Mens 3 Vs Wellingborough 1

An excellent performance by St Neots 3rds to come away with a point against a team challenging for promotion.

After last weeks thumping home win, Saints started the game well, enjoying plenty of the ball. Around the 10 minute mark, Wellingborough scored the games opening goal from a short corner that Saints failed to keep out, 1-0 to the hosts. Saints continued to press and forced a number of short corners themselves, kept out by a combination of the goalkeeper and defenders on the line. With 15 minutes to go to half term, Wellingborough scored again and again from a short, this time miss-hit. 2-0 to the hosts at half term, a lead that was barely deserved.

The half time team talk focused on keeping the ball and belief grew within the team that something could be gained from the match. The pace of the game slowed slightly in the 2nd half, with Wellingborough having a goal disallowed (rightly but after much debate by the home umpires) which would have made it 3-0 to the hosts. Saints then had a shot blocked on the line by a foot for a penalty flick. Steve Moore stepped up and dispatched emphatically into the top left hand corner of the goal. 10 minutes left and a lifeline. 5 minutes later, another Saints short corner led to the equaliser. Steve Moore injected to Chris Slatcher, who took a touch to the right and hammered a shot beyond the keeper. 5 to go and anybody’s game.

Wellingborough pressed for a winner but were denied by some excellent goalkeeping by Simon and some effective rearguard defending. In the closing stages, Chris Bryden (Green) and Chris Slatcher (Yellow) picked up cautions that were not merited, dished out by the over fussy umpires.

An excellent point for the 3s. Special mentions must go to Geoff Watts, Nigel Buckingham-Jones and Steve Hill, who stepped up from the 4s and also Will Zwetsloot, who played the entire match with a rib injury. Adam Horlock also doubled up, having played for the 2s earlier in the day. Saints can look forward to next weeks match vs March with renewed confidence.