Rai Simons and his Ilkeston Town FC teammates had good cause to crack open the ‘lemonade’ as a comprehensive 5-1 win over Mansfield Town clinched the Midlands Division Title in the Conference Youth Alliance.
Kevin Wilson’s starlets narrowly missed out on top spot last season when they were beaten on goal-difference by Gateshead - but there was no chance of that being repeated in the New Manor Ground sunshine.
They game was virtually all over within 21 minutes because the young Ilkeston team led 3-0 by that stage and from then on, it was just a matter of how many.
Mansfield had a player sent off shortly before half time and then lost their goalkeeper through injury early in the second period. But no one could claim that those incidents influenced the outcome.
Midfielder Eli Bako side-footed Ilkeston FC in front with just eight minutes showing on the clock and Goran Seymour and Chey Adams were quick to lift the game beyond Mansfield’s grasp.
Courey Grantham headed a fourth with half time approaching and although the 10-men responded with a penalty soon after the break and put on a spirited second half show, Grantham added a fifth when he bundled in a cross from substitute Simons.
Academy manager Steve Chettle called the players into a group huddle immediately after the final whistle - and it wasn’t hard to imagine the message he was getting across.
Wilson said, “The lads did what they’ve been doing all season - joining forces as a unit to prove themselves better than the opposition - and I’m really delighted for them.
“A lot of credit for this achievement must go to a lot of people - starting with Dave Mantle. It was the chairman’s vision that we should build this club by developing our own talent and three years down the road, I think we’ve made a pretty good fist of it so far.
This is our future and although it has been a fantastic season for this group, I firmly believe the best of them is yet to come.
Even more important is the fact that seven of this group - Adams, Callum Chettle, Akil Wright, Simons, Seymour, Curtis Burrows and Luke Shaw - have made the step up to first-team level.”
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