Pitching In Northern Premier League Midland Division
ST NEOTS TOWN 1 MICKLEOVER FC 2
A spectacular free kick goal in the seventh minute of added time saw St Neots fall to their fourth home defeat of the season after they had clawed back a first half deficit. It was the second Saturday in a row that they had conceded a first half goal, and the eventual outcome was another defeat which saw them slip down to fifteenth in the league table. Mickleover’s late winning goal was controversial for it came from a harshly awarded free kick that saw St Neots’ skipper and Manager both booked for their protests but the free kick that followed was a goal worthy of the result – bent over and around the defensive wall. St Neots had made one enforced team change with striker Rhys Thorpe unavailable and into his place for his first start came James Stainsby who was to go on to mark his debut with a goal.
The first half threatened to be a non-event with no real serious goalmouth action in the first half hour. Both defences looked comfortable and apart from one visiting attack when James Goff pushed away an Andy Dales curling effort after nine minutes and at the other end five minutes later when Andrian Ankrah shot straight at the visiting keeper, there was little significant action of note. Then Josiah Dyer beat the offside trap wide on the right and cut in to beat Goff with a low shot into the far corner of the net after 30 minutes to put the visitors ahead. Another Mickleover shot was deflected and landed on the roof of the St Neots net and just before the break the lively Harvey Williams cut in to beat two players only to be upended by Jake Bennett earning the visiting player a yellow card. St Neots had showed little penetration on the visiting defence despite sharing possession, because too many of their forward passes were hopeful rather than accurate and were easily mopped up by the visitors.
James Stainsby opens his account for the Saints – Courtesy of PicsByWarren
However, after the break St Neots were more purposeful. From a Murphy Culkin corner Kieran Barnes saw a shot cleared off the line by a visiting defender after 52 minutes, and sixty seconds later St Neots were level when a curling Williams shot was cleared off the line but only as far as James Stainsby who claimed his first St Neots goal to level the scores. Two minutes after the goal Connor Furlong cut in from the right to see his effort blocked by a defender and then up for a Culkin corner, defender Charlie Bowen headed narrowly over the bar. The visitors then introduced two substitutes to boost their flagging attack, and it had the effect of pushing St Neots back on the defensive. With the match moving into its final ten minutes the visiting side seemed to grasp back the initiative and Jake Bennett squandered a chance shooting wide when left unmarked on the right. Two late free kick conceded just outside the penalty area by St Neots were the feature of the late stages which included eight minutes added time. As the clock ticked down Dales sent the first free kick over the bar but the second by Archie White proved to be the matchwinner.
Today’s Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match – In Association With The Greystones Public House, Sawtry – Sammy Willis
St Neots Town: Goff, Willis, Culkin, Ankrah, Parker, Bowen, Furlong, Amaeshike, Stainsby, Barnes, Williams
Subs: Obeng (for Stainsby 75 mins), Agemoh-Davies (for Amaeshike 82 mins), Stirling, and Anderson.
Cards: Stainsby (Y – 44 mins), Williams (Y – 75 mins), Bowen (Y – 85 mins), Parker (Y – 90+4 mins), Mawer (Y – 90+4 mins)
Goals: Stainsby (53 mins)
Mickleover: Bosworth, White. Bonsor, Bennett, Offler, Wilkinson, Atlinson, Mohiuddin, Dyer, Dales, Dube
Subs: Beavon (for Bonsor 30 mins), Benson (for Dube 55 mins), Webb (for Dyer 68 mins), Holder (for Mohiuddin 78 mins), and Carter.
Cards: Bennett (Y – 40 mins)
Goals: Dyer (30 mins), White (90+6 mins)