Stotfold 2 Newport Pagnell 4 Stotfold went down at home to Newport Pagnell on Saturday after another disjointed first-half performance saw them go in three goals down at the break. Pagnell took the lead on six minutes through Vinnie Shrieves, heading down

Stotfold 2 Newport Pagnell 4

Stotfold went down at home to Newport Pagnell on Saturday after another disjointed first-half performance saw them go in three goals down at the break.

Pagnell took the lead on six minutes through Vinnie Shrieves, heading down from a corner, although it looked to have been cleared off the line. After a brief discussion between the referee and his assistant, the goal was given.

The visitors' second came when Stotfold lost possession on the edge of the Pagnell box, with Darren Lynch taking the ball up to the edge of the other area and striking from the middle on 23 minutes.

The Rokermen applied a bit more pressure after this with Neil Smith's volley blocked wide and Paul Garrett's shot from a tight angle on the left parried at the near post.

But on 37 minutes, from a free-kick on the halfway line, it was headed past Brad Gillham by Lynch, with loud appeals of a foul in the box from the bench falling on deaf ears.

The second half saw a much improved attacking performance by Stotfold with Tommy Hull volleying a good chance over on 56 minutes and Ashley Fitton's close-range shot blocked on the line for a corner. The resulting kick was sidefooted in at the far post by Hull on 59 minutes to make up for his his earlier miss.

A brief moment of confusion was soon cleared up when Scott Mulvern fired a deflected free-kick into the side netting.

Good chances to pull another back were put over by Smith and Mark Bryant, with Gillham making an excellent reaction save to deny Lynch his second at the other end.

But it was Lynch's parried shot that fell at the feet of Shrieves that gave the visitors their fourth as he stumbled with the ball over the line on 86 minutes.

The last goal came deep into stoppage time when Hull headed in Sean Penny's long throw.

But there was still time for Gareth Cottenden to pick up a second yellow card, further adding to Stotfold player availability problems.

Rokermen: Gillham, Rennie (Fitton), P Donnelly, Hull, Penny, Fraser, Cottenden, Beckwith, Garrett, Smith, Bryant.