scored four goals and could have had several more against a side going well in the SPL Central so far this season.
And what a morale boost it will be as we aim to climb up the table.
Coalville’s Ash Chambers put the first effort of note over the bar five minutes in after an error from Kieran Fenton, then Dec Eratt-Thompson’s fine through ball found Montel Gibson but he could only flash his effort from an angle wide of the far post.
Then excellent play by Joe Wilson saw him break forward and free Eratt-Thompson down the right, but his low ball into the box was blasted over the top by Remaye Campbell.
Chambers looped a header just wide on 16 – both sides beginning the game at 100mph and playing good football to go with it.
Tim Berridge then came closest so far, the Coalville striker’s low shot striking the foot of the post after a free-kick was cleared to him on the edge of the penalty area.
Another move down our right then saw Eratt-Thompson again the outlet and this time his cross was nodded inches wide by Campbell eight yards out, the same player then beating keeper Paul White to a long clearance but clipping the ball past the far post.
Ex-Robin Luke Shaw curled an effort just wide on the half-hour mark as the game continued to be played with high tempo, Dempsey Arlott-John then nearly netting on his Robins debut but seeing two shots blocked, the second by keeper White.
Saul Deeney then had to be alert to deny Tom McGlinchey on 37 with a good stop low down, but we were to finally get the lead six minutes later.
Ben O’Hanlon swung in a corner from the right, and Campbell got up to power a header at goal that was cleared by a defender on the line but not before the ball had crossed it and the assistant referee flagged for a goal.
Arlott-John then nearly made it two on the break as the game entered first-half stoppage time, the new boy blasting too high after a very quick counter-attack.
Coalville were first to show in the second period as McGlinchey cut inside but fired high and wide, Arlott-John replying at the other end with a low shot wide of the far post after beating two players.
But the hosts would level on 54 as a long ball forward saw Chambers beat Deeney to the ball, knock it past him and then roll it into the empty net.
Nine minutes later, we went back in front. Eratt-Thompson found Campbell with his back to goal but he turned and fed the onrushing Gibson who was able to run in on goal and finish low past White.
Then, 2-1 swiftly became 3-1 as Jack Thomas found Gibson out on the left and he beat his man before finding Arlott-John in the middle who was able to control and finish well for his first Robins goal.
Chances dried up for a little while but the next one brought our fourth. Another quick move down the left ended with O’Hanlon getting to the byline and sitting a cross up for Gibson to nod home from six yards out with eight minutes left.
Coalville nearly added a second late on when Tendai Chitiza’s strike was headed off the line by O’Hanlon, but the game soon drew to a close with an emphatic three points secured by the Robins.
Coalville: White, Wilson, Putman, Taylor, Robertson, Thanoj, Shaw (Chitiza 71), Doyle-Charles (Smith 75), Berridge (Kee 75), Chambers, McGlinchey
Not used: Laban, Towers
Ilkeston: Deeney, Wilson, O’Hanlon, Solanke (Troke 65), Willock, Fenton, Eratt-Thompson, J Thomas, Campbell (O’Grady 83), Gibson, Arlott-John (Brown-Hill 76).
Not used: Wakefield, Turner.
Att: 574