St Neots Town F.C.
Supporting the saints online

St Neots Reserves maintained their domination of the Huntingdonshire County Cups scene as they reached their second cup final of the season and their thirteenth in just the past eight seasons. They will now face either Somersham Town or Huntingdon Town Reserves in the Benevolent Cup Final at St Ives on 21st April. They started as firm favourites in this match with their Northamptonshire Combination opponents but made hard work of their task in the first half but after the break it was a different story with four different players on the score sheet as they outplayed their visitors. Leading the way was Lee Bassett who claimed his twentieth league and cup goal of the season as well as featuring in two more.

It proved to be a low key first half with CSV defending extremely well but creating few clear cut chances for themselves. St Neots seemed to find it difficult stringing together two passes in the same move and although they enjoyed the bulk of possession the visiting goalkeeper dealt fairly easily with the final shot. He punched away a rising free kick from Luke Swain and then saw both Shane Fox and Lee Bassett fire wide of his goal. He then saved a Bassett header and was grateful when one of his defenders blocked a free kick from Andy Wale on the goal line. Then when stalemate seemed to be the order of the day at the break the visitors shocked St Neots with a 41st minute goal as visiting skipper Joel Xavier rose unchallenged to head home from a corner by Shiner. However their lead lasted for just four minutes when on the stroke of half time Bassett was fouled and Luke Swain hit the free kick into the net with the keeper appearing to be unsighted.

St Neots returned after the break looking far more positive and determined and in their first attack Jack Warwick saw a shot rebound from the cross bar. The goalkeeper then saved bravely at the feet of Bassett but after 55 minutes St Neots took the lead and began to totally control the match. It was a simple enough goal as James Duckett split the defence and Lee Bassett made no mistake from close range and four minutes later the home side had a two goals cushion as an Andy Wale free kick was parried and Jack Warwick followed in for his first senior goal for the club. That could have signalled complete domination for St Neots but CSV refused to be overawed and Xavier almost reduced the arrears played clear by Jon Stanley but Tim Trebes was well positioned to retrieve his lob. A series of substitutions by both sides followed and another shot by Wale rebounded from the woodwork. However St Neots were destined to have the last word when just before the final whistle Bassett crossed from the right and Tom Coles headed in from close range to complete the scoring.

• Team: Trebes, R.Duckett, J.Duckett, Wale, Ashby, Oakley, Warwick, Coles, Bassett, Fox, Swain.
• Subs: Taylor (for Warwick 69 mins), Sincock (for J.Duckett 80 mins), Green (for Swain 83 mins), & Woodhead.
• Man of Match: Lee Bassett

Match date: Tue 9th March 2010