CARLTON ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES AT ILKESTON

ILKESTON TOWN 2 CARLTON TOWN 4
NPL S.E. @ THE NEW MANOR GROUND
26 DECEMBER 2019 --- 3PM

LOOK AT THE QUALITY OF THAT TERRACING AT THE NEW MANOR GROUND

Neighbours Carlton Town showed no festive joy as they put in a quality performance down the street at neighbours Ilkeston Town to make it look like it was the Derbyshire outfit who had eaten too many of the tinned sweets over the Christmas period.  A lacklustre opening had seen The Robins lead before a period of eight minutes before half time provided clinical finishing and a 3-1 lead at the break for the visitors that all but wrapped up the three points there and then.
After a lovely bright Christmas Day celebrations completed and the early risers of Boxing Day would find a return to normal for the football fans wet, dark and downright miserable which could probably describe me and most non league fans not just the weather [poor photos excuse again here].  With games off all over the East Midlands hope was held out that Ilkeston whose pitch survied all last season without a call off, I believe, would not be adversely affected by the persistent rain and with a courtesy lift from Mr R of the refereeing parish I was in the right place for any information, with many thanks. 
Ilkeston had been a haunt many years back as far as The West Midlands Regional League and then the days of Nicky Law as manager so The New Manor Ground to give it its current name is reasonably well known.  Like the ground the club has many former monikers and to go into them all would take up too much space lots of ups and lots of downs for a club that really should be playing with the top of the tree clubs, backed up by some ever large attendances it remains a crying shame that nobody seems able to bring stability to The Robins.  To that end the club have recently recruited Martin Carruthers as the latest hot seat resident fresh from Quorn in The UCL where he was starting to pull up trees and formerly the on field guidance of Basford United and their euphoric rise.  With the club on the crest of a mini slump he has worked well before and it remains to be seen if he can arrest the slide here but if he can he will have a great supporter backing of that there is no doubt.
Recent visits to Ilkeston have been for midweek reserve fixtures and I probably haven't seen a first team game for a little while so a brief descriptor is in order.  Entry behind the goal shows up immediately the obscurely placed clock tower stand rising high in the far corner above the changing rooms with of course a large timepiece in the corner as part of a tower forming its name.

THE MUCH PHOTOGRAPHED CLOCKTOWER STAND

Before this is a small stand of a few rows variety with the far goal being serviced by an excellent modern covered stepped terrace for the full width of the ground.  The right hand side offers the large club house and hospitality rooms this was the former changing rooms side and dug outs both of which have now re located to the opposite side coming back towards out entrance a less showy cover
hanging over a flat terrace offers cover.  The ground has a couple of catering facilities and one of the highlights was The Hatch which for some reason, probably research, I had to visit twice today.  The club shop is a little disorientated and could do with a reforming as there appears to be a lot of potential customers with a crowd of 468 today and a poor afternoon that would probably have pulled in 700 or so had it not been so wet many looking to purchase.
Following the circuit it was good to catch up with Glyn again after our recent chats at Radford and Basford shortly after along came his mate who had just made it in time after Mickleover Sports game was called off just before 2pm by the match official upon arrival.

ILKESTON CAPTAIN DANIEL RACCHI SORTS OUT SOME MID GAME TACTICS

With both sides vying for a play off spot and Ilkeston already in the zone all looked set for a cracking local derby however the opening exchanges seemed to declare nobody had told the players it was agricultural stuff to say the least.  The deadlock was broken when the much travelled Kieran Wells met a cross off the left on 21 minutes to head home a superb effort to give Ilkeston the lead and from there I expected a home win to be honest.  Return to mediocrity until 37 minutes referee Hall pointed to the spot after a foul on the edge of the box and Carlton had a chance to pull level Tom Maddison crashed his spot kick off the post but Tyler Johal rescued his blushes when he was first to react and fired home the lose ball.  Two minutes later Johal got his second when he headed home in front of goal and then on the stroke of half time Carlton had turned this game on its head after neat play down the right Aaron Opoku lifted the ball over the Ilkeston keeper Ross Durrant and the back of the net rustled shortly afterwards.
An amazing section of play and the half time whistle couldn't arrive quickly enough for The Robins for Carlton they celebrated as though they couldn't believe it and only a few of the home crowd could rise out of their shock to issue a few boos as the home players trooped off.
Freshly restored after a resounding team talk and within two minutes of the restart after the Carlton keeper Jack Steggles cleared off his line Daniel Freeman was on hand to reduce the deficit and when moments later Wells flying header, although I'm told it was his shoulder by people nearer than me, missed the target by inches the comeback was on.

ASSISTANT REFEREE REES THROWING SOME SHAPES ON THE ROLLING ROAD TOUCHLINE

That was until the visitors absolutely nailed the three points to the door when with twenty minutes remaining Oliver Clarke made it 4-2 from close range after Ilkeston struggled to clear their lines.  The home side had lost all the air in their balloon now and looked a deflated side with little to offer in the way of any comeback previously looking possible and Carlton more than comfortably played out to ninety minutes and local bragging rights for today anyway something their small band of supporters would probably not have expected at five to three but nothing more the club deserved after their players efforts.
For Ilkeston there is work to be done on a side that looks disjointed and out of touch all over the park its the challenge for new manager Carruthers and one by his past record that he is more than capable of solving he just needs a little time, I'm afraid Ilkeston fans and once he gets it right watch the supporters flock back in even larger numbers to follow one of the big boys of the local non league scene.