by Peter Scherer
It maybe only our second league match of the season following the fantastic 3-1 win at Nuneaton Town last Tuesday evening, but St.Ives have already played two. While we were away in FA Cup action, they went down 2-3 at home to Carlton and then hosted Sutton Coldfield too on Tuesday and won 1-0.
They were relegated from the Southern Premier league last season, where we last faced them in our play-off year of 23/24, beating them 2-0 away with a Marcus Barnes double but losing 0-5 on the return at Mickleover.
Ricky Marheineke has been manager since 2014 but has made a number of changes to his squad for this season.
Alex Costa Fisher is currently first choice keeper, with fellow new singing Jonah Gill vying for the shirt. Gill has come from a four-year spell at March Town. He started out at Cambridge Utd and has also played for Peterborough Sports.
Centre back Sam Tessler’s career started in the US Universities with Pateadores SC, Washington Huskies and Seattle Seahawks. He joined Yaxley on his return to the UK, moving on to Grantham before he first arrived at St.Ives in October 2023. After 18 months he left for Rushden & Diamonds, from where he rejoined our visitors last November.
Fellow centre back Callum Milne has returned to the club for a second time in pre-season, after a spell at Bourne Town. He previous left to join Corby Town and has played for Bedford Town, Eynesbury Rovers, Harborough Town, Kettering and Wisbech too.
Matty Miles is a right back that started his career as a Leicester City youngster. He spent a year with Eynesbury following his release, before moving on to St.Neots, Biggleswade and a couple of spells each at Cambridge City and Peterborough Sports. After a spell at Sudbury he started last season briefly at Stamford, before joining St.Ives.
Left back Kai Source is a recent arrival from Luton Town. He started off with Reading last season and ended it with our visitors, before the move became permanent.
Harry Dawson is the most recent signing, a right back released by Cambridge Utd during the summer. He has previously been loaned to Biggleswade and Peterborough Sports.
Centre back Michael Gash is a recent arrival from Peterborough Sports, where he had spent the last five years, latterly as player/manager. He started out in Cambridge, firstly with City and then Utd. He next stop was Ebbsfleet, followed by York City and Rushden & Diamonds, before returning to Cambridge Utd. After a loan at Braintree he joined Kidderminster and they loaned him to Nuneaton, before a move to Barnet. He was at Kings Lynn for four years prior to his Peterborough stay.
Aaron Smith is another left back and former Norwich City junior. He joined Peterborough Utd following his release and joined St.Ives at the start of last season, after six years at St.Neots.
Dan Lawlor is currently the team captain. A centre back, he came out of the Peterborough Utd Academy and had a loan spell at Boston Utd, before joining Spalding Utd following his release. He returned to Spalding after eight years at Peterborough Sports and was a pre-season signing for our visitors.
Striker Mark Jones came from Peterborough Sports in pre-season too, following a loan spell at the end of last season. He started off at Deeping, before moving onto Boston Utd, Gainsborough and Spalding. He then returned to Boston before joining Peterborough Sports where he stayed for 10 years.
Mbunya Alemanji is another striker and another pre-season signing. After starting his career at Kempston Rovers and Cambridge Utd, he went to Italy and spent two years with Roma. He then went to Portugal with Rio Ave and then NK Croatia Zmijavci, before joining Billericay on his UK return. Bishop Stortford, Welling Utd, Hornchurch and Farnborough followed and he spent last season at Hitchin Town.
Midfielder Kellan Hickinson played early football at Peterborough Utd. He first came to St.Ives in August 2023 after an initial loan, but moved to Yaxley two months later. He came back to our visitors in October last year, following an 18 month stay ay Peterborough Sports.
Midfielders Junior Varela are Ezkiel Williams are more new signings. Varela from Stamford, having also played for Soham Rangers and junior sides in Portugal. Williams comes from Hastings Utd and has played for Ascot Utd, Marlow, FC Romania and Kettering.
Andrian Ankrah is another midfielder and recently arrived from St.Neots. He started last season at Rushden & Diamonds and has played for Bugbrooke Utd and Daventry Town too.
Striker Jessi Obeng was dual registered with St.Neots and AFC Sudbury last season. He is another pre-season arrival and has also had a spell at Wellingborough.
Striker Romari Forde started in Watford’s Academy before being spotted by Arsenal. He joined our visitors from Kettering last November.
Neo Dobson is a striker too, currently on loan from Northampton Town. He has previously been loaned to Kettering and Corby and spent a month at St’Ives Last season.
Having graduated from the clubs own youth scheme, defenders Josh Ward and Ethan Keogh, winger/midfielder Alfie Shepherd and striker Archie Riordan have all recently joined the first team squad. Riordan has also been out on a dual registration with Huntingdon Utd.
Kick off at the Vibrant Doors Arena is 3pm, with all the usual bar and catering facilities available.