St Neots Town F.C.
Supporting the saints online

St Neots opened up a four points lead at the top of the Ridgeons Youth League (West) as they significantly improved on their opening day draw with Chatteris at Rowley Park. Striker George Finney scored twice for the second successive time this season and his second half goals were the key to this victory. Chatteris are a much better side than they were last season and they might have salvaged something from the match had the St Neots defensive pairing of Adam Spoors and Luke Dawson not been so uncompromising at the back for the visitors. If St Neots continue to score as freely as they did in this match they are capable of mounting a challenge for honours this season.

Chatteris had the better of play at the start and for twenty minutes looked the better side with skipper Ben Matthews particularly prominent. He forced Niall Conroy-Owen into a good save after seven minutes and then made himself space with clever footwork before shooting disappointingly wide. However St Neots settled with Aidan Mclean forcing home keeper Luke Fage into an important save but Chatteris should have gone ahead after 21 minutes when James McDermott put a free header tamely wide from a searching free kick by Jack Saunders. St Neots' efforts were rewarded after 26 minutes with their first goal. A Josh Sadler free kick was won in the air by Adam Spoors but he could not direct his header but Josh Spavins was on hand to score from close range. Rob Gooch then almost doubled the lead but Fage pushed his fierce effort over the bar. Nine minutes before the break the lead was doubled as a corner by Josh Sadler was only touched away as gfar as James Godfrey and he netted with a rising volley. However Chatteris recovered to pull back a goal three minutes later when a corner by Sam Matthews was not defended and Jack Saunders headed past Conroy-Owen.

Early in the second half Josh Sadler was close with further efforts for St Neots that both were just wide after searching runs down the right but he was not to be denied for he came up with his third assist of the match as he won the ball in midfield to feed George Finney who sidestepped a defender to make the score 3-1 after 69 minutes. Finney then claimed his second and St Neots fourth goal as he took full advantage to head home when Fage mishandled a free kick from Jack Warwick. Chatteris however were not finished and they pushed forward to be rewarded when Ben Matthews beat the advancing keeper to a through pass to poke the ball into the net. McDermott also hit the foot of a post with a snap shot but Chatteris were unable to make further inroads as St Neots held on comfortably for all three points.

• Team: Conroy-Owen, Neves, Spavins, Warwick, Dawson, Spoors, Sadler, McLean, Finney, Godfrey, Gooch.
• Subs: Melanie (for Godfrey 65 mins), Willard (for Gooch 81 mins), Barron (for Sadler 88 mins), – not used – Tom Mitchell & Jack Mitchell
• Man of Match: Josh Sadler

Match date: Mon 21st September 2009