St Neots sauntered into the next round of the FA Cup with a solid victory over Edgware & Kingsbury, writes John Walker.

There never looked like being an upset for the home side once they had opened the scoring after just four minutes, but manager Cameron Mawer would have liked to have seen some more positive finishing against a visiting side that had little to offer in attack.

Edgware keeper Alfie Langford was impressive in keeping St Neots at bay especially in the first half although on several occasions St Neots made it easy for him with some careless finishing.

The home club will be happy to bank the £1,444 prize money and move on to the next round in a fortnight. There were three team changes for the home side.

Recent signing Dan Walker was cup tied and both Murphy Culkin and Sam Willis were unavailable for selection, so Lil Francisco was handed his debut with Charlie Bowen and Harvey Williams both recalled to the side.

From the first whistle St Neots looked comfortably in control with Harvey Williams firing narrowly wide in the first attack.

After just four minutes, the lively Williams was upended as he darted into the penalty area and from the penalty spot Kieran Barnes opened the scoring.

A well struck free kick by Dammy Nickels five minutes later flew narrowly over the bar and then after 11 minutes the visitors’ managed their first attack, but Richard Acheampong’s shot was comfortably saved.

Barnes then shot over the bar as St Neots continued to dictate play and both Charlie Bowen and Connor Furlong had shots well saved by busy visiting keeper Alfie Langford.

From a St Neots corner, a well-placed Nathan George header was tipped over the bar at full stretch and then Barnes sent a free kick over the bar.

In a rare breakaway attack for the visiting side, Jordan Payne headed a Dan Taylor free kick over the home crossbar and on the stroke of half time St Neots doubled their advantage when Charlie Bowen rose to power a header into the roof of the net from a Barnes free kick.

In added time Carlos Bain might have pulled a goal back, but he shot wide when well placed.

At the start of the second half Williams set up Barnes but the visiting keeper dived to his right to parry the well struck shot, and a defender cleared.

Williams was again the provider with a whipped in cross, but Robbie Parker glanced his header over the bar and then Williams shot wide after neat play by Lil Francisco.

Jordan Brown and Danny Baulk then replaced the two wide players and Carlos Bain, the most impressive visiting player, saw his rising shot blocked by a defender.

Midway through the second half a third St Neots goal effectively put the outcome of the match beyond doubt. It was the second of the match and the fourth of the season for the busy Kieran Barnes who was perfectly placed to latch on to Jordan Brown’s pull back from the byline to give the keeper no chance.

Edgware responded by totally reshaping their side with four substitutions, but it had little effect on a match kept well under control by the home side. A brave save by Langford at the feet of Baulk kept the scoreline to reasonable proportions as St Neots moved to their third match in this season’s FA Cup competition.