Baker would have won it for us

St Ives boss Ricky Marheineke believes Ben Baker would have been the difference between a win and draw in Tuesday night's derby stalemate with St Neots.

The winger joined Ives on an initial month's loan in December, and although that has now been extended until the end of the season, it didn't go through in time to face Neots.

But Marheineke believes, with Baker on one flank and fellow loanee Tom Knowles on the other, his side have the pace out wide to cause other Southern Premier sides real problems.

“It was unfortunate that Ben's loan forms from were rejected by the FA as it wasn't the correct paperwork,” he said.

“If Ben was available – you saw how Tom Knowles performed and what he is capable of, Ben is a similar sort of player – and if we'd had that on both flanks, with Rogan McGeorge in the centre getting around and being the grafter he is, I think we would have won the game.

“Ben's lively quick energetic and unbelievable on the dribble. He will open up and run, giving us opportunity to go from deep defensive positions to good attacking positons.

“On pitches like this which don't allow you free flowing football you need people who can run with the ball, and Ben certainly gives us that.”

Marheineke could have done without the late upset to his plans as he already had to make some changes following a bruising tiring season, with both Lloyd Groves and Jordan Jarrold dropping to the bench.

“We knew the pitch was going to be bad so we had to make some changes,” he said. “Lloyd has got some serious blisters and had to have a rest while Jordan had a slight calf problem.

“At this time of year ,with pitches like they are, it's tough on players to play Saturday-Tuesday and every game is tough. We didn't make the changes to play St Neots, we made the changes because of the pitch.”

Despite those changes, Ives looked to have won it when Declan Rogers gave them the lead early in the second half, and although Nabil Shariff denied them all three points with a late leveller, Marheineke was still upbeat.

Source Cambridge News ( Click Here )