SPL Central
Redditch Utd 1 (Sheaf 85)
Ilkeston Town 4 (Campbell 23pen, Delap 25, Fenton 63, Tomlin 70)
We made it three wins in a row in fine style on Saturday as we eased past hosts Redditch United in Worcestershire.
Two goals in each half did the damage in a game we largely controlled, only a late Redditch consolation blotting an otherwise excellent display.
And it means we move up to eighth in the league standings, leapfrogging today’s opponents in the process.
The game took a little while to produce much in the way of chances, Dempsey Arlott-John’s shot straight at home keeper Kieran Boucher on 14 minutes then a Danny King effort looping over the top at the other end.
We got the lead on 23 minutes, as Arlott-John – who had seen appeals for a penalty denied a few minutes earlier – beat Adulai Sambu who then brought him down and this time a spot kick was awarded. Remaye Campbell stepped up to slot the ball low to the keeper’s left and into the net.
Two minutes later, the lead was doubled. Henri Wilder swung in a corner from the right and after it was cleared as far as Finn Delap, the 17-year-old Burton loanee controlled before firing home his first ever Robins goal.
Redditch responded with half chances, Ollie Battersby palming away a long range strike from Max Sheaf, then Bernard Mensah Jr shooting over from the edge of the box, half-time arriving with few more alarms for either side.
The second-half, too, saw little in the way of clear openings initially but Redditch then hit the post twice in a matter of seconds, sub Luke Ward heading off the foot of the post first and then Sheaf’s volley striking the angle of post and bar in the same attack.
But we killed the game off with our third goal on 63 minutes. Again it was from a corner, as this time Joe Wilson’s kick from the left was met by skipper Kieran Fenton and he headed home.
Lee Tomlin had been quietly pulling strings in midfield on his Robins debut and he would get the fourth goal seven minutes later. A mistake at the back handed the ball to Chris O’Grady, and rather than take the shot on himself he laid off to Tomlin whose low shot beat Boucher from 12 yards out – that being the scorer’s last act as he was immediately replaced by Rico Fyfe.
Wilson twice went close to a fifth, before United pulled one back with five to go when Sheaf found the net from close range.
The hosts hit the post again in the dying seconds through Harvey Gregson and although Lewis Hudson followed up to net the rebound, he was flagged offside and the referee would soon blow his whistle to end the contest.
We return to action on Tuesday night with the trip to Alfreton Town in the Derbyshire Senior Cup, before hosting current league leaders Tamworth at the Microlise New Manor Ground next weekend.
Redditch: Boucher, Sambu (Ward 36, Smith 83), Hudson, Flanagan, Wollacott, Flanagan, King, Gregson, Mensah Jr (Boothe 76), Sheaf, Bunn.
Not used: Rowbottom, Culkin
Ilkeston: Battersby, J Wilson (Bello 86), Wilder, Eratt-Thompson, Delap, Fenton, Campbell, Bradley, O’Grady, Tomlin (Fyfe 72), Arlott-John (T Wilson 80)
Not used: Ward, Deeney
Att: 341
By Mark Duffy
Photo courtesy of Neil Jay – more at https://njayphotography.com/rufc-v-ilkeston