STEWS VIEWS
EARLY DOORS Well we are now 3 games into our SPL season and I think you’ll all agree? It’s been a great start.
I’d think that you’d also agree that the squad is looking very good, with some very strong additions signing on the dotted line, just before our first game away to Hereford FC. I’m certain I am not alone in wishing Matt Spring and Nathan Frater plenty of success and good times, in the coming games. For those that didn’t make any of the opening 3 games here is a brief overview from each of the games starting on the 9th August 2014 away to Hereford FC, a proud football club, currently in complete turmoil after a relegation of 2 leagues from the Conference Premier Division, due to financial irregularities and debt! The day started well and the journey on the team bus took around 4 hours from St Neots to Edgar Street in Hereford. If the assembled squad looks like it can play football a bit, many of them certainly can’t sing, initiations a plenty, only young Powell’s performance worthy of any credibility. Chamooooone!
Upon arrival we were met by around 300 Hereford fans protesting outside the ground, about their clubs recent troubles. We were quickly ushered into the club members bar where a good selection of beers were available at reasonable prices. Having eventually settled for that good old Herefordshire favourite “Coors Light” I had a mooch about and was overall, impressed by the facilities on offer. The game itself proved to be a tough test for both sides, the young inexperienced side fielded by Hereford, proving to be no mugs against there more experienced St Neots team. In an evenly contested 1st half, chances came for both sides but the finishing was decidedly still pre season, so the score remained 0-0. TURNING POINT Turning point of the match came when Nolan, on for the injured Dillon, slotted home the first goal of the
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game and from that point on St Neots always looked favourites for the 3 points. Although both teams had further chances, it was St Neots that scored a 2nd goal, another sub proving to be a match winner. Nathan Frater’s first touch of the game taking him past the Hereford defender who pulled him down in the penalty box. Davies saw his spot kick saved, but Frater following up, calmly slotted the ball home to score on his league debut and St Neots went home happy with all three points. Match number two was also away from home, against Chesham FC. I didn’t attend this match but was reliably informed that it was certainly a game of two halves and that the point gained from a creditable 3-3 draw, to St Neots felt like a win, for Chesham, this must of felt like a defeat, after leading 3-0 at half time. If anything this shows the clubs improvement, having been soundly beaten both home and away last season by Chesham, definitely a very good point against an experienced Southern League side. WEYMOUTH Match number three was our first home game of the season and welcomed Weymouth FC to Rowley Park. With 15 goals in the last 4 meetings between the two teams, goals were always on the cards.