GCE PLANT FLEET UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
BUGBROOKE 0 ST NEOTS TOWN 5
St Neots extended their lead at the top of the table to fourteen points with a five goals, five- star performance at lowly Bugbrooke. It now seems that automatic promotion at the end of the season is theirs to lose for with just eight league matches to go their main opponents seem to have faltered. The match was played in atrocious conditions – ankle deep mud in places – and the persistent drizzle was always present. Bugbrooke came on the back of a surprise draw away at third placed Rugby Borough and were buzzing with confidence in a fairly evenly fought first half. St Neots prevailed and dominated after the break with Kieran Barnes back in the side to claim his first league hat trick in a St Neots shirt. His return to the side after holiday was the only change to the team with recent signing Cole Butler making way. It was St Neots’ best away victory of the season and with a free Saturday to follow they will be raring to continue their winning streak at home to ON Chenecks on Saturday week.
St Neots got the perfect start after just four minutes when Kieran Barnes (left) took full advantage of defensive hesitation to win the ball and chip the home keeper. The home side responded with Patrick Cichosz firing wide after a swift counterattack, and then Shad Reza burst through but also fired wide. Connor Furlong was a lively thorn in the home defence, and he fired over the bar on the turn in a packed area before forcing home keeper Nial Shackleton into a full length save. Reza then tested James Goff in the visitors goal before St Neots finished the first half strongly as Michael Amaeshike set up Furlong who took the ball too close to the keeper who smothered his shot, Sam Willis tested the home keeper with a header from a corner, and another Furlong cross was blocked on the goal line by a defender.
St Neots got the perfect start after just four minutes when St Neots returned after the break looking confident and determined and Barnes fired wastefully over the bar after great work by Rhys Thorpe. Then after 55 minutes Furlong threaded a ball trough a square lying home defence and Rhys Thorpe (left) beat the offside trap with pace to break away and slide the ball past the advancing goalkeeper to extend St Neots’ lead. 
A Barnes effort was deflected for a corner and then just past the hour Shackleton saved well from Furlong. For the home side the lively Reza broke through but fired wide and then after 69 minutes Thorpe went clear on goal, but Shackleton again blocked his finish. However, after 72 minutes after his first effort was blocked Kieran Barnes followed up to net his second goal of the match, and five minutes later completed his hat trick with a clever dribble around the keeper to find the corner of the net.
St Neots returned after the break looking confident and determined and Barnes fired wastefully over the bar after great work by Rhys Thorpe. Then after 55 minutes Furlong threaded a ball trough a square lying home defence and
A Barnes effort was deflected for a corner and then just past the hour Shackleton saved well from Furlong. For the home side the lively Reza broke through but fired wide and then after 69 minutes Thorpe went clear on goal, but Shackleton again blocked his finish. However, after 72 minutes after his first effort was blocked The icing on a very wet cake arrived a minute into added time when veteran striker/substitute Shane Fox (right) won the ball at the far post and headed home to complete the scoring.
Today’s Saints Suppoters’ Man of the Match – In Association with The Greystones Public House, Sawtry – Michael Amaeshike
Recent Comments