NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE – MIDLAND DIVISION

from 2022/23 - Issue 21 - Loughborough Dynamo

JWMatchReport CAMBRIDGECITY (A)13-04-2023

Corby Town 4 St Neots Town 0

After two poor results that had almost certainly snuffed out Corby’s diminishing chances of making the end-of-season promotion play-offs, the home side were determined to produce a last home league performance to apologise to their huge following support. This they did in some style scoring four times against an out-ofsorts St Neots side seemingly suffering from a hangover after their hard fought away drawn match against Cambridge City less than 48 hours earlier. The first half was fairly even, but after the break Corby swiftly moved up a gear to conjure up two goals in three minutes to put the outcome out if reach of the visiting side. A tired jaded looking St Neots did rally to make the home keeper produce two outstanding saves that were to deny them a consolation goal. There were team changes of some significance for the visitors., with club skipper Callum Anderson rested on the bench alongside Robbie Mason and Manny Osei. Into their places came Trey Charles, Panny Boxer and Albert Adu.

The home side dominated play in the opening twenty minutes with St Neots only serious attempt on goal coming from an Albert Adu effort that was just wide after good approach play by Joe Tarpey. Corby meantime were creating and missing early openings as Kaylern Thomas crossed to set up Daniel Collins who skied his volley over the bar, and then the lively Jordan O’Brien crashed a shot against the crossbar with the St Neots custodian beaten. The pressure continued as Danny Gordon sent a free kick past a defensive wall and into the wrong side of the goal netting. However, after 22 minutes the relentless pressure paid off when a glorious move the length of the pitch split the St Neots defence as Connor Fury and Matthew Slinn combined to set up Jorden O’Brien for the opening goal. Collins then shot narrowly wide as the home side continued to dictate play and St Neots best response was a shot on the turn from Trey Charles pushed for a corner by the home keeper. St Neots began the second half in defiant fashion with Charles twice going around the outside of his marker to send dangerous crosses across the penalty area but there was no visiting player on hand to take advantage. After 53 minutes Charles was freed up by some clever footwork by Dan Barton, but his angled shot was brilliantly pushed away at full stretch by Tomasz Bukowski in the home goal. Then in a three minutes’ spell around the hour mark the home side really punished some slack defending as they added two goals to effectively put the outcome of the game beyond doubt.

The first after 58 minutes came when St Neots cleared a corner only as far as Danny Gordon some 20 yards from goal and he unleashed an unstoppable volley into the top corner of the net giving goalkeeper Jonah Gill no chance. Then in their next serious attack a free kick by Danny Gordon was deflected into the path of Michael Jacklin who was left with a simple finish. After 70 minutes Barton set up Joe Rider who forced the save of the match from Bukowski to deny St Neots a late consolation and despite freshening up their side with substitutions, St Neots were unable to make any impression on the stubborn home defence and returned home with another heavy away defeat to contemplate.

St Neots Town: Gill, Duncliffe, Tarpey, Boxer (P), Lewis, Dickens, Barton, Hook, Charles, Rider, Adu