Real Positives from Difficult Encounter

Let’s not beat around the bush that was a difficult game against a very good opposition. But the result isn’t a fair reflection of how we, St. Neot, played as a team.

Looe took the lead early with a long range speculative effort that went low and to the right of Adam Blaxley in the St. Neot goal. This prompted wave after wave of Looe attacking play. Henry German, the St. Neot right back was on fine form, and along with the rest of the Saints back line, controlled their areas of the pitch well not letting themselves get bossed by the pace of the Looe forwards.

The Looe attacking play came and went, interspersed with some great St Neot play from Kemp and German down the right side. In the 24th minute, St. Neot Captain, Ray Clarke was sin binned for a seemingly innocuous challenge outside the Saints area. The resulting free kick was blazed over the bar but ultimately for both sides, the attacking play in the first half at least, came to nothing.

The second half started as the first had, an early Looe goal. The relentless pace and pressure from the youthful opposition, put St Neot under the cosh. Liam Jones in the St. Neot midfield tried to take the game by the scruff of the neck, but everywhere he turned a yellow shirt greeted him.

In the search for a goal, St. Neot pushed well up the field. Looe played long balls over the top to the pacey wingers, and were the downfall of St. Neot on this occasion. Blaxley made a couple of superb saves in the St. Neot goal, but he unfortunately conceded a further two, to put the game beyond doubt.

There were a lot of positives to take from the game for the Saints.

There will come a time when using the excuse “we’re only ‘X’ weeks old” will not fly, but in this circumstance, with 7 weeks under our belt as a club, the fitness, fluid teamwork, better communication will come. Last night showed glimmers of the bright future in store for the Saints and no one should lose heart in this loss. Last night’s opposition did manage to put 6 past their previous opponent, so they can only be described are a free scoring side. To hold them to1-0 in the first half and to keep it at 2-0 for a good proportion of the 2nd half showed great character and resilience.

We now have a bit longer break and face Lanivet Inn FC on the 8th of November. This should be an interesting encounter and we invite you all to come and watch.

St. Neot Starting line-up:

1 Adam Blaxley, 2 Ray Clarke, 3 Neil Davy, 4 Henry German, 5 Richard Banyard, 6 Jamie Eldridge, 7 Nathan Berry, 8 Liam Jones, 9 Scott Kemp, 10 Oliver Lees, 11 Matt Nottle