Reserves take the points again strong looking Daventry side.
Tuesday 5th April 2022
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-RESERVE DIVISION
COGENHOE UNITED Reserves (1) 2 DAVENTRY TOWN Reserves (0) 1
Cooks;
Cakebread 32
Gibbins 75
Daventry;
Knights 82
Att; 30
Former Cogenhoe U18 managers Andy Emery and Pete Harris brought their Daventry Reserves squad to Compton Park with more than a sprinkling of ex-Cooks in their starting line-up. The most noticeable being Jordan Orosz who had been a regular in the first team here up until recently and Luke Emery who came through the ranks here and scored regularly at all levels at Compton Park before moving up to play at the higher level.
Daventry started with the wind at their backs as they kicked towards the village end and were soon pegging us back. The opening ten minutes were played almost entirely in the Cogenhoe half, but despite this we defended strongly and didn’t allow them to create any clear cut chances. Bayley Leslie went for goal direct from a 25-yard free-kick, but the former Cooks player pulled his effort wide of the target, then Sonny Knights tried his luck with a first-time effort from the edge of the box, but again he couldn’t get it on target.
The first shot down the other end came from Glenn Cakebread from 25-yards out, but it drifted as it caught the wind and went well over the top. Joe Morris tried to set up Ben Mason just outside the box, but his shot was blocked by Mark Webster as he hit it and when the ball found its way back to Mason, his shot on the turn was saved low by Harry Littlemore. A deep cross by Luke Emery from wide right caught the wind and Cooks keeper Ciaran Wells had to work to turn the ball over the bar at the far post.
The Cooks broke the deadlock on 32 minutes with the goal coming against the run of play it has to be said. A lovely ball from Morris fed Cakebread inside the box on the left and he ran on to fire in a powerful shot that beat Littlemore at the near post and flew into the roof of the net. There were suspicions of offside, but the young sub running the line for Daventry seemed unsure what he should be doing and despite waving his flag after the defence had complained, referee Trevor Martin awarded the goal after speaking with him. Daventry’s James Lovell was cautioned for his dissent before play restarted, although surely this one should have been ten minutes in the sinbin.
A great win in the centre by man-of-the-match Manny Asante gave Connor Gibbins the chance to break down the right and he flew past his man before cutting inside and hitting a low shot that the keeper had to save with his feet at the near post as the Cooks started to show some belief following the goal.
Half-time; Cooks 1 Daventry 0.
With the wind at their backs, the Cooks started to put their stamp on the game, but it was the visitors who were first to threaten. Leslie played a free-kick into the box and Luke Emery jumped to win the header before Wells could get there, but Morris had got behind to cover and headed the ball around the post and out for a corner. Down the other end a huge kick from Wells saw Gibbins get by his man before playing a low ball into the box looking for Mason, but Littlemore dived onto the ball before the striker could reach it.
Mason became the second player to be cautioned as the referee completed his number 10 collection. There can be very little argument on this call as the Cooks striker went in hard and caught Knights late in the process. A lovely move saw Cakebread hold up play before playing in Gibbins down the right and he cut inside before picking out Cakebread’s run into the centre of the box. It looked like it had goal written all over it as Cakebread struck his shot first time, but Littlemore stood up well to make a very good save. Lorenco Soulollari sent over a good corner which Luke Andrews met with a powerful header only to see ball go just the wrong side of the far post.
A miss-kick at the back saw the ball drop to Luke Emery inside the box, but he didn’t get a hold of his volley and Wells was well positioned to hold on to the shot. The impressive Morris came off to give Harry Ware a run-out and the sub was very quickly into the action with a stunning 30-yard effort that Littlemore did really well to get across to and turn around the post. Some real quality play by Asante in the middle of the park allowed Gibbins to play the ball over the top for Cakebread to chase and he tried to lift the ball over the keeper on the edge of the box, but it wasn’t quite high enough and Littlemore just got his head to the ball.
Mason went for goal from outside the box but put it straight at the keeper and that proved to be his last action of the game as he made way for Josh Wootton with just over twenty minutes remaining. Gibbins was played clear to find himself one-on-one with the keeper inside the box just to the left and he tried to hammer the ball in at the near post, but only managed to hit the side-netting, but he was celebrating his first goal for the Cooks on 75 minutes. Another good move saw Ware receive the ball inside the box to the right and he played a low ball across the area that picked out Gibbins who side-footed home from close range.
Gibbins’ goal proved to be his last touch of the game as James McGrath took his place, albeit with a reshuffle. Soulollari hit a decent effort from the corner of the box that flew just the wrong side of the near post, but Daventry made it an interesting final eight minutes when Knights pulled one back from close range after a bit of Daventry pressure inside the Cooks penalty area. Wells made a good save as Emery pounced from close range before the final swap saw Matt Fletcher come on up front for Cakebread with four minutes left as Cogenhoe safely saw out the final few minutes to take the three points.
Cooks; 1. Ciaran Wells 2. Sam Harris 3. Lorenco Soulollari 4. Manny Asante 5. Nat Allam 6. Jake Walpole © 7. Connor Gibbins (sub 14. James McGrath 75) 8. Luke Andrews 9. Glenn Cakebread (sub 17. Matt Fletcher 86) 10. Ben Mason (sub 12. Josh Wootton 67) 11. Joe Morris (sub 16. Harry Ware 56). Sub not used; 15, Eddie Mann.
Daventry; 1. Harry Littlemore 2. Callum Calver 3. Will Rosevear (sub 15. Edgar Nikulajev 25) 4. Mark Webster 5. Ollie Emery (sub 12. Kerry Adu 70) 6. Bayley Leslie © 7. Jordan Orosz (sub 16. Kai Bailey 59) 8. Sonny Knights (sub 14. Ileriolowa Alao 82) 9. Luke Emery 10. James Lovell 11. Andrew Boateng (sub 17. Mackenzie Patchett-Smith 76)
Referee; Trevor Martin.
