St Neots Town U18 vs March Town United U18

Thurlow Nunn Youth West Division

ST NEOTS TOWN U18      12 (twelve)       MARCH TOWN U18      1  

After their disappointing defeat at Royston the previous week Manager Steve Pickering had made it clear he was not satisfied with either the overall performance or the attitude of some of his players and he also spelt out that they needed to do themselves justice in this match against one of the strugglers in the Division.   What a response!   Unlucky March were blown away as the players were really stung into action with no fewer than five of then helping themselves to two goals apiece.   It is a measure of the commitment of Manager and players that the main talking point post-match was the disappointment that they had conceded a goal to a side that had only managed three or four credible shots throughout the ninety minutes.   And it could have been even more goals for visiting under fire keeper Jacob Birt produced several good saves as his defence melted in front of him.   With just two league games left St Neots look likely to finish a disappointing fifth in the table but at least they look determined to finish with a bang.

It took them only five minutes to claim their first goal as a Jordan Brown cross was flicked in via the far post by Chris Lewis.   It was all St Neots as Dan Mattin headed over the bar and Birt saved well from Dan Hobbs and Blake Rivers and it was after 17 minutes when the visitors’ first real attack saw Dan Huff save comfortably from Adam Conyard.   Brown had set up the first goal and he was the architect of the second with a neat cross for Hobbs to score after 26 minutes.   Ten minutes before the break it was 3-0 as a long clearance from Huff was moved on by Hobbs and substitute Luke Day finished well.   Five minutes later Jack McLaughlin had the ball in the net for the visitors but he was ruled offside.

The second half was as one way as the score line suggests.   Four goals in the first ten minutes after the restart totally crushed any potential March resistance and Day finished off a David Hartley cross, Rivers had a simple tap in finish to a Rukky cross and then Rukky joined the scorers list picking up another incisive Hartley cross to make it 6-0.Defender Kelton Stringer joined the spree converting a Rivers free kick and then Rukky ran riot having a hand in the next three goals claimed by Hobbs, Lewis and the tenth goal from Dan Mattin.    With St Neots confidently playing just three at the back they were caught out nine minutes from time when Toby Ayres made them pay with a well placed lob to claim the March consolation goal but that signalled the onset of more St Neots attacking play and two more goals in the final eight minutes.   Rukky was brought down to win a penalty kick which Mattin converted confidently and Rivers completed the rout sweeping in a Brown cross.  The final whistle brought sweet relief for March.

St Neots: Huff, White, Harper-Scott, Stringer, Mattin,Hartley (D), Brown, Taylor, Lewis, Hobbs, Rivers

Subs used:  Fawcus-Williams, Williams, Day and Diejomaoh

.

Cards:  none

Goals (St Neots):  Lewis 2 (5 & 72 mins), Day 2 (36 & 47 mins), Mattin 2 (78 & 82 mins), Hobbs 2 (26 & 66 mins), Rivers 2 (50 & 87 mins), Diejomaoh and Stringer.

John Walker