(H)
Droylsden FC
Dave Gittins
Ilkeston Town FC
Steve Turner
League Round 16
Head To Head Results
| S | M | COMPETITION | HOME | AWAY | WON | - | - | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 24 | Youth Cup Round 1 | 1 | - (n) | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | - | 1 | |||
| 5 | 8 | 1st Division | 2 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 1 | - | 1 | |||
| 5 | 26 | 1st Division | 1 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 1 | - | 2 | |||
| 7 | 12 | 2nd Division | 1 | - | 0 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 2 | |||
| 7 | 30 | 2nd Division | 2 | - | 0 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 3 | |||
| 8 | 7 | AP Cup Group (3) | 0 | - (n) | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 4 | |||
| 9 | 12 | 1st Division | 1 | - | 0 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 4 | |||
| 9 | 30 | 1st Division | 1 | - | 0 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 5 | |||
| 11 | 17 | 1st Division | 2 | - | 0 | 2 | - | 1 | - | 6 | |||
| 11 | 38 | 1st Division | 0 | - | 0 | 2 | - | 2 | - | 6 | |||
| 12 | 17 | 1st Division | 3 | - | 1 | 2 | - | 2 | - | 7 | |||
| 12 | 23 | FA Shield Quarterfinals | 0 | - | 4 | 2 | - | 2 | - | 8 | |||
| 12 | 38 | 1st Division | 2 | - | 4 | 2 | - | 2 | - | 9 | |||
| 13 | 24 | Youth Cup Round 1 | 0 | - (n) | 2 | 2 | - | 2 | - | 10 | |||
| 14 | 16 | 1st Division | 5 | - | 1 | 3 | - | 2 | - | 10 | |||
| 14 | 35 | 1st Division | 0 | - | 0 | 3 | - | 3 | - | 10 | |||
| 15 | 15 | AP Cup Round 2 | 3 | - | 0 | 3 | - | 3 | - | 11 | |||
| 16 | 12 | 2nd Division | 3 | - | 2 | 4 | - | 3 | - | 11 | |||
| 16 | 15 | AP Cup Round 2 | 4 | - | 0 | 4 | - | 3 | - | 12 | |||
| 16 | 30 | 2nd Division | 2 | - | 0 | 4 | - | 3 | - | 13 | |||
| 17 | 12 | 1st Division | 7 | - | 0 | 5 | - | 3 | - | 13 | |||
| 17 | 30 | 1st Division | 1 | - | 3 | 6 | - | 3 | - | 13 | |||
| 18 | 1 | FA Cup Round 1 | 5 | - | 1 | 7 | - | 3 | - | 13 | |||
| 21 | 24 | Youth Cup Round 1 | 0 | - (n) | 1 | 7 | - | 3 | - | 14 | |||
| 22 | 10 | FA Cup Round 2 | 0 | - | 0 | 7 | - | 4 | - | 14 | |||
| 22 | 14 | FA Cup Round 2 Replay | 1⑧ | - | 1⑨ | 7 | - | 5 | - | 14 | |||
| 23 | 12 | 1st Division | 3 | - | 0 | 8 | - | 5 | - | 14 | |||
| 23 | 30 | 1st Division | 2 | - | 0 | 8 | - | 5 | - | 15 | |||
| 24 | 9 | 2nd Division | 2 | - | 0 | 9 | - | 5 | - | 15 | |||
| 24 | 29 | 2nd Division | 2 | - | 0 | 9 | - | 5 | - | 16 | |||
| 25 | 17 | 1st Division | 0 | - | 0 | 9 | - | 6 | - | 16 | |||
| 25 | 38 | 1st Division | 0 | - | 4 | 9 | - | 6 | - | 17 | |||
| 26 | 13 | 1st Division | 2 | - | 0 | 9 | - | 6 | - | 18 | |||
| 26 | 34 | 1st Division | 3 | - | 2 | 10 | - | 6 | - | 18 | |||
| 27 | 17 | 1st Division | 2 | - | 0 | 10 | - | 6 | - | 19 | |||
| 27 | 38 | 1st Division | 1 | - | 2 | 10 | - | 6 | - | 20 | |||
| 28 | 7 | AP Cup Group (3) | 0 | - (n) | 4 | 10 | - | 6 | - | 21 | |||
| 28 | 13 | 1st Division | 0 | - | 1 | 11 | - | 6 | - | 21 | |||
| 28 | 34 | 1st Division | 0 | - | 0 | 11 | - | 7 | - | 21 | |||
| 30 | 16 | 2nd Division | 1 | - | 0 | 12 | - | 7 | - | 21 | |||
| 30 | 35 | 2nd Division | 0 | - | 1 | 13 | - | 7 | - | 21 | |||
| 31 | 13 | 3rd Division | 2 | - | 0 | 13 | - | 7 | - | 22 | |||
| 31 | 34 | 3rd Division | 4 | - | 5 | 13 | - | 7 | - | 23 | |||
| 32 | 9 | 2nd Division | 7 | - | 0 | 14 | - | 7 | - | 23 | |||
| 32 | 29 | 2nd Division | 1 | - | 2 | 15 | - | 7 | - | 23 | |||
| 33 | 13 | 1st Division | 4 | - | 0 | 15 | - | 7 | - | 24 | |||
| 33 | 28 | Youth Cup Round 2 | 1 | - (n) | 0 | 15 | - | 7 | - | 25 | |||
| 33 | 34 | 1st Division | 1 | - | 0 | 16 | - | 7 | - | 25 | |||
| 35 | 7 | AP Cup Group (3) | 1 | - (n) | 2 | 16 | - | 7 | - | 26 | |||
| 36 | 16 | 2nd Division | 1 | - | 0 | 17 | - | 7 | - | 26 | |||
| 36 | 35 | 2nd Division | 0 | - | 0 | 17 | - | 8 | - | 26 | |||
| 37 | 4 | 2nd Division | 5 | - | 0 | 17 | - | 8 | - | 27 | |||
| 37 | 7 | AP Cup Group (3) | 1 | - (n) | 3 | 17 | - | 8 | - | 28 | |||
