St Neots Town F.C.
Supporting the saints online

With Daventry Town on FA Vase duty a solid if unspectacular performance by St Neots lifted them to the top of the UCL Premier Division. The only goal came from the penalty spot after the lively Josh Sozzo had been brought down by the visiting goalkeeper who was then issued with the mandatory red card. S.L Corby were a determined and hard working unit and although St Neots created almost all the goal chances it was of credit to the visitors than with only ten men on the field they were still searching for a late equaliser deep into injury time. St Neots made just two changes from the side that had underperformed in their midweek defeat by Wootton Blue Cross but the transformation in effort and commitment was very noticeable and had their finishing been more positive the result would have been far more convincing. There were some good individual performances notably by Josh Sozzo, Michael Hyem and Paul Garrett but in front of goal they still to show more accuracy and killer instinct. This result sets up next week's away showdown with Daventry Town who have yet to concede a league goal this season.

The only winner in the early stages of the game was the strong blustery wind blowing diagonally across the pitch and both sides showed little understanding of how to combat this problem. The ball was far too often high in the air making its likely passage difficult to determine and apart from two early attempts on goal by Liam Harrold whose header was misdirected and Danny Marlow whose fierce shot was blocked there was little to report. After 21 minutes St Neots thought they had gone ahead when from a Marlow cross a deliberate downward header at the far post by Josh Sozzo bounced up to strike the crossbar and down again before being hacked clear. St Neots claimed the goal but play was waved on. With Tony Scully and Michael Hyem providing an accurate stream of crossed from the right it seemed only a matter of time before the breakthrough but visiting keeper Richard Lavin looked assured in the air and kept St Neots frustrated. At the other end Mark Forbes brought a good save from McShane and visiting striker Michael Byrne whose pace had been a problem sent a shot into the side netting before squandering his side's best first half chance volleying over the bar from a narrow angle having eluded his marker.

Early in the second half Paul Garrett volleyed wide after an excellent diagonal pass by Rob Hughes and then Hughes himself shot narrowly wide. Marlow limped off injured to be replaced by Luke Knight and the breakthrough came after 67 minutes when Sozzo was played clear by a delightful flick through the defence by Harrold. He looked certain to score but was deliberately pulled down by Lavin who was sent off with skipper Chris Logan replacing him between the posts. He guessed the right way to Liam Harrold's penalty but he was beaten for pace as St Neots took the lead. At that point St Neots should have bombarded the stand-in keeper but they seemed to lose their momentum although Logan distinguished himself with an excellent save from a close range shot by Harrold. The visitors refused to give in and looked less than tight at the back as they sought an equaliser but St Neots seemed happy to sit on their lead rather than go all out for further goals. Jordan Gent did get the ball in the net from a set piece cross by Scully in injury time but that effort was ruled out by an offside flag and St Neots had to settle for their narrow victory.

• Team: McShane, Hyem, Lodge, Marlow, Fuff, Gent, Scully, Hughes, Harrold, Sozzo, Garrett
• Subs: Knight (for Marlow 65 mins), Kenneford, Hurst, Pink & Kuhne
• Man of Match: Josh Sozzo

Match date: Sat 3rd October 2009