Former Cogenhoe centre-back sinks his old club in scrappy local derby.
Saturday 28th August 2021
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
WELLINGBOROUGH TOWN (0) 1 COGENHOE UNITED (0) 0
Doughboys;
O’Connor 49
Craig Adams was without the suspended Paddy Cichosz but Lloyd Groves was fit again so took his place at back. Josh Adams and Faz Rahman stepped up from the bench while U18s player Matt Fletcher got his first call up to the first team on the as one of three subs, where he joined Kobi Bivens who was returning from injury. The Doughboys saw a welcome return for Jake Newman up front whilst they also started with five ex-Cooks players on the field and had one more on the bench. No Archie Elmore for the Cooks though as he has returned to former club Daventry Town.
Nice work from Adams saw him get by his man down the left and send over a cross that took a deflection off a defender and ended up safely in the Josh McAdoo’s arms then Tom Wakley chased a ball into the box, but McAdoo came out to claim the ball before the striker could get there. Dylan Wilson got the better of Kyle Ansell only for his cross to be cut out by Rhys Kelly, but the opening fifteen minutes were very scrappy as neither team were able to keep possession for more than a couple of passes, but with lots of head-tennis as the ball spent too much time in the air.
The first real opening came from a good piece of play by Wakley as he cut inside and hit a powerful shot that had to be tipped over the bar by McAdoo. A nice piece of play between Wilson and Orosz only resulted in a throw-in as we worked the right flank, them Dan Mortimer went through former Cooks man Josh Melling in front of the stand and referee Brian O’Sullivan got his yellow card out for the first time. Newman did well down the left and sent a dangerous ball across the box that Cogenhoe got away, whilst down the other end a good ball by Wilson so nearly put Wakley through, but Doughboys’ skipper Melling made a very timely tackle inside the box. The resulting corner saw Rahman swing it in to the far post and Orosz will be a little disappointed not to have got his close-range header on target.
Rico Alexander did well to stop Lloyd Buckby getting into a shooting position in our box just before Jack Riley clattered George Wingrove and got a stern lecture from the referee. An Ansell free-kick from in front of the dug-outs was taken well in the air by Foxall just before Wingrove shot from a very ambitious angle and sent the ball high and wide of the target. Wakley took a throw from Orosz into his feet and turned his marker to hit the ball across the box but Kelly was there to block it and then a nice cross by Mortimer was punched away by McAdoo in the busy penalty area.
A great run by Wakely saw him try to release Wilson only for the impressive Kelly to win the tackle and then a great run by Orosz saw him go past Melling and Kelly but he couldn’t find space to shoot or a man to lay it off to as he got into the box and was eventually crowded out. Harry Chipchase often likes to leave his mark on the game and rather silly foul on Rahman after the Cooks man had got away from him saw him go into the book six minutes before the break. Rahman took the free-kick himself and put it well over the top and all the way to the back of the training area behind the goal. The scrappy stuff ruled the final five minutes of the half with nothing worthy of a mention and the two sides went into the break without troubling the scorers.
Half-time; Doughboys 0 Cooks 0
A good run down the wing by Orosz saw him cut the ball back for Jamie Mastropierro just inside the box and his well-struck shot was blocked, but it was the home side who broke the deadlock with four minutes of the second half played. Joe Curtis sent over a corner from the right and Jack O’Connor rose to meet it with his head from close range at the near post and although Craig Foxall did well to get his hand to it, he could only push it into the roof of the net. The goal clearly lifted the hosts and Buckby almost added a second with a well-struck shot that Foxall saved well at the expense of another corner with Curtis again looking for O’Connor, this time at the back post, but although he rose well to win the header, he couldn’t direct this one on target. Foxall then took a high cross from Buckby before we saw the game’s first substitution as Archie Culley replaced Mortimer in the centre of the park.
Wakley won the ball back and slipped it inside to Wilson who didn’t get hold of his shot from distance and it was easy for the keeper to collect. He did have other options on I guess, but I can understand his frustrations having not really received the service he needs to make things happen around the box. Orosz beat his man and laid the ball to Culley who went for goal from 25-yards out, but he got under it and it wasn’t his best effort, but he then played in a very good free-kick that McAdoo jumped up to meet with a strong punch to clear.
