St Neots Town F.C.
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After seven postponed matches in the Ridgeons Youth League (West) St Neots U18 side were very glad to be back in league action for the first time since 25th November and in a close encounter with the much improved Somersham U18 side they squeezed out a much needed first league victory since 29th October. The visitors were looking for their first victory at Rowley Park and they performed very well and were unlucky not to leave with at least a draw but St Neots kept going and their determination was rewarded with two goals in the last ten minutes of the match.

The teams looked very evenly matched right from the start and both head early attempts on goal with Richard Willard heading over from a Josh Sadler cross for St Neots and Tom Skidmore doing the same at the other end from a cross by Lewis Maner. Both James Godfrey and Willard sent shots wide when they should have tested the visiting keeper and then Aidan McLean rattled the cross bar with a shot from 30 yards. The best first half chance fell to St Neots when Jack Warwick played Godfrey clear but Luke Robinson left his line swiftly to block the effort with his feet.

In the first minute after the break the visiting goalkeeper produced a fine save to deny Godfrey once again and then Somersham took the lead thanks to the award of a controversial penalty. St Neots keeper Jack Mitchell came out to punch away a cross by Chris Whitfield but was judged to have fouled Josh Parker and Matt Norton confidently despatched the penalty kick to put the visitors in front. St Neots responded with a series of attacks mainly down their left flank and both Warwick and Willard failed to convert a cross by Godfrey with the visiting defence in disarray. Somersham reshaped their side with two substitutes on and looked to settle down to defend their narrow lead and for a spell it looked as though they would be able to preserve their advantage but after 80 minutes they conceded a free kick and defender Adam Spoors rose to head home the cross by Warwick to claim his first goal of the season at a critical stage of the match. Seven minutes later as Somersham tired Richard Willard had a shot blocked by a defender and substitute George Finney pounced to score the goal that gave St Neots all three points.

• Team: Mitchell, Hiom, Crofts, McLean, Spavins, Spoors, Sadler, Warwick, Willard, Neves, Godfrey.
• Subs: Gooch (for Godfrey 74 mins), Finney (for Crofts 78 mins), Shipp (for Warwick 87 mins) – not used Harper & Dawson
• Man of Match: Jack Warwick

Match date: Thu 11th February 2010