NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE – MIDLAND DIVISION

St Neots Town 0 Bedworth United 4

St Neots may have had a new Management team in place for this match but unfortunately the team performance and result were predictably unchanged as they fell to their ninth and heaviest home defeat since joining the Northern Premier League. The match had been billed as a ‘must win’ if they were to pull off an escape from the end of season play off matches, but now with consecutive Saturday matches against the top two sides in the league table, their chances of automatic survival as this level is looking extremely unlikely.

They had to introduce a new goalkeeper with Tom Finch injured in their previous game at Boldmere and his replacement the youthful Jonah Gill performed well enough but was under constant second half pressure from the lively visiting forwards. Dan Barton and Charlie Lewis dropped to the bench with Manny Osei and Albert Adu included in the starting line-up and with Robbie Mason picking up a fifth yellow card for the second time this season there will have to be further changes in the upcoming matches.

The first half began promisingly enough with St Neots more than holding their own in very tricky windy conditions. The defences dominated at either end and neither goalkeeper was seriously tested in the first half hour but St Neots were looking confident in possession.After 34 minutes in a breakaway attack the visiting side should have scored when Elliott Parrott played Chris Camwell clear of the defence but his wild finish was too high. Five minutes later Camwell had a second chance picking up a Chris Cox cross but the young St Neots custodian produced a full length save to push the effort for a corner. Trey Charles then saw a rising effort parried by visiting keeper Sam Lomax and the half ended disappointingly for St Neots, for as the game moved into added time a long throw was not cleared and Liam Murphy forced the ball home from close range to put Bedworth ahead.

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Apart from another low shot by Charles well gathered by the visiting keeper the second half began with Bedworth dictating play. Gill had to save bravely at the feet of Murphy and the same visiting player then unselfishly played Desean Martin clear at the far post but his finish was wide of target. After 65 minutes St Neots varied their pattern of play with Dan Barton and Charlie Lewis on for Albert Adu and Tommy Boxer but within two minutes of their introduction the visiting side stepped up a gear. In the next seven minutes they twice shredded the home defence with goals to clinch for them a significant victory. After 68 minutes substitute Liam Locket cut in from the left leaving two St Neots defenders in his wake before beating the diving Gill at the near post with a crisp finish, and four minutes later St Neots hopes of some reward from the match disappeared when Desean Martin produced a burst of speed to go clear and leave the home keeper helpless with a low finish. St Neots frustration showed as Robbie Mason picked up a fifth yellow card since December with a late challenge on the visiting keeper and St Neots woe was compounded when Liam Murphy claimed his second goal of the match thirteen minutes from time. St Neots defiant late spurt saw them win three corners, but this was little consolation in an overall shoddy second half performance.

St Neots Town: Gill, Duncliffe, Smith, Anderson, Dickens, Boxer (T), Osei, Tarpey, Mason, Charles, Adu

Subs: Barton (for Adu 65 mins), Lewis (for Boxer (T) 65 mins), Rider (for Osei 74 mins), Hook and Baldwin.

Cards: Anderson (Y – 63 mins), Mason (Y – 76 mins)

Goals: none

Bedworth United: Lomax, Moore, Rowe, Parrott, Barnett, Endall, Cox, Blackmore, Murphy, Martin, Camwell

Subs: Lockett (for Camwell 46 mins), Middleton (for Martin 75 mins), Burroughs (for Blackmore 79 mins), Blythe and Edjenguele.

Cards: Camwell (Y – 32 mins), Rowe (Y – 55 mins), Blackmore (Y – 63 mins), Martin (Y –84 mins)

Goals: Murphy 2 (45 & 77 mins), Lockett (68 mins), Martin (77 mins)

Attendance: 295

Referee: Chris Darling (Newmarket)

John Walker

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE – MIDLAND DIVISION

Dereham Town 0 St Neots Town 1

On a wet Norfolk evening St Neots picked up what could prove to be a vital three points on the road. It was only their second away league victory of the season and lifted them above their hosts into 17th place in the table – now only one victory away from avoiding the automatic play-off spots in the league table. However, now with successive matches against the top two sides in the league table any further points will be difficult to gather as the end-of-season build-up progresses around Easter. Trey Charles’ twenty-second goal of the season proved vital as St Neots just shaded this critical match, but their overall performance was excellent with the defence tight and determined and the young St Neots goalkeeper Jonah Gill deservedly earning the man of the match award as he repelled all the efforts of the home side. Manager Sean Greygoose made little change to his side despite Saturday’s disappointing result and performance, but he did tweak his attack with Dan Barton and Liam Hook replacing Joe Tarpey and Albert Adu.

The game which replaced the one called off two weeks earlier because the pitch was waterlogged, almost suffered the same fate but Referee Alistair Wilson gave the go-ahead after a detailed pre-match inspection with the rain still falling on the sodden surface. St Neots suffered a couple of early scares when a cross from Ryan Swift had to be cleared off the line and then goalkeeper Jonah Gill had to save well from Oli Yun. However, St Neots settled and grew in confidence and took the lead after 18 minutes when Manny Osei picked up the ball inn his own half and forged down the left almost to the byeline. His cross seemed to be deflected and Trey Charles pounced to send a low shot into the corner of the net to give the visitors the lead. Four minutes later Charles set up Callum Anderson and his effort was saved at full stretch by home keeper Ross Bilham. Robbie Mason was pulled down on the edge of the box and Charles saw his free kick beat the keeper but rebound from the crossbar after 32 minutes and two minutes later a net bound shot from Anderson was well gathered by the home keeper. Dereham rallied late in the first half but Gill made two good saves to maintain St Neots half time advantage,

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Dereham sent on two half time substitutes and reshaped their side and set about retrieving their deficit. Now the St Neots defence was tested but Gill saved well from Luke Johnson and dived bravely at the feet of Gascoigne to block. He then pushed a rising effort from Matt Blake for a corner whilst at the other end St Neots saw an effort rebound from a goalpost. Dan Barton was proving to be lively for the visitors and he saw an effort well saved by the home keeper and St Neots then introduced Joe Tarpey for Manny Osei. The match was end-to-end but the St Neots defence were able to mop up Dereham’s bestefforts although home substitute Charlie Clarke should have done better than fire over the bar after good work by Dion Frary. Into the final ten minutes St Neots sent on Charlie Lewis for Barton and he sent Tarpey away to test the home keeper. In five minutes of added time St Neots had clearly tired in the heavy conditions but Gill made a couple of good saves as the home side threw players forward in a last desperate bid to salvage something from the game.

St Neots Town: Gill, Duncliffe, Smith, Anderson, Dickens, Boxer (T), Barton, Hook, Mason, Charles, Osei

Subs: Tarpey (for Osei 70 mins), Lewis (for Barton 81 mins), Boxer (P) (for Charles 87 mins), Lewis and Adu.

Cards: Charles (Y – 41 mins), Boxer (T) (Y – 63 mins), Smith (Y – 76 mins), Anderson (Y – 87 mins)

Goal: Charles (18 mins)

Dereham Town: Bilham, Steele, Winterbone, Frary, Black, Greenslade, Gascoigne, Yun, Blake, Johnson, Swift

Subs: Clarke (for Black 46 mins), Henman (for Greenslade 46 mins), White (for Winterbone 63 mins), Lott and Maccan.

Cards: Winterbone (Y – 25 mins), Greenslade (Y – 45+1 min), Swift ( Y - 70 mins)

Goals: none

Attendance: 182

Referee: Alistair Wilson (Boston)

John Walker