A good corner from Rahman was headed away by Melling, then Groves played a nice ball up for Wilson, but McAdoo came out to sweep. Rahman made way for Bivens in midfield in the Cooks second change of the afternoon. Riley made a run out of defence only to be tripped and Culley played the free-kick into the box only to see it cleared as far as Bivens 25-yards out and his first-time shot went wide. Riley played a ball up to Wakley and with Ansell trying to see the ball out, the Cooks man robbed him and cut inside the box before firing a low ball across, but Kelly cut it out for a corner. The set-piece was won in the air by a defender and it fell for Bivens 25-yards out and he a very decent half volley towards goal but it couldn’t get through the bodies in the box and was blocked by a defender.
Riley headed away a Newman cross and moments later a Curtis corner from the left saw O’Connor win it with a glancing header that went just the wrong side of the far post. A nice move saw Wilson hold the ball up and give it to Orosz who played it into the middle where Bivens flicked it on, but the danger was cleared before Wakley could pounce. Bivens played an up and under that Ansell headed back to him as he ran in and he hit it well from a good 30-yards out and his effort wasn’t too far wide.
Orosz played the ball inside for Bivens and he made a good run to the edge of the box before finding Wakley, but he turned into his man and the chance was gone. A good cross from Orosz saw both Bivens and Mastropierro have their shots blocked before Riley rose to meet the ensuing corner only to be penalised and come off worst after a clash of heads. With just a minute left of normal time to go, Matt Fletcher came on for his debut as he injured centre-back was forced to come off. Bivens was booked for a foul that I must say seemed rather harsh from where I stood as we headed into stoppage time. A good challenge by Alexander on Newman stopped the Doughboys leading scorer from having a chance to increase his tally. We were deep into added time when the Cooks won a corner and from it they came closest to scoring during the whole game. A good delivery saw the ball stay in the home side’s penalty area as Groves got the better of O’Connor to head the ball on and both Orosz and Alexander had their headers blocked before Wilson could only put the ball over from close range in the crowded 6-yard box.
Not to be for the Cooks today and in truth a fairly disappointing performance in which we created little over the whole 90 minutes and gave poor service to Tom Wakley and Dylan Wilson up front. Defensively we were pretty good again limiting the Doughboys to very little where it counts and keeping the prolific Jake Newman quiet, but that spring that Jack O’Connor has in his legs proved vital as he headed his second goal of the week. Not too many candidates for man-of-the-match today, but my nod goes to Jordan Orosz for the second time in three matches as he proved to be a real handful down the right flank again.
This one has gone now and we turn our focus to Tuesday night and a trip to Rothwell Corinthians as we look to get back to winning ways again in another all Northamptonshire clash.
Wellingborough; 1. Josh McAdoo 2. Josh Melling © 3. Kyle Ansell 4. Harry Chipchase 5. Jack O’Connor 6. Rhys Kelly 7. Louie Barratt (sub 12. Damian Osoimoejiokhan) 8. Joe Curtis 9. Jake Newman 10. Lloyd Buckby 11. George Wingrove. Subs not used; 14, Robbie Parsons 15. Ollie Anderson 16. Harry Lamb 17. Brad Harris.
Yellow cards; 4. Chipchase (39) foul. Osoimoejiokhian (73) foul.
Cooks; 1. Craig Foxall 2. Jordan Orosz 3. Josh Adams 20. Lloyd Groves © 5. Jack Riley (sub 15. Matt Fletcher 89) 6. Rico Alexander 7. Faris Rahman (sub 14. Kobi Bivens 68) 8. Jamie Mastropierro © 9. Dylan Wilson 10. Tom Wakley 11. Dan Mortimer (sub 12. Archie Culley 53).
Yellow cards; Mortimer (19) foul. Bivens (90) foul.
Referee; Brian O’Sullivan
Assts; Stewart Glendinning & Andy Halladay.
