St Neots Town F.C.
Supporting the saints online

Another thoroughly deserved victory for St Neots to halt a Corinthians run of back to back victories but the score line fails to reflect the superiority if the home side performance. On another day they could have run up a double figure tally so much on top they were for much of the match. However Corinthians' were game opponents producing a creditable backs to the wall defensive performance and they left Rowley Park in the knowledge that they had become the first side to breach the St Neots defence in almost ten and a half hours league football. No doubt Steve Lomas will be annoyed that his side conceded a very soft goal but in the overall plan of things it did no damage other than to slightly dent defensive pride. On the plus side supersub Josh Sozzo scored his fourth goal of the season - and each of them have come when he has been introduced as a substitute - and the midfield ‘engine room' of the side again functioned well with Michael Hyem restored to continue his partnership with Man of the Match Rob Hughes.

St Neots could have been in front after just nineteen seconds when the visiting defence repelled two strikes on goal. First Michael Hyem burst through from midfield o hit a stinging shot which visiting keeper Paul Mackay did well to parry and from the rebound Liam Harrold saw his close range effort pushed for a corner. The early pressure on the Corinthians goal was relentless and Paul Garrett put a free shot just over the bar and then brought a useful save from Mackay. St Neots skipped Glen Fuff should have done better with a free header he put wide from a Rob Hughes corner and Hughes then went through himself only to see his low shot saved by the keepers' legs. Midway through the first half in two successive attacks - one from each flank - first Harrold was only inches from a Scully cross and then Garrett saw his cross pass across goal with both Harrold and Jon Mitchell sliding in seconds too late to get a final touch. The visitors' goal was really leading a charmed life with both Garrett and Hughes having shots blocked but St Neots maintained their patience and the breakthrough that had been imminent for so long came after 38 minutes when Rob Hughes took a neat return pass from Tony Scully to send a low shot beyond the reach of Mackay to claim only his second goal of the season. The visitors had created nothing worthwhile in the first half but Luke McShane was in action four minutes before the break pushing the ball over the bar in spectacular style after it had deflected off a defender to spiral towards the top corner of the net.

Half time seemed to have the effect of breaking up the St Neots rhythm and for the first ten minutes after the break play was disjointed with the only effort on goal coming from Andrew White for the visitors. Then Hyem was pulled down as he tried to go past a defender and a free kick awarded. With memories of his great strike at Daventry Town Paul Garrett took the kick and he kept the shot low and it beat the keeper at the far post although he did get a hand to the ball after 56 minutes. Steve Lomas then sent on Josh Sozzo for the struggling Liam Harrold and he took only three minutes to make his mark as he reacted sharply to score his side's third goal after 65 minutes when a shot by Hyem beat the keeper but rebounded from the angle of bar and post. Matt Kenneford also came on to replace Andy Lodge still suffering from his midweek bout of influenza and the resultant team reshuffle again seemed to slow St Neots' progress although twice Jon Mitchell was clear of the defence only to be thwarted by the goalkeeper. Against the run of play and with only their third meaningful shot on goal the visitors' claimed a consolation goal with an Andrew White lob of the advancing McShane and there was still time for substitute Matt Kenneford to catch the eye with one effort that rebounded from a crossbar and a second shot that brought the save of the match from the overworked visiting goalkeeper.

• Team: McShane, Hurst, Lodge, Hyem, Fuff, Gent, Scully, Hughes, Harrold, Mitchell, Garrett.
• Subs: Sozzo (for Harrold 62 mins), Kenneford (for Lodge 66 mins), Usher (for Scully 80 mins), Ashby & Conroy-Owen
• Man of Match: Rob Hughes

Match date: Sat 24th October 2009