Tuesday 7th September 2021
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
COGENHOE UNITED v HARBOROUGH TOWN
Compton Park
Brafield Rd,
Cogenhoe,
NN7 1ND
KO 7-45 pm.
On Tuesday night we face another tough test as we host a Harborough Town team who are one of only three teams in the division to still boast a 100% record. They have won all six of their games so far in the league and are level with leaders Coventry Sphinx, but with two games in hand. Some might find it quite ironic that we end up playing back-to-back games against the leaders and the leaders elect when things aren’t going our way on the pitch, but it is what it is and we must face each challenge as it arrives.
The Bees started off with a 4-0 home win over G.N.G Oadby then won 2-1 in Easington in their next league match. Their main title rivals Coventry United were defeated 2-1, followed by a 3-1 victory against Potton in successive home games before an excellent 3-0 win at Eynesbury and a 3-1 success away to Godmanchester on Saturday. Jordan Henson had given the Bees the lead before Rovers pegged them back. Merson Styles put them back in front from the half-way line with nine minutes remaining and James Ireland wrapped things up from the penalty spot with three minutes to go. They are also a 90 minute team with six of their twenty goals coming in the final ten minutes of the game (plus one more on 79) so definitely no switching off before the end in this one.
One player who needs no introduction to Compton Park is striker Nat Ansu who joined the Leicestershire club from us in the summer. Nat played for us for two shortened seasons and ended with the incredible stats of 26 goals in just 23 appearances for the club and left us with some great memories. So far he scored five times in seven games so clearly knows where the net is still.
Bees boss Mitch Austin has kept the strongest part of the squad he inherited and has added some real quality with the addition of the experienced Paul Malone a real coup for a UCL club. He has also brought in a few players he knows well from his time in charge at Rothwell Corinthians with Dodzi Agbenu, Dan Cooper, Jordan Henson and Merson Styles all re-uniting with their former gaffer.
News has of course now broken of the impending departure of Cogenhoe manager Craig Adams who is having to step down as first team manager due to a major relocation, but he will be in the dug-out tomorrow and up until the end of September as we search for his replacement. Hopefully we can get back on track now after our good start and what better way to do that than against one of the title favourites in Harborough Town.
Saturday was disappointing as it ended 0-3 in favour of the leaders Sphinx, but we were largely solid at the back on the day with two late goals giving a more one-sided look to the result.
The last time these two teams met here was Tuesday 15th September 2020 with the visitors winning a tight game 2-1. Jake Gillingwater headed us in front on 9 minutes with a close-range header from Michael Cirelli’s free-kick, but the needless sending-off of Troy Johnston for an elbow certainly didn’t help our cause with 63 minutes left to play. A great finish from 25-yards out by Callum Milne drew the eleven men level on 37 minutes and they won it route one style when a huge kick from keeper Elliott Taylor saw Dan Forbes run through totally clear and he jumped to head the ball past Bradley Lashley as he came out to try and win the ball.
Results here at Compton Park since Harborough won promotion to the Premier Division;
| 2020/21 | L 1-2 | Jake Gillingwater |
| 2019/18 | L 0-2 | |
| 2018/19 | W 2-1 | Ryan Dove (2) |
| 2017/18 | L 1-3 | Montel Dore |
| KO CUP | L 1-3 | Bartlett (og) |
| 2016/17 | W 2-1 | Luke Stone, Ryan Dove |
| 2015/16 | W 2-0 | Damon Herbert (2) |
| 2014/15 | W 5-0 | Jake Cayton (2), Lewis Leslie, Dan Thomason, Sam Heavey |
| 2013/14 | W 4-0 | Tom Liversedge (3), