Ladies 4th XI 3-0 Towcester 3rd XI

 

Goal Scorers: Becca Herring (2), Nadine Moll 

 

The Saints 4's kept up their form this week and played a storming game. The start of the game saw the play concentrated down the middle which led to crowding around the ball. However the Saints turned this around keeping the ball wide and playing the ball round and back using the space well. The first goal came from some smart play up the right hand side, driven by Jules Herring who passed the ball through Towcester's defence to Becca Herring who then scored from the top of the D with a strong hit. The second goal came from Nadine Moll who positioned herself perfectly on the post to knock the ball in from a rebound. Becca Herring sealed the score with her second goal of the game finishing 3-0. Well done Becca!

Towards the end of the game however, the Saints began to tire leaving players unmarked and Towcester took advantage with a few long balls down the pitch and were unlucky not to score. Nothing a little fitness training won't sort out though Saints! Dominating for most of the game the Saints should be proud of their performance with special mention to Christie Walsh, Ella Forsyth and Savanna Jones who all had a great game. Thank you to our supporters too!

 

MOTM: Becca Herring

 

Men’s 3rdXI 7-0 North Notts

Goals: Mitchell (2) Hunter (2pc) Hillier, Pibworth, Jasinaranchi

Jon Hunter v the World

Saints back at HQ, looked to get back to winning ways after 2 lacklustre results. In warm up Ally Rose demonstrated the perfect aerial by hooking the ball over his head in completely the wrong direction, while Evan Morris showed the latest fashion, sporting a ladies home shirt.

Saints worked hard in the first few minutes to gradually push North Notts back, and this pressure led to the opening two goals. First Hillier nailed home from a penalty corner, followed by a Hunter drag flicking home a second penalty corner. Saints meandered through the first half with several telling runs behind the defence. Sam Bigley ghosted along the back line before setting up Mitchell to sweep home. Bigley himself was unlucky to havea goal disallowed, before Pibworth made it four with his back to goal, after Morris had done the leg work.

The second half should have brought more of the same but saints went back into their mode of taking on the team through the middle without using the width. In the midst of the chaos Mitchell crashed home a well directed shot from the top of the D to make it 5. Jon Hunter scored his second short corner to make it six, and it was he that busied himself all over the pitch putting heart and soul into each challenge and 50/50 (or 10/90). Nigel Down’s enthusiasm was also there but his eagerness to take quick free hits quickly saw his efforts spiral the ball out of play. Saints rounded up their haul with Krish Jasinaranchi running in to squeeze the ball past the oncoming keeping, giving the ball just enough energy to crawl over the line. Notts did have a few chances in the second half, most notably from a short corner where somehow Hilliers’ face protecting stick deflected the shot over but saints took the plaudits.

MOTM: Jon Hunter – working harder than a steam train

DOTD: Ally Rose

 

Squad: Andy Dale (c), Simon Thompson (gk), Jason Hillier, Jon Hunter, Marcus Spencer-Brown, Sam Bigley, Nigel Down, Evan Morris, Ian Mcilwaine, Luke Pibworth, Krish Jasinaranchi, John Noble, Chris Rowlands, Ally Rose, Sam Mitchell

 

 

Men’s 4thXI 3-3 Belper 4thXI

Goals: Ant Cziacki 2, Ross McLean

 

PG Phipps and the Bobbly Pitch

Confronted with a dirty, legionnaires-ridden waterbased pitch, Saints took the game to the opposition on a cold damp Saturday afternoon. Nevertheless, the home team took advantage of their bobbly pitch to go one up early in the first half. Not to be outdone, the visitors equalised through an Ant Cziacki short corner which went in at the third attempt.

 

Saints’ second goal was more accomplished. As the visitors took control of the game they won a short corner which was soundly converted by Cziacki after a great pass from recently demoted Private Gary Paterson.

 

In the second half, Belper picked up their game, capitalizing Saints’ lack of width and a catastrophic mistake by Jim Phipps to equalize. Phipps later blamed the mistake on the lack of a pre-match cup of tea. Things then went from bad to worse as the home team then took the lead with a knee-high finish.

 

Luckily, despite not being passed to by Will Gamble,  Saints’ woodland creature, Ross McLean, was on hand to salvage a point for Saints who really deserved to come away as winners.  

 

MOM: Ant Cziacki (polish seed)

DOD: Joe Cliffe (no tea vicar)

Squad: Phil Preen (GK), James Ruse (c), Jim Phipps, Anthony Richardson, Ant Cziacki, Gary Paterson, Joe Cliffe, Max Dymmond, Will Gamble, Matt Caton, Ant Condon, Ross McLean

 

 

Men’s 5th XI 9-0 Lichfield

 

Goals: Rob Cary, Hugo Day (3), Dave Henry, Ed Arnold, Luke Howard (2), Jacob Pryce

 

Saints welcomed Lichfield to Moulton brandishing a new formation and a bench bursting with talent. Fired by captain David Henry's team talk and Rob Cary's statutory warm up, Saints pushed back expecting to dominate the match.

However, Lichfield pressed hard in the early exchanges and successfully penned Saints back in their own half for much of the opening 10 minutes, putting Saints defence under pressure and drawing saves from stand-in keeper Rob "t-bag" Tee. Eventually the Saints midfield engine kicked into gear with Dave Henry, Adam Shephard and Gareth Voss pushing Lichfield back and distributing the ball well, marking an improvement from a sloppy start. Pressure soon came to bear, and Rob Cary opened the scoring, before Hugo "hear me roar" Day added a second and then a briliant individual third. Saints continued to dominate the first half, despite Tom Dysko attemptintg to take out Rob Cary with his below-par (and below shoulder height) aerial skills. With Jeremy Wan and Harry Stobart controlling the flanks, Karl MacGregor and Steve Morris holding the centre of the pitch,Tom Dysko, Luke Howard and Ed Arnold were able to dictate much of the play and trouble the Lichfield defence. Northampton were so dominant in some phases that even captain Dave Henry added to the score, whilst striker Rob Cary was so relaxed, he found space and time for a few push ups on the right wing. Ed Arnold added a fifth to ensure Saints finished the first half well on top.

 

Lichfield started the second half with the same direct energy as the first, and again Saints were slow to find their touch. Lichfield were immediately rewarded with a short corner, but the defence cleared the lines and move quickly up field to re-open the scoring. Young gun Luke Howard added a fine sixth and then a seventh for Saints as they built attack after attack, possibly spurred on by Gareth Voss, who threw a hissy fit in the middle of the pitch at some of the sloppy play. So imagine the laughs when Voss misplaced a pass to the opposition, starting a move that led to Rob Tee being unfairly blown up for an outstanding sliding tackle on the edge of the D. Short Corner duly saved, Saints continued to exert pressure and Jacob Pryce added an eighth. Hugo Day completed his hat-trick with a frankly disappinting bobbling short corner that bamboozled the Lichfield defence. A great win, but it will be a step up for the away trip to league leaders Beeston next week.

 

MOTM: Hugo Day - "Hat-trick Hero Hugo" has a ring to it.

DOTD: Rob Cary - Default Choice in the absence of any worthy contenders.

 

Squad: Rob Tee, Steve Morris, Karl MacGregor, Harry Stobart, Adam Shephard, Jacob Pryce, Jeremy Wan, Hugo Day, David Henry (capt) Tom Dysko, Ed Arnold, Rob Cary, Rob Tee, Luke Howard.