| 37 | 26 | 2nd Division | 3 | - | 0 | 18 | - | 8 | - | 28 | |||
| 39 | 8 | 2nd Division | 2 | - | 0 | 18 | - | 8 | - | 29 | |||
| 39 | 35 | 2nd Division | 0 | - | 1 | 18 | - | 8 | - | 30 | |||
| 40 | 1 | FA Cup Round 1 | 3 | - | 0 | 18 | - | 8 | - | 31 | |||
| 40 | 16 | 2nd Division | 1 | - | 0 | 19 | - | 8 | - | 31 | |||
| 40 | 24 | Youth Cup Round 1 | 0 | - (n) | 2 | 19 | - | 8 | - | 32 | |||
| 40 | 39 | 2nd Division | 0 | - | 1 | 20 | - | 8 | - | 32 | |||
| 42 | 8 | 2nd Division | 5 | - | 0 | 20 | - | 8 | - | 33 | |||
| S | M | COMPETITION | HOME | AWAY | WON | - | - | ||||||
Olmec Head Preview
League• Droylsden FC finished 9th in league play last season and were relegated to the 2nd division.
• Ilkeston Town FC were the 3rd division champions last season.
Droylsden FC
• Droylsden FC are free of injuries entering today's match.
• Einar Iversen (IV/7 Gk) has made 50 appearances for Droylsden FC.
Ilkeston Town FC
• Florian Schmid (II/15 Df) is sidelined with a ankle sprain suffered in match 26 against Harrogate Railway AFC.
• Florian Schmid (II/15 Df) is sidelined with a head injury suffered in match 31 against AFC Fylde.
• Leo McNeill (III/13 Df) has made 75 appearances for Ilkeston Town FC.
Head To Head Meetings
• Droylsden FC and Ilkeston Town FC have met 61 times with 45 of those occurring in the League.
• Ilkeston Town FC have won 33, lost 20 and drawn 8 of 61 matches against Droylsden FC.
• Ilkeston Town FC haven't won a league match at Butcher's Arms Ground since season 31.
MATCHUP
PUNDIT CORNER
| Droylsden FC | Position | Ilkeston Town FC |
| 16 | Goalkeeper | ✓ 18 |
| 17 ✓ | Sweeper | — |
| 40 ✓ | Defenders | 32 |
| 44 ✓ | Midfielders | 32 |
| 51 | Forwards | ✓ 78 |
| 25 | Est. Attacks | ✓ 38 |
🅾 PREDICTION: DRO 3 – 2 ILK (DRO to win)
🏠 Home: Droylsden FC (+9 🏭 Groundsman) — DF:0 MF:2 FW:7
⚔️ KEY BATTLE: Forward line is the decisive area — Ilkeston Town (78) massively outgun Droylsden's defence (40), giving the visitors a significant edge in attack.
⭐ ONES TO WATCH: João Alves (FW, TL:17) — DRO | Tobias Ødegård (GK, TL:18) — ILK
🎯 VERDICT: Droylsden FC edge this one 3-2 despite Ilkeston's superior forward threat, with home advantage (+9 split across MF and FW) and a solid midfield (44 vs 32) helping them control key phases of the game. Ilkeston's lack of a sweeper (SW:0) leaves them vulnerable on the counter, and Droylsden will look to exploit that defensive fragility. João Alves is the man to watch — his top-level forward rating should be the difference-maker in what promises to be an open, high-tempo contest.
MARVIN'S TAKE
DRO 3 - 2 ILK
Ilkeston arrive with a forward line that ought to terrify anyone who still cares about football, which I stopped doing approximately four thousand years ago, yet somehow Droylsden's midfield — plodding and unremarkable as the concept of a Tuesday — should just about suffocate enough of those attacks to matter. Bobby Kaur will be kept uncomfortably busy between the posts, and I suspect at least one of those Ilkeston goals will arrive in a manner so preventable it will haunt everyone present for weeks, not that anything really matters. Home advantage nudges Droylsden over the line in what I confidently predict will be a deeply unsatisfying victory for all involved, including the groundsman, who deserves better.
AXEL'S TAKE
DRO 3 - 2 ILK
Droylsden's home fortress gives them the edge tonight, but Ilkeston are going to come at them like a battering ram with that forward line absolutely loaded for bear. Bobby Kaur is going to have a nightmare shift between the sticks facing wave after wave of attacks, but I back her to make the crucial stops when it matters most. The home crowd roars them over the line — gritty, brutal, beautiful.
Match Notes
Olmec Steve marching into Droylsden with something to prove — this is where character gets forged or shattered. Ilkeston need to hit early and hit hard.
Olmec Head Axel (Rainworth Miners Welfare FC) 07/01 - 7:30 PM