COGENHOE UNITED   0    ST NEOTS TOWN         1

A well below form St Neots side ground out an unimpressive victory against a host side that had to play with ten men for well over an hour. However, the result extended their unbeaten run to eleven league and cup matches and kept then hot on the heels of the league leaders. When the two sides had met at St Neots earlier in the season both the performance and result had been similar and the in-form home side were unbeaten at home since 20th October. “Sometimes you have to win ugly” said Manager Cameron Mawer “But credit goes to the home side with a solid and determined defensive display”. He had opted for just the one team change with Nathan George returning to the defence after injury with Olly Brooks dropping to the bench. Defensively St Neots were sound but their tactics and finishing in difficult windy conditions left much to be desired.

St Neots dominated from the outset with Harvey Williams lively down the flanks and Murphy Culkin keeping the home defence at full stretch dealing with his teasing long throws.   Rhys Thorpe had an early chance for the visitors but shot wide and the home side never mounted a serious attack in response until 22nd minute when the under-employed James Goff saved smartly from Patryck Cichosz. In a quick counter attack from that save, the keeper sent James Hatch clear and he was upended by home defender Bradley Lunga earning him a red card dismissal and St Neots a penalty kick confidently despatched by Rhys Thorpe (pictured right). That should have settled the nerves and they responded with a smart shot from Jordan Brown saved at full length by John Meadows and a shot from Thorpe deflected for a corner. James Hatch headed wide after good work by Brown and just before the break the home keeper made another excellent save to deny Brown.

St Neots failed to settle after the break and a series of bookings for both sides saw the game lose any semblance of pattern. St Neots forward passing was poor allowing the home defence to easily mop up most of their attacking play and Williams, who seemed to have the better of his marker twice went down the left but finished off-target on both occasions. Cogenhoe, despite being a man short, kept the visiting defence stretched but in the second half neither keeper was seriously tested.In the last ten minutes a close-range finish by Hatch was cleared off the line and Williams shot wide before the home side attempted a grandstand finish that saw the visiting defence under pressure. However, they held out for all three points to extend their record-breaking run.

 

 

Today’s travelling Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match – Kindly sponsored by The Greystones Public House, Sawtry,  –  MURPHY CULKIN

 

 

 

 

 

St Neots Town:   Goff, Reynolds, Culkin, Parker, George, Bowen, Brown, Dummett, Thorpe, Hatch, Williams

Subs:  Muyembe (for Dummett 55 mins), Rowley (for Brown 76 mins), Amaeshike (for Thorpe 90+3 mins), Nickels and Brookes.

Cards:  Dummett (Y – 32 mins), Brown (Y – 54 mins), Bowen (Y – 58 mins), Minall (Y – 66 mins), Hatch (Y – 75 mins)

Cogenhoe United:   Meadows, Atat, Mobbs, Dimond, Lunga, Mallard, Wysocki, Cichosz, Connor, Weatherley, Knights

Subs:   Hart (for Weatherley 71 mins), Nkrumah (for Connor 77 mins), Baho (for Cichosz 85 mins), Bullement (for Mobbs 90+1 min), and Farmer

Cards:  Lunga (RED – 22 mins), Atat (Y – 56 mins), Cichosz (Y – 86 mins)

Attendance:   68

Referee:   Thomas Taylor (Leicester)

 

Rank Teams Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Points
1 Wellingborough Town 38 29 5 4 92 32 92
2 Racing Club Warwick 38 24 8 6 90 44 80
3 Aylestone Park 38 25 5 8 103 60 80
4 St Neots Town FC 38 22 9 7 74 35 75
5 March Town United 38 22 9 7 69 40 75
6 Newport Pagnell Town 37 19 5 13 70 53 59
7 Yaxley FC 37 16 8 13 76 60 56
8 GNG Oadby Town 38 16 7 15 74 89 55