NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE – MIDLANDS DIVISION
Bedworth United 2 St Neots Town 1
Two goals in the last six minutes (five of those added time) by the home side, condemned St Neots to a cruel league defeat – a match they had led for 86 minutes! Ironically it was one of their best away performances of the season and the defeat came about following the 82nd minute sending off of Mamadou Jobe when he picked up a second yellow card. The dismissal was bad enough but then to concede those two very late goals was a real blow that St Neots did not deserve. Manager Pete Gill applauded the overall performance of his players and had no problem with the sending off which was described as a hot-headed moment by a young player. However, the other major talking point after the match was the performance of Worcester Referee Michael Wright who in addition to the sending-off booked seven other players and the Bedworth Manager in a match that never contained one bad tackle. ‘I know it is nearly Christmas’ remarked a home official ‘but to give out all his cards in one match can only be described as excessive!’ There were four team changes from the midweek defeat with skipper Callum Anderson and Cambridge loanees Mamadou Jobe and Joe Tarpey returning to the side, and there was a welcome return for Panny Boxer who last featured in the side in March 2020 prior to the COVID lockdown.
On the 3G surface St Neots began full of confidence and after just three minutes they were in front when from a Callum Anderson free kick JOE RIDER struck a low shot inside the far post across the home keeper. Six minutes later he almost doubled the lead, but this time home keeper Sam Lomax saved well. After 13 minutes Trey Charles netted with a header from an Aaron Smith cross but he was fractionally offside, and his effort ruled out. As the bookings for both sides mounted for trivial offences it seemed difficult to infuse any real pattern to the play but just before the break the home side came into the game and Dilano Reid cut in to see a net-bound shot blocked by Panny Boxer and then left unmarked at the far post Desean Martin shot high over the bar. So the visitors went to the break deserving of their narrow lead which on the balance of play should have been greater.
On the 3G surface St Neots began full of confidence and after just three minutes they were in front when from a Callum Anderson free kick JOE RIDER struck a low shot inside the far post across the home keeper. Six minutes later he almost doubled the lead, but this time home keeper Sam Lomax saved well. After 13 minutes Trey Charles netted with a header from an Aaron Smith cross but he was fractionally offside, and his effort ruled out. As the bookings for both sides mounted for trivial offences it seemed difficult to infuse any real pattern to the play but just before the break the home side came into the game and Dilano Reid cut in to see a net-bound shot blocked by Panny Boxer and then left unmarked at the far post Desean Martin shot high over the bar. So the visitors went to the break deserving of their narrow lead which on the balance of play should have been greater.Joe Rider did not appear after the break to be replaced by Brandon Njoku, back after a three months’ injury recovery and after just six minutes on the pitch he could have delivered a lethal blow as he was set up by Manny Osei, but his side-footed effort was just the wrong side of a post with the home keeper beaten. The home side were now looking more positive, and the lively Sanderson broke free, but Jamie Greygoose parried his drive and collected the loose ball. Njoku saw another effort deflected for a corner and then at the other end Reid went clear following a free kick but shot over the bar. More bookings and substitutions followed, and Declan Nche shot wide after good work by Joe Tarpey, but the Jobe dismissal altered the pattern and outcome of the game. Bedworth threw caution to the wind dominating the remainder of the game and with a minute of normal time remaining Ryan Moore converted a Brett Lloyd cross to level the scores. Then with five minutes of added time completed and with a St Neots player lying on the pitch with a head injury, play continued and from a poorly defender corner, Elliott Parratt netted an unlikely winner for the home side.
Today’s Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match – Panny Boxer
St Neots Town: Greygoose, Boxer, Tarpey, Anderson, Jobe, Smith, Abbott, Nche, Charles, Rider, Osei.
Subs: Njoku (for Rider 46 mins), Hasanally (for Abbott 66 mins), Goumou (for Anderson 86 mins) and Jikiemi.
Cards: Jobe (RED – 2xY – 37 & 82 mins), Nche (Y – 15mins), Anderson (Y – 23 mins), Abbott (Y – 57 mins), Tarpey (Y – 74 mins)
Goals: Rider (3 mins)
Bedworth United: Lomax, Moore, Lloyd, Parrott, Barnes, Blyth, Reid, Martin, Sanderson, Dunkley, Lockett
Subs: Murphy (for Lockett 68 mins), Edjenguele (for Reid 75 mins), Pratt, Laws. and Rowe.
Cards: Moore (Y – 11 mins), Martin (Y – 15 mins), Storer (Bedworth Manager) (Y – 63 mins), Dunkley (Y – 45+3 mins)
Goals: Moore (89 mins), Parrott (90+5 mins)
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