Pitching In Northern Premier League Midland Division
BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS 0 ST NEOTS TOWN 0
St Neots featured in their third away goalless draw of the campaign against an in-form host side that had won their previous six league matches to lift them well clear of the relegation zone. Boldmere had won the first meeting of the two sides earlier in the season at the Premier Plus Stadium, but this theoretical good result was marginalised when the news came through that Bourne and Loughborough Students had both won, leaving St Neots one place lower in the league table. St Neots arguably created the better chances to win the match despite the home side dominating much of the possession, but their finishing was poor. Now with just six matches remaining St Neots must find a winning run if they are to avoid relegation back to Step Five. There was just one team change with fit again Eniola Agemoh-Davies returning to the side in the place of James Stainsby who was on the bench.
In bright sunshine neither side made little early progress with the respective defences dominating. St Neots were happy to trade possession and sit back to defend which they did very effectively with central defenders Rob Parker and Harvey Henderson well in control of the rather pallid home attack. An early shot by Kyle Byrne sailed over the bar and then visiting keeper James Goff saved comfortably from James Tague. St Neots responded with a swift attack that ended with Rhys Thorpe’s shot being blocked and then Eni Agemoh-Davies broke through but fired high and wide. From a corner Byrne saw a header comfortably saved by Goff and then the keeper pushed an effort by Tague for a corner. The lively Agemoh-Davies wound his way through the home defence but shot over the bar and then Neo Richard-Noel saw his effort blocked on the line after neat play by MJ Muyembe. So, the sides retired at half time with the contest still level.
The second half pattern followed that of the first with Boldmere enjoying greater possession but happy to play the ball around without much significant penetration through the visiting defence. Harry Crook found the head of the unmarked Tague but unbalanced he headed wide and then home substitute Jai Laydon making an early appearance for Boldmere went clear of the defence but fired wide of the far post. The visitors had to substitute the injured Bugyei-Kyei with Charlie Bowen, but the reshuffle of the visiting defence was seamless as they continued to repel the home attack. Harvey Williams sent a dangerously placed free kick into the defensive wall and St Neots tried to boost their attack replacing striker Richard-Noel with Samuel Okolie. The home sides then sent on attacking substitutes in a late attempt to secure a winning goal and one of those, Lewi Burnside brought the save of the match from Goff who twisted in the air to turn the ball over the crossbar. A late booking for Rhys Thorpe will see him miss two matches in the vital run-in but a point at Boldmere was a just reward for St Neots’ efforts.
Today’s Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match, In Association With The Greystones Public House, Sawtry – HARVEY HENDERSON & ROBBIE PARKER
St Neots Town: Goff, Muyembe, Bugyei-Kyie, Ankrah, Henderson, Parker, Willis, Stainsby, Thorpe, Richard-Noel, Williams
Subs: Bowen (for Bugyei-Kyie 71 mins), Okolie (for Richard-Noel 79 min), Stainsby (for Agemoh-Davies 90+1 min), and Mawer.
Cards: Thorpe (Y – 88 mins)
Goals: none
Boldmere St Michael’s: Brown, Bilton, Lima, O‘Callaghan, Christophorou, Byrne, Burgess, Manners, Tague, Armstrong, Crook
Subs: Leydon (for Manners 61 mins), Omotola (for Crook 61 mins), Croot (for Christophorou 85 mins), Burnside (for Byrne 86 mins), and Ealing.
Cards: Christophorou (Y – 75 mins)
Goals: none
Attendance: 145
Referee: George Salloway (Derby)
(John Walker)