Monday 26th December 2022
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
COGENHOE UNITED v WELLINGBOROUGH TOWN
Compton Park,
Brafield Rd,
Cogenhoe.
NN7 1ND
NOON K.O
After two weeks of snow covered frozen pitches, the Cooks will finally return to action with a juicy Boxing Day local derby as Wellingborough Town head down to the village for a noon kick-off.
The Doughboys, managed by former Cooks gaffer Jake Stone, currently occupy fourth place in the table and although they are quite away behind Rugby and Sphinx points-wise, they will certainly be looking to keep the pressure up in the second half of the season hoping for a slip-up that could see them finish in the promotion places at the end of April. Jake’s team are still unbeaten on their travels in the league and they had been 100% before they headed to Bugbrooke in the last game before the big freeze, but the Badgers became the first home team to take a point off them in a 0-0 draw. They may well have been a little bit of defence first in this one, having beaten G.N.G 7-5 in their previous game. 0-2 down, 7-2 up, then conceding three more goals in what must have been an incredible game for the spectators to watch, if not for the managers.
Home form has been our visitors problem in the league, with four losses to date and importantly Rugby Town (0-2) and Newport Pagnell Town (1-5) are both above them, with March Town United (1-2) and Coventry United (1-2) in the pack behind. They have still to play second placed Coventry Sphinx. Stone still has a number of former Cooks in his squad with Rico Alexander, Tom Iaciofano, Matt Long, Séan McBride, Jack O’Connor, Harry Chipchase and Luis Vieira all featuring recently, while he has also made some big signings too over the last few weeks with Brett Solkhon coming in as player-coach along with goal-scoring wide-man Nat Gosnal-Tyler and the returning striker Jake Newman.
Scott Carlin has also been active in the transfer market and has brought in Kettering Town youngster Harry Waple-Moors, a lively player who had been playing for Long Buckby this season. The Cooks really need to start picking up points now as they sit just three points off the bottom, with just two teams between them and the relegation places, but with our next game being at home to leaders Rugby Town this won’t be an easy task at all. The Rugby game, cancelled from last Saturday, will now be played on the Bank Holiday January 2nd with a 1pm kick-out.
The last time these two teams met at Compton Park was on Tuesday 18th March this year and it was the visitors who took the point thanks to a double from former Cooks star Tom Iaciofano, who had only recently signed for the Doughboys from Loughborough Students. A cracker from distance from Carter Price had given Wellingborough the lead, but Tom Wakley levelled things up before the break. Iaciofano danced through our defence to slot home on 57 minutes, then converted from the spot after he had himself been fouled with 16 minutes left to play. A late penalty (very generously awarded as the foul was outside the box) was put away by leading scorer Wakley to make it an interesting finale, but the visitors held firm to win 3-2.
New signing Harry Waple-Moors
NEXT GAME; Monday 2ND January 1pm KO.
Rugby Town at home.
