Ilkeston Fc 1 - 0 Chorley Fc

Christmas Shopping then a deluge which left Sheffield Fc`s pitch water-logged last Saturday have seen Dudsey side-lined for the last two weekends, so a game was well and truly on the cards. Having cast my eye on this weekend`s fixture list this one really whetted my appetite.

The intrigue with today`s fixture is Chorley Fc`s manager...none other than ex Man City and Blackburn mid-fielder Garry Flitcroft...what has his experience bought to Non-League football?

Dudsey hasn`t been to the NMG since the play-off final against Leek Town at the end of April, although if it was a little closer to home I could quite easily make this place a regular haunt, it`s a great club with a good fan-base.

The `Ilson Crew`are out in force, they create a great atmosphere around the ground, their repertoire of quick witted ditties is second to none which keep all in attendance fully entertained.

After enjoying the highs of a good season at Step 4 in the Evo-Stik Division 1 South it`s fair to say that Ilkeston haven`t found life so easy in the Premier Division with only five wins from their nineteen games positioning them fifteenth in the league whilst Chorley currently sit in ninth spot.

Dudsey arrives in plenty of time, it`s nine pound at the turnstile and a pound for what must be one of the best quality programs published. Feeling a tad peckish I decide to sample the delights of  'The NMG`s' catering facility, for me it`s up there in my top three along with Staveley but Belper still comes out 'Top of the Pile' catered for by the excellent 'Derbyshire Catering Co'.

Talking of 'Belper', Dudsey was surprised to see Gary Ricketts` former strike partner Daryl Thomas has left Ilkeston and returned to Christchurch Meadow. With Thomas gone, Matt Richards has been pushed up-front to partner 'Ilson`s' skipper.

Ilkeston win the toss and get the game rolling. The pace from the off is awesome, Matt Richards is looking very sharp down the left wing for the home-side whilst Tom Ince seems to be the one to watch for the visitors, he`s back and forward like a 'Worker Bee' with a great centre of balance and a great engine, Dale Witham is also looking very lively in 'The Magpies mid-field.

The flow of the game is excellent with both sides probing and testing each other to the max, Ilkeston have a series of corners in the opening quarter but the usually arial dominant Ricketts is winning very little in the box with Jack Cudworth effectively mopping up anything that does head toward Chorley`s goal.

Ince continues to drive 'The Magpies' forward supported by Steve Flitcroft but the visitors seem to be failing in the last quarter as Chorley`s usual goal-maestro..Darren Stephenson is struggling to get to grips with the game.

Although the first half remained goal-less the chances were there in abundance, Cudworth made several spectacular saves, non more-so than a double clearance from Aaron Hooton. Chorley also went close on a couple of occasions with the best opportunity falling to Witham whose sweet strike from the eighteen yard box just fizzed wide of Chris Martin`s goal.

Matt Richards could only look on in dis-belief as his drive had got the 'Ilson Crew' prematurely celebrating the goal only to see it somehow return off the right post. 0-0 at Half-Time

As the players leave the field of play so does the Sun, what had been a lovely afternoon soon turned bitterly cold, gloves, hats and hot drinks start to appear in abundance as the teams re-enter the field of play.

Chorley get the second half underway and initially look to be having the better of the play as Ilkeston seem unable to pick up any loose balls. Ince and sub, John Cunliffe are fronting the visitors charge but in all honesty they`re doing  it on their own as the mid-field fail to provide any support for them, eventually they end up getting crowded off the ball due to the lack of options available.

For the first quarter of an hour 'The Magpies' still look dangerous in spells but eventually the lads in red start to gain a little momentum, Jack Watts is looking a menace and is providing the front men with some cracking openings. Ricketts misses two sitters followed by another as Hooton shanks the ball to the left of Cudworth`s goal.

Eventually the deadlock is broken as a short corner finds it`s way into a very crowded box and despite a few scrappy attempts to clear it, Ryan Wilson manages to get his head on it and over the top of Cudworth. 1-0 with about twenty minutes left.

The goal really spurs 'The Robins` on, they are looking rampant and should have added to their single goal but when you`re only one goal ahead the game and the points are still in the balance. Tbh Chorley are not out of it yet and continue to press as the opportunity arises and could easily have took a point back over the Pennines as Ince forced an excellent save from Martin in the dying minutes but the home side managed to hold out for the win.

On today`s showing, the pace of the game at Step 3 is relentless...one lapse in concentration can result in you finding yourself a goal down at the drop of a hat. A missed opportunity can be very costly, what could easily have been four goals for Ilkeston could quite as easily been points shared if Chorley had took one of their chances.

A cracking game of football in front of a very appreciative crowd!!


My men of the Match - Ilkeston; Jack Watts shaded it for his second half performance and for Chorley, the lively Tom Ince.

Click here for Match Pictures (Sorry about some of the quality today)

Attendance - 405

Admission - £9