Saturday 16th March 2014
UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
EASINGTON SPORTS v COGENHOE UNITED
Addison Road,
Banbury,
Oxon.
OX16 9DH
KO 3-pm
The Cooks start a run of away games with a trip to Oxfordshire to face Banbury based club Easington Sports. Our hosts currently sit three places and three points behind us so defeat tomorrow would see their superior goal difference leapfrog us, while it should also be pointed out that they would already be there had they not be given a three-point deduction earlier in the season. They should have played on Wednesday against Eynesbury Rovers, but the seemingly endless rain left their pitch unplayable, but the Cooks did manage to get onto the field that night with Jack Connor’s header from Callum Farmer’s corner earning them a 1-1 draw against March Town. The last time they did play, they returned home from Rugby Borough with a 2-1 win with Callum Convey and Leam Howards on target and while the previous two games ended in defeat away from at Wellingborough and Histon, recent home form is good and they have yet to lose at Addison Road since the turn of the year. Coventry United were edged out 3-2 while Daventry Town were sent packing 2-1, although the 0-0 draw against Desborough was perhaps a little on disappointing side.
This will be our third trip to Addison Road with the previous games being finely balanced at one win each. The first time we visited was Darren Long’s debut in the hot seat and Dylan Wilson won it late on with a header, but Scott Carlin’s first trip their ended in defeat despite a dominant first forty-five minutes from the Cooks. Debutant striker Jamie Hall should probably have netted at least one of his first half chances in truth as the first half ended goalless, but fellow debutant Ash Bodycote was picking the ball out of his net twice in a completely reversed second period as Jack Fountain and George Coombes both netted for Easington.
The game at Compton Park earlier this season saw the Cooks well beaten. Troy Johnston had headed the Cooks in front on 22 minutes and that is how it remained at the break, but Easington were by far the better team after the restart and they won it with goals from Chay Buckingham, Jacob Humphreys and Callum Convey.
As it stands the UCL have only named one assistant referee for this game so let’s hope we don’t have a repeat of our trip their two years ago when one simply didn’t turn up!
Jack Connor took him self level with Dylan Wilson as joint leading scorer with his first half header against March on Wednesday night.
Callum Farmer will be looking for a repeat of his man-of-the-match performance in midweek.
Former Banbury United striker Leam Howards currently tops the scoring charts at Easington with 11 goals to his name.
(Photo credit to Easington Sports website and almost certainly the talented Edwin Barson)
