A point apiece probably the fare outcome as Cooks finish the game with ten men.
Tuesday 25th October 2022
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – RESERVE DIVISION
COGENHOE UNITED RESERVES (0) 0 O.N CHENECKS RESERVES (0) 0
ATT; 22
With Ian Adcock away, Biff, Andy and Ryan took charge with first team physio Jules joining them in the dug out to take care of any knocks the players might encounter during the game. Saturday’s first team subs Lewis Green, Harley Mallard, Jamie Hall and Callum Farmer were all given starts, with Jessi Obeng making a surprise appearance on the subs bench. Chenecks featured no fewer than nine ex-Cogenhoe players in their squad as keeper Callum Patching, skipper Tom Caton, Reece Sweeney, Jacob Cox, Liam Stone, Jonny Shakespeare, Alasdair Duncan, plus subs Jordan Sweeney and Harry Southgate all returned to Compton Park for the evening.
The first chance of the game fell to the Cooks inside the first minute as Kieron Mobbs found space to get into the box just to the left and although he put his shot on target, it didn’t have enough power behind it to really trouble Patching. Incidentally, the beard and tied back long hair made Callum almost unrecognisable from the fresh-faced young man who played between the sticks for the Cooks a few years ago. Chenecks then had the better of the next few minutes and got the ball into our box a few times without asking too many questions of the defence, but Ali Duncan did have a very good chance following a free-kick as the ball fell in front of him and Ray Reeve, but the former Cook only managed to steer the ball into the relieved arms of Ciaran Wells from close range. Shakespeare turned nicely on the right edge of the box but his curling shot was just off target, then down the clubhouse end, Farmer sent in a good free-kick from the left that Mallard rose to head back across the box, but Patching took the ball cleanly.
Patching held a corner well which was perhaps justice as it should have been a goal-kick, then down the other end Chenecks missed a great chance of going in front with Duncan again the villain of the piece as he put his shot wide from inside the 6-yard box. Chenecks broke down the left with Kelvin Moyo looking dangerous and he forced Wells to get down and save his shot at the near post, then Moyo played the ball inside to Shakespeare on the edge of the box and his shot deflected over for a corner. Stone sent it in and although Reeve got to ball, he was falling backward as his boot made contact and he lifted it over the bar. Cox fired well wide from a couple of yards outside the box just before the Cooks broke down the left with Green finding Hall and he sent over a decent cross that Ross Falconer headed out for a throw on the opposite side under pressure from Cichosz.
Stone saw his through ball cut out by Mallard, but Shakespeare picked up the pieces and shot wide from outside the box, then Stone sent in a great free-kick from the left that picked out an unmarked Duncan a few yards from goal, but he only managed to send his first-time shot over the bar. Green picked out the feet of Hall with a throw in and the big centre forward held off his man and laid it back to Sam Harris on the edge of the box and he hit a decent shot that curled just beyond the far post. Hall broke down the left but his cross-shot was gathered by Patching at the near post, then a nice move down the left from Chenecks looked to have created a chance for Stone inside the box, but skipper Lee Felgate was on hand with a very timely tackle to save his side.
The half-time whistle blew with neither side managing to make a breakthrough, but Chenecks had edged it so far with Ali Duncan spurning three very good chances to have done so. Cogenhoe had got more into the game as the half-progressed and will probably be the happier with the 0-0 scoreline as the players headed in for their break.
Half time; Cooks 0 Chenecks 0
No changes at the break and once again it was the Cooks who had the first shot of the half as Cichosz saw his effort from the edge of the box blocked and Harris put the rebound over the bar. Mobbs did well down the left and played the ball up to Hall who laid it back for Cichosz to lift it into the box, but it was claimed by Patching, then Cichosz went for goal from the right side of the penalty area, but his shot took a heavy deflection and ran through to the keeper. Mobbs played a great low ball in from the left that Hall couldn’t convert under pressure from Lee Kew just inside the 6-yard box, then the impressive Mobbs sent Farmer down the line and he delivered a dangerous cross that fell to Cichosz, but his shot was saved by Patching.
