NORTHERNPREMIERLEAGUE–MIDLANDSDIVISION

ShepshedDynamo 3 StNeotsTown 1

An impressive second half display by St Neots did little to offset a poor first 45 minutes. Conceding two goals in the first four minutes of the game gave the visitors what proved to be an impossible task against a home side who displayed the importance of defending stoutly when St Neots produced their much improved second half comeback. The first half loss of full back Jon-Paul Duncliffe to injury did little to boost St Neots’ confidence but they can take some comfort from their spirited second half response. However, on the downsidewithhomevictoriesonthedayforDaventryTownandHinckleyLRFC, St Neots became further detached from the sides above them in the league table. Theyarebeginningtolookdoomedtoasecondhalfofseasonrelegation scrap.Only one team change from the winning side the previous Saturday was made – this enforced because of the injury sustained by Steven Sylvester, with PannyBoxerbroughtbacktotheheartofthedefence.

The opening four minutes of the match proved pivotal to the outcome of the contest. In Shepshed’s first attack after just two minutes St Neots conceded a free kick wide on the left and then watched as Cam Moore rose high above the defence to head across goal for Reece Morris to net from close range at the far post. Worse was to follow for two minutes further into the match Morris picked out Zayn Hakeem who got a fortune rebound off a defender to add a secondgoal.Shell-shockedStNeotsrespondedwell,andaTreyCharlesshotwas blocked. and Liam Hook followed up but off balance could only fire over the bar. St Neots custodian Jamie Greygoose then produced an outstanding reflex save to push a free header from Toby Ritzema over the bar from a Moore corner whilst at the other end St Neots were bombarding the home goal without success.Charles saw a shot deflected over the bar by a defender, a Joe Rider effort was also deflected and Panny Boxer saw his effort cleated off the linewiththehomekeeperbeaten. Thensevenminutesbeforethebreakalong ball from deep in defence saw the speedy Zayn Hakeem outpace the St Neots defencetoaddathirdgoal.