Holwell winners in scrappy affair at Ibstock.

Ibstock United 1 – Holwell Sports 2

The Ibstock pitch did not help either team being bumpy and very hard; control by both sides was difficult with several shooting chances on both sides becoming wild sky shots after wicked bobbles.

Holwell started well and on 4mins Scott Mooney came close to opening the scoring after a Michael Stevenson free kick. As both teams took time to get to grips with the conditions on 12mins Tendai Chitiza should have done better being put through but Stuart Rose cleared the danger after Chitiza had beaten Richard Cragg.

The game was frenetic and not for the purists but Holwell plugged away and on 15mins Jay Kirkby was put through by Michael Stevenson but his shot hit the inside of the left post and rebounded out to Mooney who just couldn’t adjust to score.

Holwell were beginning to get on top though and gradually a more assured flow was beginning to show and on 23mins Jay Kirkby did well to rise and head home from a left sided cross to open the scoring.
Three minutes later it was Kirkby again who scored after good work on the left by Liam Chapman who put Kirkby free to chip the advancing keeper Sam Taylor from 20yds out.

However the two goal lead was short-lived, as Ibstock went straight up the park from the kick off and as Holwell conceded a needless free kick on the edge of the eighteen yard box Ben Harris bent the ball round the Holwell defensive wall to beat Cragg low down to his right.

The match continued to be scrappy but end to end with chances on both sides but no decent finishing. Kirkby had the ball in the net for third time on 43mins and thought he had got his hat trick but the referee penalised him for the meekest of pushes on a defender. HT 1-2

The game continued the second half as it finished the first scrappy and no real quality but Holwell tried to get the ball down and play football. Ibstock’s Ben Harris was the most prominent home player but Ibstock could not get their forwards working and Holwell coped with everything that was thrown at them.

With injuries, and absence, affecting team selection Levi Fray and in particular Jamie Simpson have put in some big value performances, coming into the team to shore up the defence. Whilst up front the physical presence of Sam Bettinson has been a great benefit to Mooney and Kirkby who have found the space to make good openings for Holwell.

Holwell travel to Borrowash Victoria FC on Tuesday before their last home match on Saturday at home to Bardon Hill.