Arlesey fielded a team of trialists and fringe players at St Neots after the game had been moved forward to the Monday at St Neots request, to rest the majority of the players who had played so well on Saturday and give the trialists as proper chance to be seen.
St Neots looked strong and quick from the start with players up front that are on more money per week than most teams entire budget at this level. After 15 minutes the front pairing calved their way through the Arlesey defence when the impressive Lewis Hilliard slid in a diagonal ball to Stefan Moore who shot low under keeper Mark Osborne to give the home side the lead. 7 Minutes later Moore received the ball in a position that looked offside but play was waived on for him to put in a pin point cross that found Hilliard at the far post and he had an easy job to head home. Just 3 minutes later Aaron Green put in a lovely little ball over the defence to Moore who chipped the ball over the stranded Osborn for 3-0.

With Arlesey looking shocked by the speed of the front two a mistake in the middle was latched onto by Moore who put in a perfect pass to Hilliard who ran through to shoot under Osborn for 4-0 and just a minute later Hilliard completed his hat trick when from another cross from the right he chipped the ball over Osborne for 5-0.
With Arlesey trying to get their game together they managed to reorganise their leaky defence a bit but they were grateful for the half time whistle.

Arlesey started to make desperately needed changes from half time with Jason Blackett coming on up front and he immediately made his mark when he beat the full back and was brought down in the box for a penalty that Joel Mason thumped home to get Arlesey finally onto the score sheet. Arlesey were now showing a little more form as Mason jinked his way through the home defence firing in a good shot that brought a good save from the goal keeper. Then Blackett cut in from the right and went down again under a challenge in the box for what looked a certain penalty but this time nothing was given. Arlesey started feeding in substitutes throughout the team and good work through the centre by Lee Allinson fed Aston Goss who cut in and crossed to Blackett but his shot went just over the bar. St Neots sub Dan Jacob had only been on for 2 minutes when he picked up a low cross from an unmarked Hilliard and fired home for 6-1. Chris Marsh coming on for Arlesey did the same at the other end picking up the ball on the right and cutting in through the defence before chipping the ball over the keeper for 6-2.
The best goal of the game came 10 mins later as Hilliard cut in from the right and put in a great chip/cross that found sub Shane Tolley at the far post, he produced a lovely scissor kick to volley a ball past Osborne that was almost unstoppable to make it 7-2. With the game well past a very tired looking Arlesey, a mistake on the edge of the area was latched onto by Hilliard and in the form he was in he made no mistake to shot past Osborne for an amazing 8-2.
St Neots looked very good and Arlesey were a shadow of their normal self for this game so the scoreline was perhaps flattering to the home side but St Neots look like and act like a side that has already won the League, perhaps time and cold January nights on a poor pitch away might show a flaw in their plan.

This game may well have answered some questions on a few of Arleseys trialists and it is to be hoped that with this poor showing behind them they can get back on track v Daventry at home on Saturday 6th August.