DESPITE finding themselves 2-0 up after 53 minutes through goals from Ollie Knight and Joe Raynes, a depleted Frome side will probably look back on this match as a point won, as St. Neots came back very strongly and, after drawing level with twenty minutes to go, they could have easily gone on to take all three points.
With both Mitchell Page and Marcus Mapstone absent, Sam Teale not recovered from his ankle injury and Connor Robert’s return delayed by red tape, Frome were struggling to put out a side, but George Miller played alongside Chas Hemmings in the centre of defence and (eventual man of the match) Ben Griffiths started his first match of the season playing in midfield.
Frome were slow to start this match and almost caught out after 16 seconds as Tom Meecham cut in from the right for the visitors and only the legs of Kyle Phillips denied St Neots an opening goal. With Meecham again only just denied by a George Miller interception a minute later, Frome were looking decidedly shaky.
However, they did settle to the game and the first quarter proved a more even contest, though St Neots always looked capable of scoring, with strong, fast players all prepared to run with the ball and commit defenders.
They went very close to taking the lead in the 18th as Dylan Williams cut in well from the left and pulled the ball back perfectly for Dion Sembie-Ferris to control and pick his spot from ten yards, but once again Kyle Phillips showed his class as he pulled off a superb save, to push the ball away for a corner.
Jon Davies almost scored direct from a corner a minute later, but somehow Mike Emery managed to scramble the ball off the line with his feet, and as St Neots kept coming, only a perfectly timed block tackle from George Miller on Meecham prevented a very probable goal.
Phillips again produced an unbelievable save in the 27th as a St Neots throw was flicked on by Meecham and a close range header from Sembie-Ferris was destined for the net, until the hand of Phillips just flicked it up and over the bar.
At this stage, Frome were doing well to be at 0-0, but they were carving out the odd half chance, with George Miller flicking a Knight cross just past the post, and, a little against the run of play, Frome took the lead in the 42nd as Kris Miller hit a long left foot cross in from the right wing, allowing Knight to rise at the far post and produce a very good cushioned header that looped over Emery to fall just inside the other post.
With St Neot’s captain Luke Knight receiving a yellow for fouling Kris Miller on the edge of the box at the start of the second half, Frome had a chance to capitalise, but Knight curled the free kick over the bar. St Neots could well have scored in the 52nd as Meecham flicked a throw on and Sembie-Ferris should have done better with a clean header from ten yards that failed to hit the target.
Again, against the run of play, Frome increased their lead to 2-0 as Joe Raynes scored with a close range header as Jon Davies curled a wicked corner into the danger area. But the two goal cushion only lasted six minutes as George Miller tripped the dangerous Dyan Williams as he turned well inside the Frome box, and the winger picked himself up to score with ease from the penalty spot.
After Knight had won a corner for Frome in the 66th, St Neots again produced a trade-mark counter attack and Phillips again had to make a good save to deny Williams and push the ball out for a corner that came to nothing.
With the visitors now commanding territory and possession and looking dangerous and strong, they scored the inevitable equaliser in the 76th as Ben Withey seemed to get possession of a bouncing ball, but he was robbed by energetic Sembie-Ferris who then had the easiest of tasks to roll the ball into the net as it broke free.
Frome did go on the attack soon after this, but as Jackson lost the ball too easily, they were exposed at the back on a counter attack and only a timely tackle by George Miller and a clearance by Ben Griffiths saved the day, with Phillips again saving well from Taylor Parr after the resulting corner.
The final ten minutes saw St Neots going flat out for the winner, but with a good block tackle from Kris Miller, another save from Phillips and Knight “taking one for the team” to break up a dangerous attack, the defence managed to hold out and a draw was a good result for a weakened Frome side.
Young midfielder Ben Griffiths, playing his first full league game following his first game on Tuesday, was awarded the H&B Tyres Man of the Match Award. Crowd: 251. Entertainment Value: 4/5
