Pitching In Northern Premier League Midland Division

ST NEOTS TOWN           2          BOURNE TOWN          0

Two sides promoted to Step Four from the United Counties League last season met for the first time since the 2009/10 season when St Neots repeated their league victory over their Lincolnshire visitors.  In truth their victory was more convincing than the scoreline suggests because St Neots was guilty of squandering a host of chances notably in a goalless first half. However, two well taken second half goals gave them the victory they deserved which lifted then to ninth slot in the league table. Manager Cameron Mawer was delighted with the performance despite their profligacy in front of goal. After his sides’ victory over the league leaders seven days earlier he named an unchanged line up, with team skipper Rob Parker and recent signing Pharrell Anderson both on the substitutes bench alongside Jessi Obeng and Christian Tavernier.

St Neots were quickly into their stride with Harvey Williams sending a third minute effort just wide of the far post, and a minute later Rhys Thoprpe burst clear of the visiting defence also to fire wide. In a rare foray forward Bourne had Zacorie Allen wriggle through the home defence to force a full length stop by James Goff but most of the play was at the visitors’ end as St Neots dominated the attacking play. The lively Connor Furlong saw two shots blocked as he left his marker for dead, and after 21 minutes Williams shot across the face of goal and three minutes later Sam Willis joined the attack to fire over the bar. The lively Williams was proving a thorn in the side of the visiting defence, and he was off target again after leaving two defenders in his wake and when the visiting side did break through, they saw Allen shoot high over the bar. Six minutes before half time St Neots thought they had gone ahead when Michael Amaeshike had the ball in the net, but the Referee ruled that the visiting goalkeeper had been obstructed in the build-up. Williams shot over the bar three minutes before the break and the half ended with visiting keeper William Lakin making a brave flying save at the feet of two attacking players.

After Sam Bayly had sent a free header onto the roof of the net in Bourne’s first second half attack, St Neots resumed their siege on the visiting goal with Sam Willis again joining the attack to send a header narrowly over the bar before seeing a second effort blocked by a defender. A shot from Kieran Barnes was cleared off the goal line by Bradley Marshall and then at the other end the largely unemployed James Goff had to save at his near post from Jordan O’Brien.  After 68 minutes Michael Amaeshike got underneath a Williams cross to send the ball over the bar but a minute later, he atoned when from a Rhys Thorpe cross, he scored from close range to put his side ahead. Visiting substitutes were added but it made little difference to the pattern of play and after the visiting keeper had produced a spectacular one-handed save to deny Charlie Bowen, the score became 2-0 when the hardworking Rhys Thorpe got on the end of a Furlong cross to double the score after 78 minutes. St Neots introduced a couple of substitutes to slow the pace, and they were able to cruise through the last ten minutes to claim a deserved victory.

 

 

Today’s Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match, in association with The Greystones Public House, Sawtry – HARVEY WILLIAMS

 

 

 

 

St Neots Town:  Goff, Willis, Agemoh-Davies, Ankrah, Henderson, Bowen, Furlong, Amaeshike, Thorpe, Barnes, Williams

Subs:  Parker (for Barnes 81 mins), Obeng-Darko (for Harvey 87 mins), Anderson (for Furlong 90), and Tavernier.

Cards:   Agemoh-Davies (Y – 11 mins), Barnes (Y – 71 mins), Willis (Y – 90+2 mins)

Goals:  Amaeshike (69 mins), Thorpe (76 mins).

 

Bourne Town:  Lakin, Coughlin-Burrows, Allen, Milne, Marshall, Peters, O’Brien, Bayly, Darlington, Dunn. Allen

Subs:  Bird (for O’Brien 70 mins), Siddons (for Darlington 70 mins), Furey (for Bayly 76 mins), Lievens (for Coughlin-Burrows 82 mins), and Da Fons.

Cards:  Dunn (Y – 17 mins), Coughlin-Burrows (Y – 39 mins), Peters (Y – 76 mins)

Goals: none

Attendance: 373

Referee:  Stuart Latham (Northampton)

(John Walker)