UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
DAVENTRY TOWN 0 ST NEOTS TOWN 0
St Neots returned from Daventry Town with a point from a drab uninspiring match that is best forgotten. Neither goalkeeper had a significant save to make except for James Goff’s penalty save at the end of the first half when he denied former Saints skipper Luke Knight from the penalty spot after he had conceded the penalty himself. Goff was booked but he kept his side on terms with a stunning full length save to make good his misdemeanor. Apart from that moment of drama there was little that will last in the memory as the two sides slugged out a stalemate played largely in midfield in the rain. It was the eleventh league meeting of the two sides in the past 23 years but the first to finish without goals.
Two former Saints were on parade against their former side with Tom Wood anchoring the home defence and Luke Knight in midfield. Meantime there was just one change in the St Neots line-up with James Sage replacing the suspended Murphy Culkin to make his first appearance for the Saints for almost twelve years.
St Neots returned from Daventry Town with a point from a drab uninspiring match that is best forgotten. Neither goalkeeper had a significant save to make except for James Goff’s penalty save at the end of the first half when he denied former Saints skipper Luke Knight from the penalty spot after he had conceded the penalty himself. Goff was booked but he kept his side on terms with a stunning full length save to make good his misdemeanor. Apart from that moment of drama there was little that will last in the memory as the two sides slugged out a stalemate played largely in midfield in the rain. It was the eleventh league meeting of the two sides in the past 23 years but the first to finish without goals. Harvey Williams produced the first shot for the visitors after seven minutes but saw the ball deflected for a corner. Ten minutes later Kieran Barnes burst into the Daventry penalty area to be upended but the Referee waved away his penalty appeals. After twenty minutes the home sides’ first serious attack brought them a corner from which Tom Wood won the ball but headed wide. Nine minutes before the break Williams was brought down in full flight earning 
a caution for home defender Aiden Print but the real notable action in the drab first 45 minutes came just before the interval. Visiting keeper James Goff (left) raced from his line to misjudge a cross colliding with Rhys Hoenes to concede the home side a penalty kick.
a caution for home defender Aiden Print but the real notable action in the drab first 45 minutes came just before the interval. Visiting keeper Former Saint Luke Knight stepped up to take the kick but Goff dived full length to his right to smother the kick and retrieve the ball at the feet of an onrushing forward. There was still time before the break for St Neots skipper Rob Parker to pick up a yellow card for a late tackle.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first 45 minutes. Both sides were happy to clear their lines by sending the ball up field without picking out their own players. Barnes did see one effort on target easily saved by the home keeper whilst both Hoenes and Mitchell-Gears both squandered promising openings for the home side. In a bid to freshen up their attack St Neots replaced Williams with Danny Baulk but was unable to add much to the visitors’ efforts. As the game wore on it seemed that both sides had reluctantly settled for a share of the points and the game petered out with neither goal really threatened.
Today’s Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match, in association with The Greystones Public House Sawtry – James Goff
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