Saturday 13th January 2024
UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
COGENHOE UNITED v RUGBY BOROUGH
Compton Park,
Brafield Rd,
Cogenhoe.
NN7 1ND
KO 2-pm
The Cooks hope to finally get 2024 going after last weekend’s postponement when Rugby Borough make the trip down to Compton Park. Our visitors are finding some form of late having won their last two games, scoring eight times in the process as they followed up a 4-0 thumping of Lutterworth Town with an even more impressive 4-2 win over high-flying March Town United last Saturday with both these wins coming on the Kilsby Lane astroturf. Player-manager Justin Marsden netted twice in the win over the promotion hopefuls, as did Adam Shaw as the Borough bounced back from a couple of narrow reverses on the road at Daventry and GNG. They had drawn their previous three games which included a 4-4 at home to Bugbrooke and 3-3 at Coventry United which added to their earlier 5-5 result at Aylestone Park so there is certainly an entertaining factor about them, while a much-changed line-up had bowed out of the Birmingham F.A Senior Cup by losing 3-10 at home to Darlaston.
The clubs have only ever met once before, the league game at the Nationwide Windows Arena back at the end of September this season, with Sam Lockley winning it for the home side in stoppage time after lobbing Adam North after running onto a ball over the top. This really didn’t do any justice to the game though as the Cooks totally dominated the first half with the wind at their backs, managing 25 efforts at goal, but a combination of great goalkeeping by Jake Bull and some less than clinical finishing meant we somehow ended the game on zero.
The Cooks drew their previous game here 1-1 against local rivals Wellingborough Town in the final Saturday of the year with in-form striker Jack O’Connor netting for the third successive game to earn us a point after a cracker from Will Bates had opened the scoring for the visitors early in the second half. The gaffer has the luxury of naming a 19-man squad the day before the game, although he will be missing the influential Bailey Weatherly, he has been able to name leading scorer Dylan Wilson and right-sided player Luke Bullement for the first time in a few weeks.
Leading scorer Dylan Wilson returns to the squad following an illness enforced absence.
Also back in contention tomorrow is Luke Bullement who had spent the Christmas period back home on Humberside but has now returned to college.
