COOKS BEAT STEP FOUR DAVENTRY IN THE MID-SUMMER HEAT.

Saturday 9^th July 2022

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY

COGENHOE UNITED Reserves (0) 1 AFC OAKLEY (2) 4

Cooks;

Darren Fotso

Oakley;

Stuart Gillies

Chisom Amadi

Harvey Holland

Joel Ives

Att; 17

An experienced Oakley team from the Bedfordshire League Premier Division proved a little too strong over the 90 minutes for a much younger Cooks squad as they ran out 4-1 winners on a hot afternoon on the back pitch at Compton Park.

The lively Darren Fotso scored the Cooks consolation goal, with keeper Josh Buswell making some good saves for the Cooks with an impressive performance despite picking the ball out of his net four times. The Cooks had their moments with Shad Reza playing a good ball into Kieran Mobbs inside the box on the right with his dinked effort going over the bar, but a nice move from the visitors was finished off well by Stuart Gillies inside the box with just over a quarter of an hour played.

A great challenge from Buswell denied Oakley a second goal, but a quick break down the right opened us up as a perfect low ball into the box was tucked away first time by Chisom Amadi. Reza wasn’t far off target from distance, but the Cooks headed into the break 0-2 down.

Ian Adcock made eight changes at the break to ensure the whole squad got a run out, so we were re-shaping a little, but Kelvin Gyamfi looked lively from the off and forced a good save from inside the box before firing just wide from around 20-yards a couple of minutes later. A decent first-time effort from Seb-Patrick Meden 25-yardsout was only just wide of the target, but the Beds team extended their lead when Buswell did really well to save Amadi’s low shot, but Harvey Holland was on hand to tap home the loose ball from close range.

Reza saw his 30-yarder go over the bar. But a nicely worked one-two saw Joel Ives finish neatly. Buswell saved again with one of the Oakley players completely unmarked inside the 6-yard box. He only had to touch it over the line, but having not controlled it first time, he tried to backheel it in, but only rolled it back out to the grateful arms of Buswell. A great free-kick from Lee Felgate from the half-way line picked out Darren Fotso who lifted the ball over the keeper on the volley. Good play from Rob Jankowski saw him find Shaun Fotso, but his effort was deflected over by a defender.

A good work out for the boys with eleven changes from last Saturday’s squad and a number of players away still, but plenty of time before the Reserve season starts.

Thanks to AFC Oakley for the game today and we wish them luck in their forthcoming season.

Cooks; Buswell, Mobbs, Wootton, McGrath, Reza, Allam, Redding, Morris, Meden, Giddens, Mason ©. Subs all used; Short, Felgate, Shaw, Jankowski, S. Fotso, Murphy, Gyamfi, D. Fotso.

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY

COGENHOE UNITED (2) 2 DAVENTRY TOWN (0) 1

Cooks;

Obeng 40 (pen), 45

Daventry;

52. Wilson 52.

Att; 41

We moved across to the main pitch for what would be our stiffest test so far on paper so far as we hosted Northern Premier League club Daventry Town. Scott Carlin made a few changes from Thursday night with Josh Adams featuring for the first time this season, Luca Purse coming in at centre-back, Pharrel Anderson and Jessi Obeng starting, with Ben Dimond getting his first Cooks appearance under his belt in the second-half.

Daventry started well and forced a corner inside the first minute, but it was from a corner a few minutes later that we had the first shot of the game. Regan Saunt got up well in the crowd to get a hand to the ball, but it dropped Jeff Woodward just beyond the far post, but he steered his first-time effort the wrong side of the far post. A good move from the Cooks involving Luca Iaciofano and Louie Barrett saw a shot deflected over the top, then from Iaciofano’s corner, Paddy Cichosz headed it on to Purse whose volley came off a Daventry player for another corner.

Anderson and Kodi Briggs combined to allow Iaciofano the chance to dink a great ball up to Barrett who lobbed the keeper from about 8-yards out, but the ball came down on the roof of the net. Cichosz blocked a shot inside the box with the rebound going to former Cooks player Dylan Wilson, but his angle was tight and he fired his shot the wrong side of the near post. Barrett was just wide with his low 25-yard drive, then Mitch White made himself some space as the Cooks knocked the ball about nicely, but his shot from just outside the box was blocked before it could trouble the keeper.

Good control and skill from Jessi Obeng saw him get past Bleu McNeil on the left and cut into the box along the by-line before he went down under a challenge and referee Wayne Chalmers pointed to the spot. Obeng claimed the penalty for himself and calmly sent the keeper the wrong way to open the scoring with just five minutes to go until the break. There was still more to come though as with the time now being added on for the drinks break, great play from Anderson saw him put Obeng through in the box and cool as a cucumber, he drew the keeper and slotted his shot past him and just inside the post for a very good goal indeed. In true Nat Ansu style, he knew exactly where the camera was and didn’t disappoint.

The visitors made a number of changes before the restart, while the Cooks remained as you were.  Amongst the Daventry subs were former Cogenhoe favourites Ross (one more season) Harris and striker Jack Bowen. Daventry pulled one back seven minutes into the second half with a good finish from Dylan Wilson, firing home low from right side of the box. A clinical finish and one we saw a number of times last season when he was wearing the blue.

The Daventry scorer was running at goal again soon afterwards, but this time Purse pulled him back just outside the box. Would have been a definite yellow card in the league, but as this was a friendly everyone was spared the extra paperwork. The heat was really taking its toll on the players now with long spells of ‘nothing to report’ the end result. Anderson fired a low shot just wide from 25-yards, then a really good move saw Harley Mallard exchange passes with Iaciofano to get inside the box, but unfortunately he rolled his shot just the wrong side of the post.

Lewis Burgess’ long throws hadn’t really caused us much concern and he launched one straight into the goal and thankfully Saunt wasn’t tempted to try and keep it out as a flick of the glove would have made it all square. Cal Farmer, Dylan Carlin and Ben Dimond (later on) were all given some game time for the Cooks. Barrett turned sharply and cut inside the box and fired his shot across the keeper, but also past the far post, then Barrett found Carlin inside the box on the right and he pulled it back across the box, but a defender got there at the same time as Cichosz and the Cooks skipper was unable to get in a shot.

It is now three games unbeaten for Carlin, Farmer and Batty and although results aren’t that important pre-season, we have a very good foundation to be building on right now. Thanks to Daventry Town’s physio for coming on to treat one of our players after his Cogenhoe counterpart had to dash away early and thanks to Arron Parkinson for bringing his team over to play us today. We wish him luck and success when his league season starts next month.

Cooks; Saunt, Adams, Briggs, White, Purse, Gough, Barrett, Cichosz ©, Iaciofano, Anderson, Obeng. Subs used; Farmer, Carlin, Mallard, Dimond.

Next up for the Cooks is a Tuesday night trip to play Rushden & Higham United at Hayden Road,