IT'S NOT GRR-EIGHT! 

NST crashed to their heaviest defeat of the season as they suffered an eight-goal mauling in this Division Four title decider.

Both sides went into the game locked on 48 points but, although NST were level at 2-2 midway through the first half, thanks to a Dan Jarvis double, Vikings swiftly moved up another gear and sunk the visitors with a six-goal blast.

The reverse was only NST’s second of the season in the league and, despite the setback, they still finished 12 points clear of third-placed Gransden as they made sure of promotion, and filled the runners-up berth for a third consecutive season.

The visitors made just two changes to the team that had edged past Ely Pymoor the previous weekend, as Nathan Littlefair and Dan Mackay returned to the starting XI, while Olly Capes and Chris Coates dropped to the bench.

But, the expected return of Matt Bell failed to materialise, and NST opted to play a five-man midfield for the first time this season, in a bid to stifle the free-scoring home side.

The move looked to have worked in the opening stages as NST were quick out of the blocks and dominated the opening stages, forcing a series of corners.

And, when one flag-kick was only cleared to the edge of the area, top-scorer Jarvis saw his effort take a deflection and end up in the roof of the Vikings net.

It was the first time in the three meetings between the sides this season that NST had taken the lead against the powerful Oakington side and when Graham Melbourne pulled off a smart save at the other end and the home team hit the woodwork, it looked as if the visitors might be on course to record their first-ever success against them.

But, then the visitors pressed the self destuct button, as a series of errors allowed Oakington to take charge of the game .

The home side levelled on 18 minutes after Jarvis was caught in possession and within seconds Oakington were ahead when Paul Golding gave the ball away.

NST hit back and good work by the hard-working Tom Martin set up an equaliser, when his smart run and cross from the left was turned in by the ever-dangerous Jarvis.

The flood of goals just kept coming and an error by Jamie Campbell allowed Bridgeman to fire home a third to regain the lead and Oakington quickly added two more to lead 5-2 at the break.

NST reverted to a more conventional line-up after the break, as Ross Norrie replaced the tiring Liam Camp and Capes entered the fray in place of Robbie Drew and the visitors more than held their own for a while.

However, Oakington were not to be denied and they added three more goals in the closing stages, as again the visiting defence were in a generous mood.

A mix-up between Matt Ellis and Melbourne and a mistake by substitute Chris Coates, gift-wrapped two of the three. But with hat-trick of victories over NST this season, there could be no denying that Oakington fully deserved to lift the league title.

On the day there were few plus points for the visitors, as only Ellis, Littlefair, Martin and Jarvis rose above the mediocrity, but while it was a day for NST to forget, it had been a season to remember.

Sixteen league wins ensured that NST picked up 48 points during the season, their highest-ever haul since becoming a senior side and the 90 league goals scored was the most they have netted in a single campaign.

And, although they finished as runners up for a third year, they finished just three points behind Oakington, a vast improvement on last season, when they ended up 16 points adrift of Vikings.

NST Strikers: Melbourne 6; Drew 5 (Capes), Campbell 5, Littlefair 6, Ellis 6; Mackay 6, Walter 6, Camp 5 (Norrie), Martin 6, Golding 5, uJarvis 6. Sub: Harris.

NST Star man: D Jarvis

Referee: P. Norman

Bookings: None

 JARVIS IS SPOT ON

SECOND-HALF strikes from top scorer Dan Jarvis and Paul Golding saw NST take the Division Four points to set up a title decider with Oakington Vikings next week.

Both sides will go into the game locked on 48 points but, with Vikings having a better goal difference, only an NST win will be enough to earn them top spot.

To keep their title chances alive, Strikers had to take at least a point from this game, and a stubborn Ely side never made life easy for the NST, who needed a late strike from Golding to finally give them a two-goal cushion.

The home side made four changes to the team that had put 10 goals past Gransden the previous weekend, as Graham Melbourne returned after a long-term injury and pulled on the green jersey.

With Matt Bell missing because of work commitments, Nathan Littlefair ruled out on the morning of the match and Dan Mackay opting for a place on the bench because of a knock, it was a reshuffled NST side that took to the field.

Rob Drew returned at right back, with Matt Ellis moving to the centre of the defence for the first time this season, while Ashley Walter was restored to the centre of midfield, with Paul Golding partnering Jarvis up front.

The home side struggled to find their rhythm early on but, even so, Jarvis had two early opportunities to break the deadlock, against an improved Ely side, who looked much stronger than when the two sides met earlier in the season.

