Pitching In Northern Premier League Midland Division
CARLTON TOWN 2 ST NEOTS TOWN 1
St Neots Town returned from Nottingham empty handed against another side in the top third of the table. Carlton Town took full points but had to survive a second half battering by the visitors who were unable to break through a stubborn home defence in which the home keeper proved to be their match winner. It was a game of two halves with Saints keeper James Goff taking the man of the match award for his exploits in the first half but after the break it was Carlton keeper Felix Annan who took the plaudits with a stubborn display to secure full points for his side. St Neots Manager Cameron Mawer was able to name his preferred line-up with skipper Rob Parker restored to the starting line-up alongside Murphy Culkin back from his three-match suspension. That meant that Eniola Agemoh-Davies and Kieran Barnes were on the substitute bench. It proved top be a game of two halves with each side dominating whilst playing against the swirling wind.
After Harvey Williams had seen an early net-bound effort blocked by a defender, St Neots found their attacking ambitions thwarted by the strong wind that seemed to carry the ball away from their attack. Their best early chance saw a Murphy Culkin free kick well saved by Annan whilst at the other end Goff saved at full stretch from Niall Hylton. After surviving a spell of pressure by the home side, St Neots fell behind after 32 minutes when Ashley Chambers burst through on the left to beat Goff with a low shot to open the scoring. Niall Davie squandered a good opening for the home side in a breakaway attack as he was left unmarked to head over from close range and after Amaeshike had seen a close-range effort blocked on the line, the visitors deservedly levelled the scores when from a Connor Furlong cross, Michael Amaeshike netted an equaliser three minutes before the break. However, in a swift counterattack just before half time Carlton regained the lead when from a long throw by Lewis Durdin the lively Ashley Chambers netted from close range.
St Neots came out in a determined style after half time and took the attack to the home side. Kyle Sargent was booked for bringing down a visiting player and as St Neots maintained their pressure on the home defence Rhys Thorpe was felled in the area, but the referee was penalty appeals aside. Williams sent a shot just wide after good play by Rob Parker and Thorpe shot wide as St Neots looked for a second equaliser. Lamin Manneh headed off the home goal line in another St Neots attack and a second equaliser always looked on the cards. The home side tried to slow the game with defensive substitutes introduced and with a little over ten minutes remaining St Neots boosted their attack by giving James Stainsby his first run-out up front. Culkin had a shot well saved by the under-pressure home custodian and he then produced the save of the match to deny Thorpe an equaliser that St Neots’ second half performance had deserved. But it was not to be as St Neots fell to their second successive away defeat in a week.
Today’s Saints Supporters’ Man of the Match, in association with The Greystones Public House, Sawtry – JAMES GOFF