IAIN Parr wasn’t overly worried – but the St Neots Town manager was maybe a little concerned when Bideford came back from 5-0 down to 5-3 at Rowley Park on Saturday.

“It did seem like they were building up a head of steam,” said the Saints manager, who was delighted with the way his team played to be five ahead by the 52nd minutes, despite the final result.

It’s just, when a team lagging so far behind scores three goals in four minutes and there are still 12 minutes left, well … that has to set your mind racing, doesn’t it?

Parr confirmed: “I was beginning to wonder what we would do if they scored a fourth.”

However, the Devon side never really looked like completing their comeback after the third goal with St Neots taking charge of the situation and reigning them in.

“Everybody is focusing on their comeback,” said the Saints manager. “But I thought for the first hour we were outstanding.”

It was easy in the first half. Jordan Gent had gone close and a Dan Jacob free-kick had come back off the post before Gent fired a cleared Davies shot into the roof of the net and Jon-Paul Duncliffe scored his debut goal for 2-0.

Jacob was brought down by Bideford goalkeeper Paul Hider on the half hour and Ben Mackey comfortably tucked away the resulting penalty. Three minutes later it was 4-0 when a Mackey shot was saved by Hider but Jacob followed up from close range.

Sixty seconds before the break Stefan Moore almost made it 5-0 but his shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

Seven minutes into the second half Mackey got his second with a volley from a Jacob cross.

Nothing to worry about then…

Except, 16 minutes from time, St Neots conceded a free-kick and Bideford’s Richard Grove scored with a fantastic strike. Matt Bye was next, he found the net on 77 minutes, and just one minute later Sean Downing made it three in four minutes.

The result meant the Saints climb back into second, five points behind Hemel Heampstead who they have two games in hand on.

However, it is the team in third they will be concentrating on this week. Parr confirmed he was having Leamington watched last night (Tuesday – they were playing Kettering Town at home) ahead of the Saints’ trip to Warwickshire for their big clash on Saturday.

St Neots: Michael Duggan, Jon-Paul Duncliffe (Mawefe Nkinga), Ed Adjei, Ollie Thorne (Ryan Sharman), Jordan Gent, Arthur Lee, Lewis Hilliard, Jay Davies, Stefan Moore (Adeoye Yusuff), Ben Mackey, Dan Jacob.