The Cooks romped to a 5-2 win at Daventry Town with Sam Gidden’s four goal haul stealing the headlines.
Saturday 25th March 2023
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – RESERVE DIVISION
DAVENTRY TOWN RESERVES (1) 2 COGENHOE UNITED RESERVES (3) 5
Daventry;
Lovell (2) (1 pen)
Cooks;
Giddens 1, 17, 30 (pen), 85
Rundell-Muller 65
Att; 18
The Reserves travelled to Daventry Town once again, following the January postponement 15 mins before kick-off.
It was a slightly re-shuffled pack, with the team carrying 3 hamstring injuries, a couple of absentees and Luke Andrews into the 3rd game of his 4-match ban!
This meant a start at centre back for goalkeeper James Hine and Sam Giddens taking the centre forward shirt upon his return to the team after a couple of games off. 2 of the hamstring trio made the bench in Felgate & Gibbins, whilst Webb was rested completely to nurse his ever-crumbling body!
With a lot of recent change at Daventry, the talk of a quick start was the message and not to let the hosts settle to give them any momentum and boy did we get it – some neat play down the inside right with the ball finding its way to Sam Giddens on the edge of the box, who shot into the bottom right corner after 20 seconds! 0-1 Cooks.
Constant pressure afterwards looked like it could be a good day, but Daventry were always a threat on the counter, led by the consistent handful of James Lovell and his willing runners out wide. And that was exactly how the equaliser came on 16 mins – a quick break down the right, with a jaded Sam Harris running through treacle to try to catch him, ultimately bringing the home player down in the box for as clear a penalty as you’ll see all season. Lovell stepped up and sent Ciaran Wells the wrong way. 1-1.
A quick reaction was needed to not waste the early dominance and we got it once again. On 17 mins the ball found its way through to Sam Giddens once again, but this time inside the box to the left and Sam let fly and crashed the ball into the top left corner giving the keeper no chance. 1-2 Cooks.
More followed, neat play between the midfield and front 4, dominant possession and pressure, whilst always wary of Daventry’s counter, although by now, our newly formed back four had got to grips with each other and were handling these far better than at the beginning of the game.
On the half hour, a finely weighted ball from Mason McIlwraith sent Aidan Rundel-Muller into space on the right, who found the tricky Mirzan Noka inside the box. With a drop of the shoulder and quick turn, Noka got the defender tangled up and was brought down for the second penalty of the half. Giddens stepped up to take it and finished in fine style for a first half hat trick. 1-3 Cooks.
The half played out to how it had done the rest of it with us on top, but we knew that 4th goal was needed to really seal the game – a missed one on one by ARM in the final minute was something to think about at the break and not to take anything for granted.
HT: Daventry Town Res 1-3 Cogenhoe United Res
Mirzan picked up a Noka late on in the half, so a change at the break saw Lorenco Soulollari come on for him in a straight swap.
In truth, the break killed our momentum and the game fizzled out to a poorer standard with not a lot happening in the first 15 mins, until ARM swept away a loose ball in the box on the hour to open his account for the club. 1-4 Cooks.
Connor Gibbins was given a light run out for half hour at the expense of the hat trick hero Giddens.
On 70 mins Lovell struck again for the hosts, this time with a fine looping header back across Wells, nothing our keeper could do about it despite his best efforts and getting a touch. 2-4 Cooks.
Giddens & Noka returned to the field on 80 mins, to replace ARM & Tom Mitchell and it wasn’t long until Giddens helped himself to his 4th of the game with a hopeful shot from distance that somehow found its way into the net. 2-5 Cooks.
FT: Daventry Town Res 2-5 Cogenhoe United Res
A dominant performance in the first half and comfortable in the second, giving the chance to give good minutes to all. Should have been a couple more, but happy to get 3 points on the board.
REPORT BY IAN ADCOCK
PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY FINBARR CARROLL
Daventry; 1. John-Paul Anyamwu 2. Alex Ophson 3. Troy Haines 4. Sam Davies 5. Zach Chambers 6. Alex Mercer 7. Tanea Simon 8. Jon Joseph 9. Jimmy Lovell 10. Ben Morgan 11. Matt Gigante. Subs 12. Sean Okere 14. Michael Osborne 15. Ionut Rus.
Cooks; 1. Ciaran Wells 2. Dan Talbot 3. Tom Mitchell 4. Mason McIlwraith © 5. Sam Harris 6. James Hine 7. Aiden Rundell-Muller 8. Charlie Ferguson 9. Sam Giddens 10. Keiron Mobbs 11. Mirzan Noka. Aubs 12. Lorenco Soulollari (ht-11) 14. Lee Felgate 15. Connor Gibbins 60) 16. Lee Saving 17. Ian Adcock.
Referee; Tom Brentnall
