St Neots Town F.C.
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The senior side may have had their scheduled league match postponed but the Reserves continued their fine run of form to steamroller the challenge of fourth in the table Bourne Reserves and strengthen their challenge for league honours. It was an outstanding performance spearheaded by the twin strikers Shane Fox and Lee Bassett who scored all but one of the goals between them on the day taking their joint total in their last five games to 18 and a season’s total in league and cup between them to 29 goals. However it was also an excellent all round team performance with the defence so tight that goalkeeper Tim Trebes hardly had a direct shot to save. There was also a very welcome second half return to action for midfielder Luke Knight making his comeback after a lay off of three months with a broken metatarsal.

The assembled fans had to wait just nine minutes for the first goal which was a fine move with a free kick by Andy Wale finding the head of skipper Kevin Ashby who headed down for Shane Fox to open his account from a narrow angle. Thirteen minutes later a quick break from defence saw Rob Duckett feed Fox on the left and his well judged lob played Lee Bassett free and he rounded the exposed keeper to double the lead. St Neots supremacy stemmed from midfield where their trio of Luke Swain, Rob Duckett and Tom Coles mopped up anything loose and fed the strikers almost at will. The third goal after 26 minutes was arguably the pick of all eight as Luke Swain beat two defenders on the left and crossed to the near post where Lee Bassett wriggled between two defenders to give the keeper no chance with a low volley. There could and should have been further first half goals with Tom Coles and both strikers squandering openings but to their credit they retained their composure and continued to terrorise the visiting defence.

The introduction of Luke Knight added a further attacking option and he went close bringing a good save from the under siege Bourne goalkeeper. However ten minutes after the restart Bassett split the Bourne defence with a cross that gave Shane Fox his second goal with a simple tap in and five minutes later Fox showed great control to pick up a Swain lob forward to complete his third hat trick of the season. There was then a comedy of errors when Tom Coles went clear to have his first shot blocked by keeper Dan Jarman and see his second effort pushed onto a post by the keeper but from Luke Swain’s corner he hammered home his third effort on goal in less than a minute to make the score 6-0. After 71 minutes Fox pulled back a cross to set up strike partner Lee Bassett with his hat trick goal and it was perhaps appropriate that Fox should have the last word when he completed the scoring as he picked up an inch perfect cross from Rob Duckett. If Club Manager Steve Lomas wants to boost his Premier Division attack he does not appear to have far to look.

• Team: Trebes, Sadler, J.Duckett, Wale, Ashby, Woodend, R.Duckett, Coles, Bassett, Fox, Swain
• Subs: Knight (for Sadler 46 mins), Warwick (for Coles 70 mins), Croft (for J.Duckett) 78 mins), Oakley & Cook
• Man of Match: Shane Fox and Lee Bassett

Match date: Sat 30th January 2010