Deeping Rangers 4 St Neots Town 1 ST Neots Town were crushed at Deeping Rangers on Saturday, as the hosts strengthened their position at the top of the table with a convincing win, while Town remain in 14th spot. Rangers took the lead after 11 minutes

Deeping Rangers 4

St Neots Town 1

ST Neots Town were crushed at Deeping Rangers on Saturday, as the hosts strengthened their position at the top of the table with a convincing win, while Town remain in 14th spot.

Rangers took the lead after 11 minutes when Ryan Semple robbed Dean McElroy, ran clear down the left and fired a low shot inside the far post for his 18th of the season.

Semple played in Mark Baines three minutes later, and the home side's advantage was doubled with a confident finish.

Things got worse for the Rowley Park side after 26 minutes, as Baines weaved past the defence and passed to Lee Ellison, who smashed a shot home from 20 yards that Saints' goalkeeper Chris Adams could do little to stop as Deeping took a three goal lead.

The first half ended with Adams saving well from a Semple free kick before Ashley Stevens shot against the foot of the post.

Marvin Johnson's men started well in the second half, and began to make amends after 50 minutes as Matt Kenneford drilled a low shot past Rangers' goalkeeper Danny Bircham to reduce the deficit.

Semple was narrowly off target after cutting in from the left while at the other end Luke Knight's free kick was well saved by Bircham.

Semple had a shot cleared off the line after being played in by Bogusz, while Saints substitute Ben Cole curled a shot narrowly wide from a James Hall pass.

Deeping wrapped up the game a minute into stoppage time as Ben Porter's free kick was headed in by Ellison at the back post to finish the game 4-1.

"They are top of the table and had a better chance of winning but it was a tighter game than the score-line suggests. We started out well but they're a decent side who scored three in 15 minutes which more or less killed the game," said St Neots Town manager Marvin Johnson.

"I'm disappointed with our first half performance but we did well to get a goal back in the second half and if we'd scored again it would have made it interesting. They scored right at the death and it was a sucker punch really.

"The result was a bit harsh based on our second half performance but in the first half we weren't at the races. They are at the top of the table because they are good and this is the result everyone expected, but I'm disappointed that we lost."

St Neots Town next play the local derby against St Ives at Westwood Road on Saturday.