Saturday 9th October 2023
UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
ST NEOTS TOWN v COGENHOE UNITED
The Premier Plus Stadium,
New Rowley Park,
Kester Way,
St Neots,
Cambs.
PE19 6SL
KO 7-45 pm
The Cooks return to Cambridgeshire just three days after the trip to March, but this time the journey is a far shorter one as we head to St Neots. Our hosts occupy second place in the league going into the game, just two points behind the leaders Newport Pagnell with both sides having played twelve games. Recent form has seen them held to a 0-0 draw at home by fourth placed Yaxley on Saturday, while they edged home 3-2 at Rugby Borough seven days previous. St Neots are actually enjoying their best form away from The Premier Plus Stadium in the league, having won all six games played on the road, while they have dropped eight points so far at home. The Yaxley draw followed a surprise 0-1 reverse against Easington and a heavy 0-3 defeat to Newport Pagnell. It was five weeks ago that they last picked up a home win inside ninety minutes, a 4-1 win over Daventry which came before their opponent’s early season rebuild, whilst they kicked the season off with a 3-0 win over Bugbrooke and added the scalp of Desborough three weeks later with their biggest win of the season so far as they romped home 5-1.
The Cooks will be looking to end a run of three straight defeats as 1-0 defeats to March and Rugby sandwiched the 1-5 home reverse to Daventry and Scott Carlin will be able to welcome back skipper Harley Mallard who missed all three of those defeats.
The last time our two teams met at New Rowley Park was way back in November 2010, the year St Neots won the tile with 105 points, just beating Kings Lynn Town to top spot by two points. They scored 160 goals in the league that season and five of them came in this game as they triumphed 5-2. Cooks subs Sam Heavy and Lewis Leslie were on target, but they made it 3-1 and 4-2 respectively as the Saints took the points. Dan Jacob (2), Lewis Webb (pen), Stefan Moore and Roy Essendoh were the Saints marksmen that afternoon as the Cambridgeshire club boasted probably the biggest budget ever seen in the UCL that season. Must admit though, they were very entertaining to watch.
