St Neots Town U-18s v Cambridge City U-18s (Thurlow Nunn Youth League) Report by John Walker.

The St Neots U18 side fell to the biggest home league defeat suffered at that level for nine seasons. The final score was 6-1 to the visitors.

The last defeat worse than that was on September 17, 2015 when the side was beaten 9-0 at home by Biggleswade Town when all the present side were still at primary school.

Cambridge City U18 have always done relatively well at the Premier Plus Stadium with two wins and three draws in their last six league visits but this was a very one-sided contest thanks to the home sides’ inability to test the visiting keeper.

It was significant that five of the seven goals came in the first half because trailing 4-1 at the break it would have required a herculean turnaround for St Neots to get any reward from their first home league match of the season.

The scoring began after just three minutes in the visitors’ first attack when a defensive error presented the ball to Dennis Teixeira and he gratefully opened the visitors; account.

Five minutes later St Neots found themselves a foothold in the game when speedy flank man Rhys Thomas beat the visiting keeper to the ball to chip in an equalising goal.

Parity was only maintained until the half hour when Dennis Teixeira added his second goal and seven minutes later the lively Charlie Coxall set up Dennis Teixeira to complete a first half hat trick. On the stroke of half time Charlie Coxall got his reward with a lengthy effort to give the visitors that unassailable half time lead.

The second half followed a similar pattern in terms of possession with St Neots threatening until they reached the visitors penalty area.

Cambridge looked comfortable with their lead and played some impressive possession football without seriously looking to add to their lead. However as full-time approached with St Neots’ efforts flagging, the visitors added two further goals to complete their handsome victory.

The impressive Charlie Coxall got his reward with the fifth goal after 85 minutes and substitute Fahad Kahwaji claimed the final goal as the match moved into added time.

St Neots: Patton, Olive, Eze, Sutherland, Quenet, Muir, Sansom. Baker, Aig-Imoru, Jessop, Thomas

Subs: Oakley, Anderson, Truche-Gordon, Bell, Barnett.

Cards: Quenet (Y – 13 mins), Sutherland (Y – 52 mins), Thomas (Y – 66 mins)

Referee: Matthew Wood