ST NEOTS TOWN 2 SILEBY RANGERS 0
With Aylestone Park inactive and Rugby Borough dropping home points, St Neots extended their lead at the top of the table to eleven points with another comfortable home victory. Their two goals came in the final twenty minutes after they had dominated much of the play against a stubborn visiting defence. Sileby arrived at the Premier Plus Stadium with four victories in their last six league matches and proved they are a force to be reckoned with. St Neots refused to be cowed when they were unable to break down the visiting defence and persevered after having the ball in the net twice but having both efforts ruled out by an offside flag. They made two team changes from their last match with the influential Charlie Bowen returning at the heart of the defence for James Peters, and new signing Cole Butler making his first appearance for the absent Kieran Barnes who was on holiday.
On a dull drizzly afternoon there was little to excite in the opening half hour. St Neots enjoyed the lions share of possession but found the visiting defence firm and well organised, and a single lengthy effort by new boy Cole Butler that flew wide was their only early threat towards the visiting goalkeeper. For the visitors the pacey Lamin Jammeh tested James Goff, but after 34 minutes St Neots thought they had broken through when Murphy Culkin got the ball in the net, but an offside flag quelled the celebrations. Harvey Williams was the main home threat, but no one seemed able to get on the end of his searching crosses and a second St Neots effort was chalked off by the offside flag. The visitors threatened little seeming content to clear their lines with little attacking menace and just before the break Rhys Thorpe should have taken advantage of another Williams cross but unmarked, he headed well wide of his target.
The visitors began the second half more brightly but failed to get a significant shot on target. The ball was in the visiting net for a third time, but Bowen was clearly offside and then the same player headed over from a Williams cross. St Neots’ only anxious moment came after 57 minutes when a Sileby attack caught their defence napping and an angled shot from Dylan Surace beat Goff at his near post, but Culkin got back to clear off the line. Butler was then substituted in a straight swap with Danny Baulk who sixty seconds after his introduction was only inches short of connecting with a Connor Furlong cross in front of a gaping net. In a rare Sileby attacking foray Michael Cirelli shot over the bar for the visitors and at the other end from a Williams cross, Baulk’s header was too high. The long-awaited breakthrough came after 72 minutes when from a Willis free kick, a well placed near post header by Charlie Bowen (left) gave St Neots the lead. Now St Neots played with greater confidence and Baulk shot narrowly wide before from another Willis free kick after 84 minutes Michael Amaeshike (right) got behind the visiting defence to net a second goal from close range. It was a patient and well-deserved victory that leaves St Neots in a position where they can only themselves lose the advantage they have set up as they chase their automatic promotion ambition.
The visitors began the second half more brightly but failed to get a significant shot on target. The ball was in the visiting net for a third time, but Bowen was clearly offside and then the same player headed over from a Williams cross. St Neots’ only anxious moment came after 57 minutes when a Sileby attack caught their defence napping and an angled shot from Dylan Surace beat Goff at his near post, but Culkin got back to clear off the line. 
Butler was then substituted in a straight swap with Danny Baulk who sixty seconds after his introduction was only inches short of connecting with a Connor Furlong cross in front of a gaping net. In a rare Sileby attacking foray Michael Cirelli shot over the bar for the visitors and at the other end from a Williams cross, Baulk’s header was too high. The long-awaited breakthrough came after 72 minutes when from a Willis free kick, a well placed near post header by
Today’s Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match – In Association with Greystones Public House , Sawtry – Murphy Culkin
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