SPL Premier Central
Basford Utd 2 (Starkie 32, 72)
Ilkeston Town 1 (Campbell 49pen)
The Robins’ faint hopes of a play-off place were finally ended on Easter Monday as hosts Basford ensured their safety from relegation with a well-deserved victory.
Ilkeston failed to get going in windy conditions and never really looked like they’d win the game, perhaps apart from a bright spell at the start of the second-half where they had the upper hand and snatched an equaliser.
But ultimately Basford were the bigger threat throughout and were worthy of the points.
The Robins had lots of possession in the first-half but created very few openings, Leroy Lita with the best of them but his shot from a narrow angle beaten away by the legs of keeper Kieran Preston.
The hosts were always a threat and their opening goal came on 32 minutes, as Preston’s long clearance found its intended target, Ben Starkie – the ball having evaded the Ilkeston defence and left Starkie with the chance to score which he took first time.
Kieran Fenton’s long range shot was gathered by Preston as Ilkeston sought a leveller, then Basford’s Matt Thornhill and Anthony Dwyer both saw good openings go close to doubling their lead at the other end.
After Fenton saw another long range strike this time pushed over the bar by Preston, the equaliser came four minutes into the second-half when Declan Dunn was caught in possession in his own penalty area by Ty Wilson who was then caught by Dunn as he nicked the ball from him. Remaye Campbell dispatched the penalty with ease.
Campbell and Dec Eratt-Thompson both saw efforts saved by Preston as Ilson showed brighter signs, but it was the hosts who got their noses back in front when the ball was knocked back to Starkie on the edge of the box and he drilled a great strike into the corner of the net.
Dwyer and Starkie both went close to a third for Basford, while Fenton saw a late header from a corner tipped over the top by Preston. Ilkeston were then reduced to ten men as the game entered stoppage time as Campbell picked up his second yellow card for a foul by the touchline, that the last significant action as the Robins ultimately came away with nothing.
Basford: Preston, Roma, Barnes, Irvine (Clark 66), McGowan, Carr, Grantham, Dunn (James 71), Dwyer, Thornhill, Starkie.
Not used: Bastos, Beatson, Musson.
Ilkeston: Foulkes, Kozluk (Patterson 82), Wilder, Brown-Hill, Eratt-Thompson, Fenton, Campbell, Thomas, Lita, Wilson, Bennett (Woakes 73).
Not used: Hilton, Woodward
Att: 601
By Mark Duffy