Saturday 23rd March 2024
UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
COVENTRY UNITED v COGENHOE UNITED
Butts Park Arena,
Butts Road,
Coventry.
CV1 3GE
KO 3-PM
The Cooks make the trip into the city of Coventry on Saturday afternoon to face the team currently sitting one place below them in the table. Coventry United sit in 14th place, two points behind the Cooks with both sides having five games left to play before the game and with recent form seeing both teams win one and draw two of their last six games, an even contest looks to be the likely scenario. One thing the Cooks will enjoy is the artificial playing surface which will allow them to play their normal game, especially after struggling on the awful pitch at Godmanchester on Tuesday night. The Cooks are now five without a win, while the home side did enjoy picking up three points two games back when they sent bottom markers Desborough packing with a 5-2 victory in a game that saw both Daniel Cassidy and Joe Blowers net braces. Last time out they pushed March Town all the way in the Fens, but ended up losing 2-1 despite substitute Charlie Morgan’s effort for the Red & Greens.
The Cooks have a very good record against Coventry United and have yet to lose to them since they joined the UCL three seasons back, drawing 1-1 on our first visit with Archie Elmore’s 42nd minute penalty cancelling out Ashton De Mulders opener, then last year we beat them 2-1 with Ben Gough’s looping header putting us in front at the break and a classic breakway goal from Jessi Obeng doubling our advantage after some great work by sub Luca Iaciafano. The home side did pull one back five minutes into stoppage time through Jacob Wiliams, but it was the Cooks who returned home victorious. Back at Compton Park we have also enjoyed much the better of the results drawing 2-2 with the then high-flying opponents in our first meeting, beating them 4-1 the following year before kicking off the current campaign with a 3-0 victory. Stanley Channell opened the scoring that day with a fine finish after just 4 minutes, Alex Parkes made it 2-0 on 70 and sub Jamie Hall rounded off the afternoon with the goal of the game eight minutes from time. All the scorers that day have since moved to pastures new in the search of regular football, as have half of the Cooks squad of sixteen with Adam North, Lewis Green, Damien Osoinoejiokhian, Nathan Bell-Toxtle and Olly Taylor with the latter now signed on for the Red & Greens and having made four starts for his new club.
Scott Carlin has boosted his midfield with the signing of Kai Fifield from Wellingborough Town for whom he has made 10 appearances this season including coming off the bench against us earlier in the season and he goes straight into the squad for tomorrow’s game. Biff also has Ben Dimond back from injury but will be missing skipper Harley Mallard with the knee problem he picked up at Easington and in fact we all missed him at Godmanchester on Tuesday night, Tekula Chijota is also back in contention, but we won’t be seeing Matty Ireland or Josh Rayfield who are both needed by the Cobblers U18s this weekend.
Ben Dimond is back in contention tomorrow after missing the last two games through injury.
Skipper Harley Mallard will not back yet though and was sorely missed in midweek.
