08-09-2012 15:00 
FA Cup First Qualifying Round
ST NEOTS TOWN 5 PETERBOROUGH NORTHERN STAR 0
St Neots made light work of beating their Step Five visitors recording their biggest FA Cup win for four seasons with the most comfortable of victories. Manager Iain Parr had to make one team change with loan player Jay Davies being cup tied by his parent club so Callum Stewart slotted into midfield for his third start of the season and looked very assured having a hand in two of the goals either side of half time. Peterborough Northern Star are a mid table UCL Premier Division side and were unbeaten in their two previous meetings with St Neots with both league matches in the 2010/11 season having ended in 1-1 draws. St Neots got stronger as the game wore on despite the introduction of three substitutes and by the end were coasting comfortably into the next round.
Dan Jacob got them on their way with his fourth goal in as many games after 11 minutes picking up an incisive through pass from Ben Mackey but a tackle by Jack Bloodworth then floored Jacob earning the Peterborough the first booking of the match. Meantime visiting keeper Daniel George was the busiest man on the pitch saving full length from Callum Stewart before pushing another Jacob effort around a post. The nearest the visitors get to a first half goal came from a misjudged clearance by Michael Duggan that presented a half chance to Liam Hook but with the goal at his mercy he shot wide. Jacob then limped off with a recurrent ankle injury to be replaced by Ed Adjei and the St Neots central defenders both went close to increasing the lead but Jordan Gent headed wide and Arthur Lee linked up with Stefan Moore to shoot into the side netting. Lewis Stone sent a free header from a corner over the bar and Nick Davey headed wide but little threat was coming from the visiting forwards. Then on the stroke of half time substitute Ed Adjei added the second after great work by Callum Stewart to give Star a mountain to climb and for the visitors this was a killing setback.
However worse was to follow for them for after just four minutes of the second half a fine move split the visiting defence as Ollie Thorne found Callum Stewart wide on the left and from the bye line his cross found Ben Mackey unmarked and he extended the lead. The visitors sent on two substitutes but made little impression on a St Neots defence superbly marshalled by Arthur Lee. On the hour Stefan Moore was held back by Wayne Morris and a penalty awarded with the visiting player lucky only to be given a yellow card. Ben Mackey confidently tucked away the spot kick to register his seventh goal of the current campaign in the same number of matches. Understandably the pace dropped in the afternoon heat although Lewis Hilliard twice shot wide for St Neots and Daniel George produced a fine save to deny substitute Jack Werndly his first goal for St Neots. As the visitors perceptibly tired they did produce the first significant shot on target from substitute Dan Clemence some nine minutes from time but the best for the home fans was left until last when after 84 minutes from an impossibly tight angle Stefan Moore conjured up a fine individual goal to complete the victory.
St Neots: Duggan, Duncliffe, Rogers, Thorne, Gent, Lee, Hilliard, Stewart, Moore, Mackey, Jacob.
Subs: Adjei (for Jacob 30 mins), Werndly (for Mackey 61 mins), Sharman (for Stewart 64 mins), Manangu, Felix & Banthorpe.
Cards: none
Peterborough NS: George, Cook, Bloodworth, Hook, Stone, Morris, Reed, Weston, Furnell, Davey, Smith.
Subs: Clemence (for Smith 52 mins), Escorio (for Furnell 57 mins), Walton (for Hook 68 mins) Murphy & Bucciero.
Cards: Bloodworth (Y – 14), Morris (Y – 60), Stone (Y – 68)
Referee: Sean Barry (Northampton)
Attendance: 349
John Walker
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