There was little Christmas cheer for St Ives Town thanks to of what was described by visiting supporters as their team’s best second half performance of the season. 

The opening 45 minutes of Ives’ Southern League Premier Division Central clash with Royston Town on Boxing Day (December 26) at Quattro-Tech Westwood Road saw neither side register a shot on target. 

Ives supporters in the healthy Boxing Day crowd were hopeful that their heroes would lift themselves in the second half, but these hopes were dashed as the Crows went ahead. 

Nathan Tshikuna delivered an in-swinging corner to the back post where Adam Murray had ghosted in unmarked to power home from close range on 55 minutes. 

The visitors now had momentum and were on top, winning important tackles and looking at least half a yard faster than the home side. 

With Tshikuna and Connor Furlong pulling the strings, more chances started to arrive as Ives goalkeeper James Goff was the hosts’ saviour. 

He leapt high to his right to keep out a Matt Bateman header just after the hour mark after Furlong had picked out his teammate with a delicate chip to the back post. 

Goff produced an even better double save with 20 minutes remaining as another Tshikuna corner was half-cleared to Furlong, who struck a low drive from just inside the penalty area. 

The ‘keeper did brilliantly to keep out the strike to his left, and was instantly back on his feet to block the follow-up effort from Shomari Barnwell from point-blank range. 

The game was killed off by Royston two minutes later as Furlong jinked his way through the Ives defence before cutting inside and whipping an inviting cross to the six-yard area. 

Barnwell was there to meet the cross cleanly to power his header past Goff to earn a 2-0 triumph.

Ives tried to muster a comeback but never looked likely to find a route back into the game as Royston went level on points with their opponents in the league table. 

Ricky Marheineke’s men kick off the new year hoping to prevent three successive league defeats when they visit bottom-placed AFC Rushden & Diamonds on January 2, 3pm.