Troy Johnston had given the Cooks the half-time lead, but The Clan fought back after the break to deservedly take all three points.
Tuesday 24th October 2023
UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
COGENHOE UNITED (1) 1 EASINGTON SPORTS (0) 3
Cooks;
Johnston 22
Clan;
Buckingham 52, 83
Convey 70 (Pen)
Att; 32
The Cooks included new signing Jai Newell-Hollely who signed recently from Long Buckby in their starting line-up, with Dylan Wilson, Earl Atat and Troy Johnston all returning to the team. Luke Bullement, Callum Swain and James Hall all dropped out of the squad, but it was good to see Bailey Weatherly return from breaking his arm on the bench. Other good news was the fact that Tommy Curry and Sonny Knights were both warming up with the squad before the game and could well be in contention for a place on Saturday. The Clan brought in Tommy Kinch, Josh Wynne and Leam Howards in place of Dan Watkin, Tom Smith and Ricky Johnson.
Atat sent over a cross from deep that keeper Joe White caught above his head, while Josh Wynne broke through the centre to get into the Cooks box, but was stopped by a timely challenge from Damien Osoimoejiokhian. Leam Howards played a dangerous ball into the box that Atat cut out just before Adam North was forced into a save to deny Chay Buckingham from deep inside the box. Johnston received a verbal warning from referee Wyndham Trusler after taking out Josh Reilly just inside the Cooks half, while a good run from Shama Bako saw him find space for a shot from well outside the box that was about a foot wide with White covering his near post well. James Watts was both high and wide with a wild shot from 30-yards out, then Callum Farmer played a good ball into Wilson’s feet just outside the box, but his shot was blocked by Jake Humphreys. Bako beat his man as he cut in from the left before hitting a low shot that was heading just inside the post, forcing White to get down and make a good save as he touched the ball wide of his right-hand post.
The Cooks won a free-kick wide on the left about 35-yards out in the 22nd minute and Farmer played a great ball into towards the far post and Johnston got up amongst the pack to steer a header past White as the Cooks took the lead for the first time in seven games, which given recent results was just what they needed tonight. A good free-kick down the other end taken by Callum Convey picked out an unmarked Humpreys at the far post on the edge of the 6-yard box, but he planted his header the wrong side of the opposite post in a let-off moment for the Cooks. A powerful strike from 25-yards out to the left from Josh Wynne had North at full-stretch, but flew just wide of the far post, while down the village end Bako picked out Newell-Hollely who found Mobbs inside the box on the left and he cut it back across where Osoimoejiokhian met it with an ambitious header that was blocked before it could trouble White. Wilson picked up a yellow card on 35 minutes for a foul while the Cooks man made a good run that saw him run out of pitch, but the referee called play back to award a free-kick for an infringement earlier in the move. Farmer played it in but Reilly headed it away. A good tackle inside the box by Atat denied Wynne who appeared to have got himself free inside the box, Bako fired well wide from 25-yards out and the half ended with Bako picking up the game’s second yellow card for kicking the ball away after the whistle had been blown for an offside against him.
Half-Time; Cooks 1 Clan 0
Wilson did well to get the better of Humpreys in the air to win North’s kick before turning to hit a shot from 25-yards out that White watched sail a foot over his crossbar, while North got down well to make a one-handed save to deny Watts. The Cooks keeper was powerless to stop the visitors drawing level on 52 minutes though as Buckingham was given too much room just inside the box on the right and he placed his shot just inside North’s right-hand post. North was called into action again a minute later when Joe Eyre was left alone at the far post from a corner and steered a header on goal just under bar height and as Easington got themselves on top looking for a second, North had to come off his line quickly to punch under pressure from Howards. Johnston was booked on 57 minutes, not for the foul he committed, more for an accumulation of offences, while the Cooks backed-off Luke Swann who was allowed to make twenty yards unchallenged, but thankfully fired his shot well over from 25-yards.
Carlin’s first change saw Bako replaced by Weatherly on the hour, while a nice ball from Osoimoejiokhian saw Wilson go down under the challenge of Humphreys as he made for the box, with the skipper becoming the first Clan player to be shown a yellow card. Weatherly volleyed over from the edge of the box, but the game swung away from the Cooks on 70 minutes when Mobbs handled a cross that had been whipped in from the right and the referee pointed to the spot before cautioning him. Convey stepped up to beat North with the penalty and the Banbury side took the lead for the first time.
Watts was shown the yellow card for a foul a minute after the goal and was soon joined by Buckingham who had stepped in front of North as he drop-kicked by the ball. In between these two bookings, the Cooks replaced Newell-Hollely with Jack Connor, meaning Wilson moved out to the right. Howards was well off target with a shot from the edge of the box, while more subs followed with Easington bringing on Matt Hammond for Wynne and then the Cooks replaced Johnston with Charlie Pearson as the game reached the 80 minute mark. Sports wrapped things up in the 83rd minute when Buckingham netted his second of the game with a simple far post tap in following a low ball played across the face of goal from the left. Weatherly was sent to the sinbin before the restart to make the already difficult task even harder for the Cooks. Mobbs did well down the left and found Osoimoejiokhian on the wing and he sent over a cross that was an inch or so over Connor’s head on the edge of the 6-yard box just before we had three more changes with Leon and Wilson coming off to be replaced by Ben Dimond and Alex Parkes respectively, while Luke Fuller took the place of Reilly for the final four minutes of normal time. Weatherly got back on for the last two minutes of added time to make it eleven a side again, but the two-goal margin was beyond the Cooks reaches now and the final whistle meant defeat number seven in this wretched run of results. I have also read on the Easington Sports website that Callum Farmer was shown the red card after the final whistle, but I didn’t see this myself as I had to rush off.
A decent first half from the Cooks who held the advantage into the break and had a spell where they looked like they might take charge, but Easington had another gear from the restart and bossed a majority of the second forty-five minutes to earn the points. Man-of-the-match today goes to Shama Bako, lively performance with plenty of potential of what’s to come once he fully regains his match fitness. Overall though, not a great performance from the Cooks who failed to build on their half-time lead and were unable to keep possession when they needed to in the second half of the game.
Next up is another home game when Godmanchester Rovers head to Compton Park on Saturday for another tough fixture as the boys look to stop the rot.
Cooks; 1. Adam North 2. Earl Atat 3. Kieron Mobbs 4. Troy Johnston (sub 14. Charlie Pearson 80) 5. Dalton Leon (sub 16. Ben Dimond 86) 6. Harley Mallard © 7. Jai Newell-Hollely (sub 15. Jack Connor 71) 8. Callum Farmer 9. Shama Bako (sub 17. Bailey Weatherly 60) 10. Damien Osoimoejiokhian 11. Dylan Wilson (sub 12. Alex Parkes 86).
Clan; 1. Joe White 2. Luke Swann 3. Joe Eyre 4. Jake Humphreys © 5. Tommy Kinch 6. Callum Convey 7. Josh Reilly (sub 14. Luke Fuller 86) 16. James Watts 9. Leam Howards 10. Chay Buckingham 10. Josh Wynne (sub 17. Matt Hammond 86). Subs not used; 12. Ollie Rose 16. Ben Milner.
Referee; Wyndham Trusler
Assts; Luke Pilley & Chris Coles
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