Issue 17: Wirksworth Ivanhoe (23rd March 2024)

MATCH REPORTS

MELBOURNE DYNAMO

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MAYFIELD

SATURDAY 09TH MARCH 2024 | 14:00

The lads went into this game in good form, taking 10 out of the last 12 points available. Laban deputised again for Coxy in the sticks, Tovell for Simo was the only other outfield change, Hughes and Bennett returned to the bench.

Dynamo started well again, and took the lead when a hopeful ball from Withers was misjudged by the Mayfield keeper and Jammy ran through to tap the ball into an empty net. It was 2, moments later, as a long-throw was recycled out to Macca and his pinpoint cross was headed home by Jammy for his second of the game. Mayfield were now on the ropes and mid-way through the first-half it was 3. Archie did well in the middle of the park and sent Tovell through on goal to finish well under the keeper for a 3-goal advantage. Despite some sloppy play up to the half-time whistle, the score remained the same.

5 minutes after half-time, the lead was extended after a cross from Goody was dropped by the home keeper and Jammy smashed the ball home for his hat-trick, and 10th goal of the season. The damage was done and nothing really of note was added, as the game fizzled out for another 3 points for the home side. A fourth win in five, and a tenth league clean-sheet of the season.

Next up was an away trip to Cromford & Wirksworth Town.

CROMFORD & WIRKSWORTH

SATURDAY 16TH MARCH 2024 | 15:00 4 2

MELBOURNE DYNAMO

The lads headed-up the A6, buoyed by the recent run of good form which has seen 13 points out of possible 15 recorded.

Out of the matchday squad was Laban, Tovell, Smith, Poynton, Bennett and longterm absentee Nkrumah. Back from working away was Coxy to take his place back between the sticks. Gosling also came into the starting 11. Making up the bench this time was Supple and Withers

On a heavy pitch the game was never going to be a classic, and Goodband had the first real chance of the game, shooting over from a good position. Cromford were a constant threat throughout, and their front six rotation always caused problems, and without communication, it proved difficult for the lads to counter this. However, we took the lead as Muir did well to work an opening and his finished down low to the

keepers right-hand side. Dynamo now look comfortable, but the home side grabbed the equaliser when the ball fell kindly for the left back to poke past Coxy The teams went in at 1-1 at the break.

The second-half started in similar fashion to the first, Cromford were probing and having more of the ball but Coxy wasn’t really tested. Supple was introduced on the hour-mark and made an instant impact. Hughes broke well down the right, and crossed for Oscar to put us 2-1 in the lead after 65 minutes. Cromford made changes too which certainly lifted them in search of getting back in the game. The tricky centre-forward was tripped in the box by Bodill and the home side equalised from the spot.

With 13 minutes to go, the momentum had now shifted to Cromford. The lively substitute left-winger then stole the show. He somehow kept in a ball, which everybody thought was out, played a one-two with the centre-forward, and calmly slotted the ball under Coxy. The lads were shell-shocked and in added time further damage was inflicted. As we pushed for an equaliser the home side made it 4-2. All-in-all disappointment after throwing away the lead with 13 minutes to go, but credit to Cromford who are a good side and deserved the win on the day. A first defeat since January 30th for the lads and another big game next week on the cards, as we host Wirksworth Ivanhoe heading into the last 10 games of the season.

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TODAY’S OPPONENTS

Organised football in Wirksworth can be traced back to at least 1880, with a number of teams active at the turn of the 20th century. Wirksworth were one of the founder members of the Derbyshire F.A. when it was inaugurated in 1884.

The true origins of the Wirksworth Ivanhoe Football Club can be traced to the period immediately after the Great War, an organisation within the then very much quarry orientated town was set up to help returning servicemen to re-adapt to civilian life. The Federation for Discharged Sailors and Soldiers organised a number of sporting events on Wirksworth Recreation Ground. For its first two seasons the football club played as Wirksworth ex-servicemen.

