REPORT: Ilkeston Town 5-1 Wisbech Town - Rampant Robins make it nine in a row

The Robins have been devastating on their own patch in recent weeks and their place at the top of the table was never in doubt once they’d opened the scoring half-an-hour in despite tricky playing conditions at the New Manor Ground.

They will face much tougher tests in the coming months but their form is every bit that of title contenders and the confidence in their attacking play in particular is making them favourites to go on and take the honours.

This win was as routine as they come against a side struggling in the lower reaches.

Charlie Wakefield cut inside and fired straight at keeper Luke Pearson with the first opening of note 12 minutes in, Wisbech having earlier been forced to replace the injured Daniel Draper with Brody Warren.

Ollie Brown-Hill then put another chance just past the post as the Robins began strongly, sub Warren then putting a low effort wide at the other end with the visitors’ first notable moment.

Pearson then denied Remaye Campbell low down on 18, repeating the act from close range seven minutes later as the Robins continued to knock on the door and Zak Goodson then getting in behind and rounding Pearson but unable to quite hit the target from a tight angle.

An error from Joe Maguire then allowed Sam Bennett in but he mis-hit his chance and Ross Durrant gratefully gathered.

The Robins then led on 33 minutes and it was direct from a corner, as Adam Chapman’s kick from the left floated all the way in despite Campbell going for it – the striker happy to inform Chapman it was his goal.

Wisbech responded well and Durrant pushed away a low effort from Dylan Edge, that being the visitors’ best chance of the half.

Two minutes into the second-half the Robins’ lead was doubled as the ball broke to Jared Bird who burst into penalty area and turned onto his right foot before finishing well into the corner of the net.

Kieran Fenton flashed a free-kick too high on 50 minutes as the Robins sought a third, before Wisbech’s Bennett and Liam Marshall both forced good saves out of Durrant.

The third goal, however, came from a Wisbech corner, as the Robins countered well leaving Wakefield the chance to square for Goodson who controlled and scored from a few yards out.

It was then four on 69 minutes, full-back Tommy Williams finishing low off a post after he’d found space in the penalty area.

Wisbech had carved out a few good openings so their consolation on 73 minutes wasn’t undeserved, Edge with a good strike from the edge of the penalty area.

Sub Paddy Webb drove just wide for the Robins in response, before Goodson curled in his second with a fine effort from just outside the penalty area to restore the four-goal margin.

Campbell saw a late strike well saved by Pearson but the damage was done and Ilkeston march on at the top.

Ilkeston: Durrant, Williams, Bennett, Wakefield, Maguire (Irvine 63), Fenton, Goodson, Chapman (Reid 54), Campbell, Brown-Hill (Webb 63), Bird.

Subs not used: Troke, Carvell

Wisbech: Pearson, Keeble, McLeish, Hart, Marshall, Wilson, Draper (Warren 7), Maddison, Edge (Osilaja 82), Allen (Palacios 63), Bennett.

Subs not used: Taylor.

Att: 505

Star Robin: Zak Goodson