NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE – MIDLAND DIVISION

St Neots Town 1 Gresley Rovers 1

Gresley remain five points ahead of St Neots in the guaranteed safety position in the bottom five of the table after this rather pallid drawn encounter. It was a very poor contest with St Neots again taking the lead but unable to hold on for victory. The visitors who had failed to score in their last five matches were boosted by an outstanding goal struck from 25 yards by visiting defender Dominic Perkins after the home side had failed to clear a corner, giving St Neots debutant keeper Tom Finch no chance. St Neots may have shaded possession in the second half but created few genuine chances with the visiting defence holding firm. Now with time running out St Neots need six more points than Gresley from their remaining nine matches to guarantee Step Four survival next season although they may find a way back via the play-offs. In a bid to boost his side Manager Pete Gill made five changes to his starting line-up, but it turned out to little effect. Temporary goalkeeper James Goff had been recalled by St Ives so Cambridge United loanee Tom Finch took over in goal; Brandon Njoku was unavailable, and Liam Smyth, Jon-Paul Duncliffe and Dan Barton were all left on the bench. Into their places came Tommy Boxer to boost the defence, Liam Hook after injury, Manny Osei and new signing Albert Adu.

The visitors began more brightly and inside ninety seconds in Gresley’s first attack, James Spruce tumbled in collision with Tom Finch and it looked as though Referee Mario Stetakovic had awarded the visitors a penalty but after consultation with his Assistant, a goal kick was given. The same visiting player then fired over the bar and in St Neots’ first attack Trey Charles saw a fierce shot parried and then cleared. Then after 13 minutes St Neots took the lead when a Liam Hook corner was not cleared, and Trey Charles pounced to claim his twentieth league goal of the season from close range. St Neots continued to have the better of the attacking play as Hook brought a good save from Lewis Fenney and debutant Albert Adu off-balance shot wide. A lengthy effort from Lewis Belgrave brought a good save from Tom Finch and then in a midfield flare-up Panny Boxer and Bekir Halil found their names noted in the Referee’s notebook. Although St Neots were having the better of possession, they created little to seriously test the visiting defence and then two minutes before the break against the run of play, St Neots failed to clear a corner and from 25yards Dominic Perkins produced a crisp left footed shot that beat the St Neots custodian to level the scores at half time.