John Walker's Match Report

Fakenham Town (FAC Replay) (A)

08-08-2023

FA CUP – EXTRA PRELIMINARY ROUND

FAKENHAM TOWN 2 ST NEOTS TOWN 1 (after extra time)

St Neots bowed out of the FA Cup after a long midweek journey to Norfolk for this replay. They managed to pull back a first half goal to send the match into extra time, but it was the home side who snatched the winning goal. It was a match St Neots should have won for they created the better chances, but their finishing was poor – a fact acknowledged by Manager Cameron Mawer after the match. ‘It is frustrating not to win when you are the better side’ he observed after the match.There were two team changes from the initial match with Demi Romero replacing the unavailable Dean Dummett in midfield and Dom Lawless leading the attack with Lorrell Smith on the bench.

There was a brisk start as both sides began in a positive vein. Jack Guyton broke through the St Neots defence after just three minutes but shot over the bar and then at the other end Dom Lawless angled his effort wide.From a Sam Johnson corner, Harvey Williams fired over the bar and then the visiting keeper was in action saving well from a Cameron Beazer header from a corner. Johnson found the head of James Hatch after good work by Dammy Nickels, but his effort was too high before Fakenham took an eighteenth minute lead. An attack on the left saw a shot rebound from a goalpost and Jay Myhill was the first to react firing low past James Goff. St Neots responded with Williams firing over the bar after neat work by Dom Lawless and the same visiting player then saw a second effort deflected for a corner. From another set piece Kyle Lincoln headed narrowly over the bare before home keeper Luke Pearson produced the save of the match to deny Williams. In a flare up both Josh Brown and Lewis Sturman were booked, and the half ended with Fakenham holding on to their slender lead.