St Neots Town F.C.
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Against all predictions St Neots held on to their top spot in the league table with a thoroughly deserved victory over second placed Daventry Town. Daventry boasted a seven match clean sheet in the league this season with six wins and a draw and it took a very special goal from Paul Garrett to dent their proud record. The former Stotfold man was making only his fifth appearance in a St Neots shirt and he produced his first goal for the club - a divinely curled free kick that crept in at the far post to register Daventry's first goal conceded in league action after 678 minutes play this season. Substitute Josh Sozzo claimed the clinching goal just a minute from time and in an excellent all round performance the match was won principally in midfield where man of the match Michael Hyem and Rob Hughes outplayed and harried their counterparts to give St Neots the lions share of possession throughout the ninety minutes. Defensively both teams looked sound and well organised and the return to the side of player/manager Steve Lomas missing for five of the past six matches was a real bonus for the team. Daventry are a good side and it was only the quality and determination of the visitors that was eventually the deciding factor.

St Neots looked the more positive from the start with Rob Hughes shooting over the bar and Paul Garrett having a free kick deflected for a corner. Little was seen of Daventry in the final third of the field and it was not until 22nd minutes that they managed a direct shot. Then Ryan Howell's volley was well struck but Luke McShane got down well to gather the ball. Tony Scully took a neat wall pass from Liam Harrold to shoot across the face of goal and Jon Mitchell was just wide with another effort. Just before the break St Neots could have twice grabbed the lead. First Liam Harrold headed wide from a Scully corner and the Jon Mitchell used his pace to go clear on the right but the angle was too tight and his shot only found the side netting.

‘More of the same' must have been Steve Lomas' half time instructions and just three minutes after the restart Rob Hughes played Jon Mitchell clear and he was pulled down from behind right on the edge of the penalty area. Chris Godwin looked both lucky and relieved only to be issued with a yellow card but justice was done when Paul Garrett produced his perfect free kick to open the scoring. Predictably this inspired the home side to redouble their efforts and for a short spell they pounded the St Neots defence with both Russell Dunkley and Richard Wesley shooting wide of their target. Much of the play then became ragged with St Neots losing their overall control but with Glen Fuff in charge at the back there were few chances for the home side. With fifteen minutes left St Neots had to replace the injured Hughes with Luke Knight and Lomas limped off to be replaced by Nicky Hurst. Mitchell broke through but shot wide at then with five minutes left Daventry won a free kick in an identical position to that from which Garrett had scored but Tom Berwick sent his effort high over the bar. A minute later St Neots introduced Josh Sozzo for the tiring Liam Harrold and he made a real impact finishing off with a close range shot from a narrow angle after excellent work by Luke Knight. It was a late second goal but it adequately summed up the overall difference between the sides on the day and allowed St Neots to open up a four points gap at the top of the table.

• Team: McShane, Lomas, Lodge, Hyem, Fuff, Gent, Scully, Hughes, Harrold, Mitchell, Garrett
• Subs: Knight (for Hughes 74 mins), Hurst (for Lomas 80 mins), Sozzo (for Harrold 86 mins), Pink & Trebes
• Man of Match: Michael Hyem

Match date: Sat 10th October 2009