A NEW year brought the same old familiar winning feeling for �unbeaten Saints as they moved six points clear at the top of the UCL Premier.

UCL Premier Division

Northampton Spencer 1-3 St Neots Town

A NEW year brought the same old familiar winning feeling for �unbeaten Saints as they moved six points clear at the top of the UCL Premier.

Having gone behind in the fifth minute on Monday, Saints were back on level terms a minute later at Kingsthorpe Mill through Theo Davis.

That was the way it stayed until Shane Tolley lashed the visitors in front early in the second half, before strike partner Stefan Moore settled matters 12 minutes from time with a thunderbolt into the top corner.

The final scoreline probably flattered the hosts, with Neots also seeing efforts rattle back off the frame of the goal on no less than five occasions and the home goalkeeper being awarded man of the match.

Dan Jacob hit a post twice early on before Spencer took the lead, while Tolley was also foiled by the woodwork in the second period.

Saints manager Dennis Greene said: “Conditions were poor and that made it difficult to get our game going, but three could quite easily have been ten by the end.”

Town have netted 83 times in the league this season with 20 games still to go, and that is the total they scored during the entire last campaign.

It was their 17th win from 20 games and means they are developing a healthy cushion between themselves and the chasing pack.

“We’ve got a cracking chance,” Greene said. “There are some real tough games coming up in the next month. We go to Long Buckby and Stewarts & Lloyds, as well hosting King’s Lynn in the league, and there is also the FA Vase game at Gresley.

“If we can come through those it should be plain sailing. The next four or five games should determine our season.”

First up though for St Neots is a Hunts Senior Cup quarter-final at home to Eynesbury Rovers on Saturday.