Wirksworth Ivanhoe F.C. were formed prior to the start of the season 1921 -1922, they had a very successful first year winning a Derbyshire Divisional Cup in 1922. The early years were spent playing in various different leagues including those centred on Matlock and Derby. It may seem that travelling to Derby in those days before private cars were popular would have been to say the least arduous, but it must be remembered that in that period up to 1947 there was a direct rail link between Wirksworth and Derby. One thing that we cannot truthfully identify is why the name Ivanhoe was adopted, it would seem logical to presume a link to the Walter Scott literary character ‘Ivanhoe’, but that may be a lazy assumption.

Other notable achievements during the early years were successful campaigns in the locally prestigious Cavendish Cup in both 1927 – 1928 and again in 1930 – 1931. The Cavendish Cup was presented by the then Duke of Devonshire and was first played for in 1905 – 1906.

The home pitch from those early days until today has been Wirksworth Recreation Ground, the highest gate remembered by anyone was an estimated 800 in 1951 for the local final of the Festival of Britain Cup against local rivals Middleton.

Probably the most exciting and certainly the most rewarding period for the club were the 1960’s. At that time there were still individuals who had been involved with the club since its inception. In 1961 – 1962 the Cavendish Cup was again won. The 1964 -1965 Cavendish Cup saw the club involved in a very unsavoury appeal by Ashover the team defeated on the day. The incident was finally resolved by the FA at Lancaster Gate, the letter ‘handing down’ the judgement is signed by Ted Crocker, the infamous FA secretary.

The recreation ground had no changing facilities, the local cricket club declining from allowing a sharing of resources. For a number of years changing took place in the living room of club secretary Arthur Spencer and his very tolerant wife Iris.

The shell of the current changing rooms was erected during 1966 and for some time an electric cable was run from the Spencer’s kitchen.

Following the fall-out from the Cavendish Cup incident the club moved to the Sutton and Skegby League where they were initially very successful winning a league and cup double in 1966.

Wirksworth Ivanhoe have for many years thought of themselves has the community club of Wirksworth, there are a number current players and committee members who can point to 4th generation of involvement with the club. We like to think ourselves to be the natural home for players graduating from the Wirksworth Colts Junior teams.

Although there have been long periods of not winning things and changing leagues, the club still remains strong and active. Over the past seven years since getting promoted from the Midland Regional Alliance division 2 there has been a continuous improvement in on-field achievements.

Taking a position in the Central Midlands League for season 2018-2019 was a big step for the club, the aim in that first season was to consolidate something more than achieved with the added bonus of winning the inaugural Presidents cup.

Like everyone else the club were affected in a big way by the Covid pandemic for the seasons 2019- 2020 & 2020-2021. For a short time at the beginning of the outbreak serious financial problems were encountered. Due to a tremendous response on JustGiving the club averted the immediate worries and entered season 2020-2021 in a good situation both on and off the pitch.

Despite the problems caused by the Pandemic a positive attitude was maintained and the final game of the season saw the club crowned champions of the CML Division 1 central.

Our Centenary season saw the club promoted to the Central Midlands Premier Division South, the highest standard achieved by the club in its proud history.

Everyone appreciated that the standard would be higher and so it proved. Initially it was difficult to get points on the table but as the season progressed so did the understanding of what was required to ‘grind out results’. By the end of the season finishing in a creditable 12th place actually felt disappointing for some of the players.

Last season saw another improvement with a final finishing position of 7th being seen to be a good outcome.

Looking forward to the new season, with the amalgamation of the Central Midlands and Midland Regional Alliance we are proud to have two teams entered into the newly formed Central Midlands Alliance Football League where we look forward to meeting some new teams and getting reacquainted with old adversaries.

HELP US, HELP YOU!

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3 NOAH TRIVETT

4 CARL ALLSOP (C)

5 ARCHIE MOORE

6 OSCAR SUPPLE

7 CONOR POYNTON

8 MACAULEY JONES

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CHRIS CONROY

# JAMES COLEBOURNE

# DOM MELLOR

# OLLIE HETHERINGTON # LOGAN TOPLIS

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DAN GWYTHER

JACK HIGTON

SAM SMITH

# RYAN MARCHINGTON #

LIAM BEDNALL

# LUCAS BROUGH

# REECE MARSHALL

# OWEN KING

TOM MELLOR