St Ives' three-game winning run has been brought to a halt by promotion hopefuls Nuneaton Borough following a lacklustre 3-0 away defeat in Ives' final league game of the season.

The host's needed just one point to ensure themselves a fourth-place finish in the Southern League Premier Division Central and a play-off semi-final, and they secured it in comfortable fashion with a brace from Boro's Ricardo Dinanga.

A good contingent of Ives supporters will have set off home from the First Class Safety Stadium disappointed that the run that had ensured St Ives league safety was ended in a game where the opposition seemingly wanted it more.

Boro were ominously fast out of the blocks and should have gone in front after ninety seconds, but Ives were fortunate the Boro's number seven Kane Richards dragged his shot wide.

A couple of other chances came and went for the hosts before the game was decided by a brace from Dinanga in first-half stoppage time.

Lengthy stoppages meant seven minutes of added time was added on, during which Boro piled on the pressure.

Substitute Tyrell Waite put Dinanga clear in the second added minute, and he made no mistake beating the exposed Ives keeper James Dadge low to his left.

READ MORE: League safety secured by St Ives following ill-tempered victory

It was two in four minutes for the rampant Boro as Dinanga added his second in the sixth added minute, rounding Dadge to slot home.

Ives did create a couple of opportunities in the second period, but the hard-working Matty Stenson killed the game off emphatically for Boro after 78 minutes from the edge of the box to seal a 3-0 victory.

Overall this was a disappointing end to Ives' inconsistent league season, which had started so well and promised so much during a record-breaking FA Cup run.

A dip of form consigned St Ives to a relegation battle, but they turned it around to finish the season in 16th, eleven points clear of the bottom of four on 50 points, and six points better off than the previous season.

St Ives will now focus their attention on retaining the Hunts FA Senior Cup when they host Yaxley FC in the final on Tuesday night (April 25).