St Ives Town Football Club are through to the 2nd Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy following an assured display which propelled the hosts to a magical 3-1 victory over Marine AFC.

A powerful first half performance was backed up by an excellent second half defensive display, which saw Ives return to form with two wins in a row, dispatching the renowned cup-fighting Mariners in the process.

The result was a shock loss for the Mariners, who only four seasons ago hosted Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, and remain in the FA Cup this season with a tie against hosting League Two side Harrogate Town.

Unawed by the opponents from Liverpool, Ives came out of traps quickly and took the lead after only 85 seconds.

The Hunts Post: St Ives have now won two games in a row having only won two of the previous 14 games.St Ives have now won two games in a row having only won two of the previous 14 games. (Image: Louise Thompson)

Michael Richens curled in an early free kick from the left, and Jordan Williams ghosted in unmarked to nod past a static Felix Goddard in the visitor's goal.

Ives then had a golden opportunity to double their lead after 27 minutes when an inexplicable drop by Goddard led to a bout of pinball inside the Mariners box, resulting in a Brandon Njoku volley being headed off the line.

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The hosts doubled their advantage ten minutes before the break when a poor clearance fell to Dan Barton, who drove at the defence before cleverly feeding the ball to an unmarked Jonny Edwards, who made no mistake from just inside the box. 

The second half was a different story as the visitors started to pile on the pressure, but Ives proved to be a much more resilient backline than it was a few weeks ago and restricted the visitor's opportunities.

The Hunts Post: St Ives were resilient in the second half, restricting Marine of many opportunities.St Ives were resilient in the second half, restricting Marine of many opportunities. (Image: Louise Thompson)

Mariners were offered a glimmer of hope when a crisp drive from the edge of the box after 75 minutes cut the deficit to one goal, but Ives continued to repel everything their visitors could throw at them.

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Richens then put the icing on the cake in the 7th minute of added time when he found the back of the net from 40 yards after Goddard's poor clearance had landed at his feet.

St Ives will now play Aveley FC in the next round on November 18 and will hope to keep up their recent upturn in form when they travel to 16th-placed Southern Premier Central opponents Stourbridge on Saturday, November 4.