The first change of the game for the Cooks came on 56 minutes when Harris made way for Jessi Obeng. A great low cross from Mobbs was taken well by Patching at the feet of Hall, just before the referee played a good advantage after a late one on Hall and Connor Gibbins broke through on the right, but put his shot the wrong side of the post. Joe Morris came on for Dan Talbot on the hour as Cogenhoe continued to have the upper hand. Patching took a Farmer free-kick from the left cleanly, then Wells was called into action as he held Reece Sweeney’s looping shot from just outside the box, although it was a routine save at best.
Gibbins and Hall came off on 68 minutes allowing Sam Giddens and Glenn Cakebread some game time but play went down the other end as Felgate made a vital challenge on Matty Reeve who had appeared to have broken clear. Cishosz forced Patching to get down and save his well struck shot from just inside the box, then Shakespeare worked along the box from right to left before hitting a well-hit low effort that went just wide of the far post. Cakebread’s turn and shot from 25-yards was too close to the keeper to cause him any alarm, then the Cooks made their fifth change as Patrick Medan came on for Cichosz with 15 minutes remaining. Cakebread couldn’t get onto a good ball in from Giddens, but there was real danger down the other end as Sam Dengel burst into the box only to be denied by a great tackle by Green. The pace of Mobbs took him past Kew and he went for goal from a narrow angle forcing Patching to make another save, then Green, suffering a little from the after effects of his goal saving challenge a couple of minutes previous came off for the returning player-coach Harris.
On 80 minutes the Cooks hopes of sneaking a late win from the game took a blow when Harley Mallard was sent off. In an unusual but not unheard of scenario, he brought down an opponent who had got away from him on a quick break, but then also kicked the ball away so Simon Castleman showed him a yellow card for the foul, then immediately raised it again for kicking the ball away followed by the red version. Mobbs saw his high cross held well by Patching before a 60-yard cross pass by Morris was taken nicely by Giddens before he made for the box and forced Patching to make a save at the base of his near post with what proved to be the final chance of the game.
Certainly not a classic and the game will quickly be archived in the minds of the small gathering of people watching the game tonight. It was also a contender for the old adage ‘game of two halves’ with Chenecks having much the better of the play in the first, but Cogenhoe had the upper hand in the second. The point leaves the Cooks in 13th spot and their next challenge will be a trip to 10th placed G.N.G Oadby Town on their new ground in Leicester this coming Saturday.
Another fixture for the Reserves is the N.F.A Les Underwood Junior Cup where they have been drawn away to Spratton. This tie will take place on Saturday 26th November with a 2pm kick-off.
Cooks. 1. Ciaran Wells 2. Dan Talbot (sub 12. Joe Morris 60) 3. Lewis Green (sub 4. Harris *79) 4. Sam Harris (sub 16. Jessi Obeng 55) 5. Harley Mallard 6. Lee Felgate © 7. Connor Gibbins (sub 15. Sam Giddens 67) 8. Callum Farmer 9. Jamie Hall (sub 17. Glenn Cakebread 67) 10. Patryk Cichosz (sub 14. Patrick Medan 75) 11. Kieron Mobbs.
Yellow cards; Mallard (80) Foul. Mallard (80) Kick ball away
Red card; Mallard (80) 2nd yellow.
Chenecks; 1. Callum Patching 2. Lee Kew 3. Ross Falconer 4. Ray Reeve 5. Tom Caton © 6. Reece Sweeney 7. Jacob Cox 8. Liam Stone 9. Jonny Shakespeare 10. Kelvin Moyo 11. Ali Duncan. Subs all used; 12. Sam Dengel 14. Tom Smith 15. Jordan Sweeney 16. Matty Reeve 17. Harry Southgate.
Referee; Simon Castleman.
