MK Irish continued their relentless push at the top of the table with a commanding 3-1 victory away at Baldock Town. A lightning-fast start saw Irish race into a three-goal lead within 18 minutes, putting the game firmly in their control.
Irish came out firing from the first whistle, immediately putting Baldock under pressure. Shrieves delivered a dangerous ball to the back post, where Boyce was waiting, but the forward’s effort was well-blocked by the Baldock defense.
The breakthrough came in just the 9th minute. Ryan Smith spotted Shrieves’ run in behind and played a perfectly timed pass to keep him onside. Shrieves took a touch and fired low—the keeper got a foot to it, but the ball trickled into the net to give Irish an early lead.
The visitors continued to pile on the pressure, and just seven minutes later, they doubled their advantage. Ryan Smith was once again the provider, slipping a pass to Shrieves down the right. As he cut inside, a trailing leg from the Baldock defender tripped him in the box, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a penalty. Meadows stepped up and calmly slotted the spot-kick into the bottom corner, putting Irish firmly in control.
Irish were in unstoppable form, and just two minutes later, they made it 3-0. Ryan Smith’s corner caused chaos in the box, with Kalek’s initial effort being blocked. Zawe reacted quickly, shifting the ball to Meadows, who produced a moment of brilliance—flicking the ball over his own head and into the top corner for a stunning finish.
Baldock struggled to cope with Irish’s intensity but nearly pulled one back in fortunate fashion. A whipped cross-turned-shot forced Ladyman into a smart save, tipping the ball onto the bar, with Beecher reacting quickly to clear the danger.
Irish had the chance to extend their lead further before the break with a beautifully worked team move. Kelsey played a clever pass into the box to Ryan Smith, who flicked it first time to Meadows. The forward looked certain to complete his first-half hat-trick but completely fluffed his lines, mis-hitting the ball wide from close range.
The only negative for Irish in an otherwise perfect first half was an unfortunate injury to Kyle Boyce, who was forced off after a heavy 50/50 challenge. The winger required lengthy treatment before having to be taken off in a wheelchair, a blow for the visitors.
Half-Time: Baldock Town 0-3 MK Irish
Irish showed no signs of slowing down after the break and nearly made it 4-0 early in the second half. Spence won a corner, and after his initial effort was saved, the rebound fell to Ryan Smith, who looked certain to score, but a heroic goal-line block denied him.
Baldock, despite trailing, showed signs of life and had a golden opportunity to pull one back. A quick passing move saw a forward burst in behind the Irish defense, round Ladyman, but with the goal at his mercy, he somehow dragged his shot wide.
Irish responded by pushing for a fourth. Brooks showed great determination to keep the ball in play before squaring across goal to Osei-Addo. The forward twisted past a defender and fired at goal, but his effort flew over the bar.
Irish remained in control, keeping Baldock at bay while attempting a few speculative long-range efforts, none of which troubled the goalkeeper.
Baldock would eventually grab a consolation goal in the second minute of added time. A quick-thinking free kick caught Irish off guard, as the ball was played into the box while Ladyman was still organizing the wall, allowing a Baldock player to tap in from close range.
It was too little, too late, though, as Irish comfortably saw out the game to secure another vital three points in their push for the title.
Full-Time: Baldock Town 1-3 MK Irish
Goalscorers: G. Shrieves (9′) J. Meadows (16′, 18′)
