SPL Premier Central
Ilkeston Town 3 (Campbell 45+1, Tomlin 70, Fenton 83)
AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1 (Corden 81)
The Robins moved up to sixth in the league standings on Saturday with a comfortable win over AFC Rushden & Diamonds.
We dominated possession for much of the game and deserved the points, although the visitors battled well and made things tricky for us in the last 15-20 minutes of the game.
But ultimately we had too much and made it four games unbeaten.
An early chance fell to each side with Dempsey Arlott-John sent in on goal by Jamie Ward but seeing his shot go wide of the far post, then moments later Tali Jallow had a crack from 25 yards which hit the top of the crossbar on its way into the fans behind the goal.
Ward’s free-kick then found Henri Wilder at the back post but his effort on the stretch went back across goal and wide.
Ward and Jack Thomas both saw long range efforts go close, then Kieran Fenton’s free-kick was deflected and forced keeper Dean Snedker to readjust and gather the ball well.
Chances kept coming. Reco Fyfe headed Lee Tomlin’s cross onto the roof of the net, Diamonds’ Jallow nodded wide from a free-kick and then Ward’s solo run saw him beat three men but his low shot was saved by Snedker’s legs.
Remaye Campbell was then put in on goal by Ward but after rounding Snedker, his eventual shot was blocked on its way to goal by some heroic defending from Evan Empochontsif.
However, Campbell wouldn’t be denied on the stroke of half-time, as Tomlin floated a diagonal ball over the top and Campbell’s looping header beat Snedker and dropped into the net.
We began the second-half well too, Campbell’s low shot pushed wide by Snedker who then denied our striker again when put through on goal by Tomlin’s perfectly weighted pass.
Arlott-John and sub Chris O’Grady saw strikes go close before the second goal duly arrived on 70 minutes, Joe Wilson finding Tomlin in the penalty area who turned and fired low into the net.
Diamonds then pulled a goal back with nine minutes to go, sub Fraser Corden’s low shot from outside the penalty area deflected past Saul Deeney after good work from Jenson Cooper.
But two minutes later the points were sealed when a deep cross from one centre-half, Finn Delap, found the other, Fenton, at the back post and he was able to nod the ball into the roof of the net from just in front of the post to round off the win.
Ilkeston: Deeney, Wilson, Wilder, Thomas, Delap, Fenton, Fyfe (O’Grady 60), Ward, Campbell, Tomlin (Bradley 87), Arlott-John (Dube 73)
Not used: Bello, Woodward
Rushden: Snedker, Agemoh-Davies, Lashley, Abimbola (Corden 68), Empochontsif, Black, Tee, White, Cooper, Jallow (Pinto-Leite 88), Kanga (Joyce 87)
Not used: Dean, Grey
Att: 1,320
Report by Mark Duffy