Pitching In Northern Premier League Midland Division
ST NEOTS TOWN 3 LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS 2
St Neots lifted themselves off the foot of the table with what could be a vital league victory – their first since Boxing Day. The result left Loughborough Students just one place and goal difference ahead of them with Cameron Mawer’s men still having a match in hand. It was a nervy contest with neither side in real control but given the importance of the three points on offer that was to be expected. After taking the early initiative, St Neots found themselves back on terms approaching half time before a goal either side of the break should have made them comfortable. However, the visitors profited from a strong response that saw them score a second goal and St Neots had to hang on in the closing stages to pick up all three points. The Manager made two team changes with Eniola Agemoh-Davies injured and central defender Charlie Bowen not fully fit so into the side came Andrian Ankrah and striker Neo Richard-Noel with skipper Rob Parker moving back to central defence.
From St Neots point of view the match got off to a positive start with an early goal as a Sam Willis free kick picked out the head of MJ Muyembe who beat the diving keeper just inside a post after nine minutes Harvey Williams then left two defenders in his wake but saw his shot pass just the wrong side of the far post. Eight minutes later the visitors then hit back taking full advantage of a rare error by home keeper James Goff who failed to hold a close-range effort following a corner and the ball ran loose to Ben Royall who levelled the scores. For a spell the visiting side took the initiative, and the St Neots defence was under some pressure, but they recovered with Williams seeing another shot blocked before Nat Salsbygot back to clear off his goal line from Rhys Thorpe. Kwadwo Bugyei-Kyie shot wide after good work by Andrian Ankrah and when visiting striker Zac Scutt went clear of the home defence, Goff saved well. At the other end Neo Richard-Noel saw a shot cleared off the line with the visiting keeper beaten and in time added at the end of the first half Williams was upended and from the penalty spot Rob Parker restored St Neots’ lead.
Two minutes after the restart it got better for St Neots when from a Williams corner Harvey Henderson was left unmarked in the penalty area and he gave St Neots a two goals cushion. Gafar Abari had the best chance for the visitors to respond but he shot wildly over the bar and with substitutes on the play became ragged. A Bugyei-Kyie effort tested the visiting keeper and then midway through the second half the visitors gave themselves some hope when Alec Spiteri took advantage of some slack defending to score a second goal for the visitors. Now St Neots had to tighten up to defend their slender advantage and the only real threat to their lead came ten minutes from time when Connor Keane fired over the bar after a period of Loughborough pressure. St Neots lost the injured Lewis Burgess and Charlie Bowen made a brief substitute appearance but long enough to pick up another caution.
This afternoon’s Saints Supporters Man of the Match, in association with the Greystones Public House, Sawtry – KWADWO BUGYEI-KYEI
St Neots: Goff, Willis, Burgess, Ankrah, Parker, Henderson, Bugyei-Kyie, Muyembe, Thorpe, Richard-Noel, Williams
Subs: Stainsby (for Thorpe 68 mins), Bowen (for Burgess 79 mins), Okolie (for Richard-Noel 85 mins), and Gouldbourne,
Cards: Burgess (52 mins), Thorpe (67 mins), Bowen (90+2 mins)
Goals: Muyembe (Y – 9 mins), Parker – pen (45+2 mins), Henderson (47 mins)
Loughborough: Webster, Spiteri, Prickett-Reed, Earley, Royall, Salsby, Gilpin, Bouch, Scutt, Keane, Abari
Subs: Roddy (for Royall 67 mins), Ikegwuonu (for Abari 66 mins), Hussain (for Scutt 76 mins), Albert (for Prickett-Reed 82 mins), and Bessent
Cards: Bouch (Y – 48 mins), Abari (Y – 90+5 mins)
Goals: Royall (17 mins), Spiteri (67 mins)
Attendance: 267
Referee: Connor Mackay (Biggleswade)
(John Walker)