However, NST enjoyed the lions’ share of possession, as Liam Camp and Walter were dominant in midfield, and Tom Martin looked dangerous down the right.

But genuine chances were few and far between at both ends and when the home side did find a way through, they found the visiting keeper in excellent form.

Drew linked well with the attack at every opportunity and sent an effort, while Walter went close just before the break.

The deadlock was broken just 60 seconds into the half when Drew joined the attack once again, only to be bundled over in the area and Jarvis sent the keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot, for his 34^th goal of the season.

The home side continued to dominate possession, but their durable rivals refused to throw in the towel and, Oakington apart, they were as good as any side to have visited Shelford Rec this season.

But, with Ellis in outstanding form at the back, Ely rarely troubled Melbourne in the home goal, who hardly had a save to make.

With 10 minutes remaining, NST finally added a second and, ironically, after much patient build-up, the goal was very much route one.

Melbourne’s long kick found Golding as he broke away from the visiting rearguard, and when his first effort was superbly parried by the keeper, the rebound fell invitingly for him to sweep home his first goal since December.

As Ely threw more players forward in a bid to get back into the game, substitute Mackay, on for Martin, who suffered a bad eye injury, and Walter both went close to stretching the home side’s advantage.

Although never at their best, it was a solid, workmanlike performance from NST, as Ellis and Camp both caught the eye, while Drew was a major menace down the right.

It was a performance short on inspiration, but long on perspiration and, whatever the result of next Sunday’s showdown, the victory ensured it will be the senior side’s best-ever league showing since moving up from Colts League football.

The victory saw them hit the 48-point mark, and they have now won 16 of their 17 league games to date.

NST: Melbourne 7; Drew 8, Campbell 7, uEllis 8, Coates 7; Martin 7 (Mackay), Walter 7, Camp 8, Capes 7; Golding 7, Jarvis 7. Sub: Harris.

NST Star man: M Ellis

Referee: T Davies

Bookings: None

TOP TEN FOR STRIKERS AS BELL CHIMES IN WITH FIVE

NST STRIKERS hit double figures for the second time this season as Matt Bell led the goal charge with a five goal blast.

Daniel Jarvis (2), Olly Capes and a couple of own goals completed the tally as Strikers recorded their 15^th league win in 16.

Gransden, who completed their Division Four campaign with this fixture, will finish third – but it was the fourth time they have suffered a comprehensive defeat at the hands of NST.

Bell was in deadly form and his five-goal haul was his best of the season and Gransden will, no doubt, be pleased to see the back of the NST strike duo, as Jarvis notched six goals at the same venue earlier in the season when Strikers recorded an 8-1 cup win!

Chris Coates returned to the NST side in place of the injured Simon Bubien, while Nathan Littlefair came back into the starting line-up in place of the absent Ashley Walter as there were just a couple of changes to the team that had beaten Prince of Wales the previous week.

It did not take Bell long to make an indelible impression with two excellent efforts early on. Both were carbon copy finishes as he drove the ball from the right hand side of the goal with pace and power and watched the strikes explode into the far corner of the net.

The striker completed his hat-trick with a powerful free-kick from the left, that the home keeper could only punch into the net.

Bell was denied a fourth when the Gransden keeper made an excellent save low down by his left hand post.

However, he was powerless to stop a fourth when Bell turned provider and sent in a cross from the right and with Jarvis waiting to pounce, a luckless home defender could only head the ball over the advancing keeper and watch it agonisingly roll over the line.

Gransden, who had started well, finished the half with a bang, and cut the deficit with a close-range strike right on the interval.

Robbie Drew replaced the injured Coates at the break, but the goals kept flowing as NST hit six more in the second half.

After an excellent passing move involving half-a-dozen players, Liam Camp released Olly Capes to drive the ball home with some venom from 12 yards as NST started where they had left off.

Top-scorer Jarvis joined in the fun when he opened his account following an excellent right-win cross from Bell.

NST profited from another own goal, when Dan Mackay, Bell and Camp were all involved in a move down the right and the latter’s cross was fired into his own goal by a defender under pressure to clear.

Bell scored his fourth and, in the build up, the home keeper was injured and had to be substituted and there was still time for Jarvis and Bell to net again to take the tally to 10.

It was an excellent performance from the visitors inspired by Bell and there were good performances all round.

On the big Gransden pitch, the visitors were able to play some of their best football of the season, with some patient build-ups from the back and in midfield.

