Saints owner Mike already predicting another title-winning year next term

PROUD owner Mike Kearns watched his St Neots Town crowned UCL champions on Monday and then vowed: We’re going to do the same at Step 4 next season.

Saints got the win they needed against St Ives Town - emphatically 4-1 - to seal the UCL top flight for the first time since 1968 in front of a bumper 800-plus crowd at The Hunts Post Community Stadium.

Kearns said: “It’s a project which I started just over 18 months ago, it’s been tough. King’s Lynn came into the league and made it hard for us but we kept our composure, we’ve done it and now I can relax.

“It’s a relief because momentum is so high in the club now and we can roll on from that.

“There isn’t a shadow of a doubt, in my view, that we’ll be talking this time next year about becoming champions of the level above.

“With all due respect to the UCL, this is a very good team that is far better than this standard but, what we had to do, is get out of this league and that’s what we’ve done.

“I really do think things will be a lot easier going forward.”

Peterborough loan man Dominic Green made the breakthrough after 10 minutes and, two minutes before half time, Will Fordham headed a second against his old club.

Stefan Moore scored the third on the hour and Green added number four after 64 minutes.

Scott Fielding cracked home a St Ives consolation with five minutes to play.

“It’s just an unbelievable feeling and hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” said Neots manager Dennis Greene.

“I’m just overwhelmed at the moment.

“There has been a lot of pressure on us in the last few games, because we still had difficult fixtures.

“But to come through in the manner we did is just a magical feeling.

“It’s something you dream of, but to actually go and do it in a derby game against St Ives is just phenomenal from the lads and they thoroughly deserve it.

“This is the best thing I’ve done in management so far. To be a champion, in a league where only one goes up and you’ve got King’s Lynn in, is phenomenal.”

Neots won the league with a game to spare and go to Long Buckby in Saturday’s final fixture.

Then it’s St Ives again in the Hunts Senior Cup final, to be played at Huntingdon Town FC, on Monday at 3pm.