SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE CENTRAL

FC Romania       1            St Neots Town         2               

(at Cheshunt FC)

After 65 minutes St Neots were in danger of suffering a mugging at Cheshunt.   Their rather physical opponents had picked up six yellow cards in stopping St Neots best attacking moves, but in the second half they then broke away through a visiting defence caught short, to score the first goal of the match.  However, thankfully this proved to be the spur St Neots required and they recovered to score twice, and deservedly take home the three points avenging their opening day league defeat at St Neots. The visitors controlled much of the match throughout but failed to turn their possession into goals and at times seemed intimidated by the home sides’ tactics. There were three changes in the St Neots line up with Aaron Smith back from his loan period, replacing Wynford Marfo at full back, Elliott Sartorius leading the attack for Neo Richard-Noel, and most recent signing Ky Marsh-Brown (brother of Kwai) replacing the departed Brendon Shabani.

This most recent signing excited with his pace and skill and looks to be a very useful addition to the squad making an early impact after just six minutes as he rounded the home keeper to set up Myles Cowling but his shot from 25 yards sailed harmlessly over the crossbar. Four minutes later St Neots could have been behind as George Whitehall spilled a cross from Jonathan Edwards, but Charlie Johnson hacked the ball clear. Ky Marsh-Brown was then upended in the penalty area, but the referee waved play on whilst at the other end Olluwatobi Coker brought a full length save from Whitehall. His opposite number Lincon Marques then emulated him with an important save from a low Cowling effort and after 33 minutes Coker’s cross picked out the unmarked Anthony Edgar, but he miskicked with the goal at his mercy. Towards the end of the half St Neots were well in control and Ky Marsh-Brown was twice in significant action, bringing an important save from Marques before rounding off a mazy run through the home defence by shooting over the bar.

Two further bookings to the three they had picked up in the first half and two substitutions in the opening quarter of an hour of the second half served to see the home side completely lose their rhythm and St Neots should have taken advantage of their disarray. The closest to a goal for the visitors came after 64 minutes when Ky Marsh-Brown was again brought down earning the sixth caution for the home side but the free kick on the edge of the area Ky Marsh-Brown came to nothing. Just a minute later the home side carved out their first significant attack of the second half and a skilful interplay between  Usman Adejini and substitute Kieran Bishop saw the former find the net beyond the dive of Whitehall. It took St Neots eight minutes to recover when Mamadou Jobe scored his first goal for St Neots following a Cowling corner, and four minutes later, substitute Neo Richard-Noel netted what was to prove the match winning goal as he wriggled through a cluster of defenders to score with a powerful, clinical low drive. FC Romania threw everything forward in search of a late equaliser but the St Neots Town defence, marshalled by the impressive Charlie Johnson, held out for a deserved victory.

Today’s Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match was awarded to BEN HEAL (Sponsored by Epiphany Communications)

St Neots:  Whitehall, Heal, Smith, Anderson, Johnson, Jobe, Cowling, Watkins, Sartorius, Kwai Marsh-Brown, Ky Marsh-Brown

Subs:  Barker (for Anderson 59 mins), Richard-Noel (for Sartorius 66 mins), Abbott (for Kwai Marsh-Brown 86 mins), Marfo and Gill.

Cards:  Kwai Marsh-Brown (Y – 70 mins), Watkins (Y – 86 mins)

Goals:   Jobe (73 mins), Richard-Noel (77 mins)

 

FC Romania:  Marques, Adejini, Smith, Danquah, Bonnett-Johnston, McKenzie-Lowe, Coker, Taban, Edwards, Stylianides, Edgar

Subs:  Bishop (for Coker 54 mins), Dubniuc (for Edwards 74 mins), Griffith (for Taban 80 mins), Marcimain and Petrov

Cards:  Adejini (Y – 18 mins), Taban (Y – 32 mins), Edwards (Y – 41 mins), Bonnett-Johnson  (Y -46 mins), Stylianides ( Y – 48 mins), Smith ( Y – 64 mins)

Goals:  Adejini (65 mins)

Referee:  Jonathan Bolland (Aylesbury)

Attendance:   80

John Walker