Ilkeston Town (A) – Match Preview

Steelmen defeats have not been common over the past couple years, but we experienced one on Tuesday night as Curzon Ashton put three past us

In the words of a Facebook comment from Mark Ing, “It is one defeat in 41 league games… we move on”

Your Steelmen are still in the playoffs, and we are also just two points off returning to the top (albeit needing other things to also go in our favour).

Another away trip is now around the corner, with Ilkeston currently sat in the relegation zone, though the Robins have also just signed a new manager.

Ryan Hindley has become the new manager of the side, departing Retford United in the process.

Retford United currently are sitting 3rd in the Northern Counties East Premier (Step 5), having been promoted from Step 6 last season after scoring 131 goals and winning the play-offs.

Ilkeston’s form has been lacking a goalscoring system, with the Robins currently the only side in our league to have not hit double digits for goals scored, with the side currently on just 7 goals for and 26 against, meaning they also possess the worst goal difference in the league.

Their last point in the league came back at the end of August, when they drew 1-1 with Ashton United, but since then it has been a run of problems, including a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Bury, a 2-0 defeat to Quorn that saw the Methodists earn one of just two league wins so far.

The Robins were only founded back in 2017, off the back of the folded Ilkeston FC, and their first season was a late admission into the Midland Football League Division One.

Back-to-back promotions followed, and in the 2022/23 season they played their first ever season at Step 3, though they would be put in the Southern Football League for that campaign, before being moved to the Northern Prem for the 2023/24 season.

Since then, they have stayed in this league, though two of their three seasons here have seen them finish 11th, with the 24-25 season resulting in them finishing 6th

If they are to get 11th again (or even higher), then they will need Hindley to start with a win, though for our sake let’s hope that first win isn’t tomorrow.

As for us, the last match preview was for the Alfreton match, as I, in all fairness, have been slacking with these previews.

We have had two matches so far this month, and both have ended 3-1 to the home side…which isn’t a promising pattern for tomorrow’s away trip.

The milestones that were popping up earlier in the season have started to fade now, with Danni Lay being two off his 110th appearance, Oscar being two off 120, Bosh being 3 off 130, Brad being 3 off 110, and Louis Johnson being two matches off his 60th

However, one milestone is close to happening: JJ’s appearance against Alfreton means he hit his 50th appearance for the Steelmen!

The predicted final league table has taken a hit, with our predicted spot now being 5th; though Ilkeston seemed to have been handed an even shorter straw, as they are predicted to finish rock bottom on 13 points, picking up just six more points via 6 draws.

Our match tomorrow also has given us a 73.9% chance of victory. However, that obviously should be taken with a giant pinch of salt, in that, well, it’s a website predictor that goes off previous results, which has also meant it thinks Cleethorpes not only wins the league, but concedes just one goal throughout the rest of the league season…

Adam Boyes’ strike against Alfreton meant he hit the 10-goal mark for us, and Oscar’s goal and assist mean he is now on 9GA in 12 appearances.

Danny Rowe’s header on Tuesday also means he is now on two goals this season, and I was going to say that he is now our top-scoring defender…but he is currently our only goalscoring defender.

Anyway, after Ilkeston we have a midweek clash against Avro, who are another side to be involved in a manager merry-go-round, and then after that it is our Ashton United double-header!

Hopefully, we see you at as many of those matches as possible, including tomorrow’s

Take care, and up the Steelmen!