Hatch Header Earns Saints Another Point On The Road At Bugbrooke

BUGBROOKE ST MICHAELS         1             ST NEOTS TOWN         1          

End of season nerves may have contributed to this result with Manager Cameron Mawer admitting “we must do better”. St Neots never looked comfortable against a hard-working host side and despite having the better chances they were unable to make them count. With two regulars, Nathan George and Rhys Thorpe unavailable for the trip, the Manager reshaped his side bringing in Charlie Bowen and Ollie Brookes at the heart of his defence, giving a debut to recent signing Nabil Shariff and reintroducing Magloire Muyembe and fit again Connor Furlong. That left Dammy Nickels, Israel Ajana and Michael Amaeshike on the bench. The side took some time to settle and never seriously tested the home keeper despite looking good against the wind in the first half. It was two points lost in the chase for an end of season play off slot and with Newport Pagnell winning at Rugby Borough, St Neots still need four points from their remaining five matches.

The visitors got an early shock when after just three minutes a superbly struck free kick from 35 yards by Cosmin Capatina with wind assistance beat James Goff at his near post to give Bugbrooke an early lead. St Neots replied with a shot from Connor Furlong pushed onto the crossbar by the home keeper. Magloire Muyembe then volleyed over the bar after neat work by Nabil Shariff whilst at the other end Bugbrooke could have increased their lead with the visiting defence split but set up by Capatina, Jake Webster fired high over the bar. Home keeper Luke Reeve saved well from Jordan Brown and Murphy Culkin, and on the stroke of half time Alvin Green forced Goff into an acrobatic save turning the ball over the bar for a corner. In added first half time the lively Brown got around his marker, but Reeve again saved well.

With the wind after the break St Neots fell into the trap over over-hitting their forward passes and began to look frustrated. However, after 62 minutes a flighted free kick by Culkin found the head of James Hatch (left) and he levelled the scores. A second header by the scorer five minutes later was well saved, and substitute Ayo Akinbobola headed over after a neat build up by the visitors. More substitutions followed but the home side proved themselves adept at wasting time to frustrate St Neots better efforts to find a winning goal. Up with his attack, defender Charlie Bowen headed narrowly over the bar and the lively Jordan Brown forced an important save from the busy home goalkeeper.

It was frustrating for the visitors, but one consolation was a rare defeat on the day for Aylestone Park just four points ahead of them and St Neots have a match in hand. The two sides meet at St Neots on Easter Saturday.

 

 

 

Rank	Teams	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	Goal difference	Points
1	Wellingborough Town	38	29	5	4	92	32	60	92
2	Racing Club Warwick	38	24	8	6	90	44	46	80
3	Aylestone Park	38	25	5	8	103	60	43	80
4	St Neots Town FC	38	22	9	7	74	35	39	75
5	March Town United	38	22	9	7	69	40	29	75
6	Newport Pagnell Town	37	19	5	13	70	53	17	59
7	Yaxley FC	37	16	8	13	76	60	16	56
8	GNG Oadby Town	38	16	7	15	74	89	-15	55

 

 

 

Today’s Saints Supporters Man of the Match, kindly sponsored by The Greystones Public House, Sawtry – JORDAN BROWN

 

 

 

 

 

St Neots Town:   Goff, Parker, Culkin, Tavernier, Brookes, Bowen, Brown, Muyembe, Shariff, Hatch, Furlong

Subs: Dummett (for Muyembe 63 mins), Akinbobola (for Shariff 77 mins),  Ajana (for Furlong 84 mins), Nickels and Amaeshike.

Cards:  Bowen (Y – 35 mins)

Bugbrooke St Michael:  Reeve, Nash, Simmons, Green, Briggs, Walton, Binder, Webster (A), Capatina, Porter, Webster (J).

Subs:   Shehi (for Porter 46 mins), Price (for Binder 80 mins), King (for Webster 84 mins), and Gibbon.

Cards:  Porter (s/b 36 mins), Simmons (Y – 54 mins), Price (Y – 90+ 1)

Attendance: 100

Referee:  Josh Williams (Milton Keynes)

 (John Walker)