Matt Ellis and Jamie Campbell looked to play their way out of trouble whenever possible and Liam Camp and Tom Martin pulled the strings in midfield, while Paul Golding showed some neat touches when he came on.

Victory in their penultimate match against Ely Pymore Rangers next weekend would then set up a winner-takes-all clash with Oakington on the final day of the season.

NST Strikers Seniors: Harris 7; Ellis 8, Campbell 8, Littlefair 7, Coates 7 (Drew); Mackay 7, Martin 7 (Golding), Camp 7, Capes 7; uBell 9, Jarvis 7. Sub: Melbourne

NST Star man: M Bell

Referee: M Smith

Bookings: None

FRUSTRATING STRIKERS ON THE UP

NST STRIKERS recorded their 14^th Division Four victory of the season to guarantee a top two finish, and celebrate their first season in the Cambs Sunday League with a promotion.

Victory in their next two games against Gransden and Ely Pymore Rangers would then set up a winner-takes-all clash with Oakington on the final day of the season.

After a hard-fought victory against the same opposition two weeks ago, NST secured the points a little more easily on this occasion, in what turned out to be a frustrating performance by the visitors, as it took a long time to get the previous weekend’s defeat out of their system.

Despite a wide pitch, that should have suited their style of play, the visitors struggled to find any fluency and, in the first half, they struggled to string two or three passes together, as their ball retention was poor for long periods.

A bumpy surface did not help, but NST often wanted too much time on the ball, as there were few players to emerge from the mediocrity with much credit.

There were four changes to the side that had been beaten by Oakington Vikings the previous weekend.

Defender Jason Crawte was an early withdrawal through injury, while the holidaying Nathan Littlefair was a rare absentee, meaning there had to be wholesale changes at the back, especially with Graham Melbourne on the treatment table, as all three central defenders were unavailable.

With Paul Golding (back injury) and Ross Norrie and Rob Drew pulling out on the morning of the game through illness, it was a threadbare NST squad that travelled to Newmarket.

Fit-again Jamie Campbell and Liam Camp formed an unlikely partnership at the heart of the visiting defence, while Matt Ellis had recovered from a shoulder injury to resume full-back duties, while Olly Capes returned to the side and made an instant impression.

The game was just three minutes old when Dan Jarvis raced on to Matt Bell’s flick and fired in a right-wing cross, that Capes smacked home from close range.

Both sides had chances, with Jarvis twice going close after rounding the home keeper, before NST extended their advantage.

Capes, who worked hard down the left in the first half, had a hand in the goal, when he fired in a shot that the keeper blocked. Ashley Walter just failed to reach the rebound, but Tom Martin, lurking on the edge of the area, saw his shot take a deflection off a defender and end up in the net.

Just as it looked as if NST would reach the break with a clean sheet, despite playing against the wind, the visitors conceded a goal with the last kick of the half, when a long free-kick somehow avoided everyone and ended up in the net.

The first goal in the second half was always likely to provide the defining moment of the game and when NST lost full back Simon Bubien, one of the few to find their form, it looked as if the pendulum might swing Newmarket’s way.

But Chris Coates climbed off the bench to play his first game in six weeks and produced a solid performance and it was not long before NST had a two-goal cushion.

Dan Mackay, who became more of a threat down right as the game progressed, provided a cross and when the ball was knocked out to the edge of the area, Walter was in the right place at the right time to volley the ball into the corner of the net and make some amends for picking up his third booking of the season during the first half.

The hard-working Bell, then chipped the ball forward for strike partner Dan Jarvis, as a forward finally got on the score sheet after the first three goals all came from midfield – and then a fifth should have followed from a defender.

A well-worked free kick on the edge of the box saw Walter pick out Camp’s enterprising run, but the central defender, with just the keeper to beat, failed to find a finish.

However, Jarvis grabbed his 30^th goal of the season right on the final whistle, following another slick move involving Bell, Martin and Mackay.

Although far from their best, there were some plus points, as the full-backs emerged with credit in what was a makeshift NST defence, where Matt Ellis unanimously took the man of the match award.

And although the performance was short on craft, there was plenty of graft as Bell and Jarvis worked hard, despite struggling to find their shooting boots.

NST Strikers Seniors: Harris 6; u Ellis 8, Campbell 6, Camp 6), Bubien 7 (Coates); Mackay 6, Martin 6, Walter 6, Capes 7; Bell 6, Jarvis 6.

NST Star man: M. Ellis

Referee: H. Cutmore

Bookings: Walter