FA Cup Preliminary Round Mildenhall Town 2 St Ives Town 1 A FINE rearguard action from Saints wasn t quite enough to stave off defeat at Ridgeons Premier League side Mildenhall. The visitors lined up in a 4-5-1 formation designed to frustrate the home sid

FA Cup Preliminary Round

Mildenhall Town 2 St Ives Town 1

A FINE rearguard action from Saints wasn't quite enough to stave off defeat at Ridgeons Premier League side Mildenhall.

The visitors lined up in a 4-5-1 formation designed to frustrate the home side and for 45 minutes it worked, leaving the game goalless at half time.

Jamie Blackwell even hit the crossbar from 25 yards in the first period as Saints contained Mildenhall.

After the break however, a long ball over the top of 51 minutes proved St Ives' undoing, with Ben Cranfield taking advantage.

Louis Blois's cross-shot doubled the home side's advantage on the hour mark, though the visitors did manage to pull one back through Scott Fielding on 78 minutes.

Saints had four men up front at the end of the match as they desperately searched for an equaliser but it was not to be and they exited the cup

Joint manager Jez Hall said: "We went with a game plan and it almost worked.

It was disappointing that after keeping out a very good footballing side like Mildenhall for 45 minutes we were caught out by a long punt downfield.

"We had a poor 10 minute spell in the second half and that is what cost us."

Saints face a tough fixture against big-spending Wellingborough Town at Westwood Road on Saturday, followed by the visit of Newport Pagnell on Tuesday.

* St Ives were expecting to utilise their squad players in last night's (Tuesday) league cup fixture against Stewarts & Lloyds being played as The Hunts Post went to press.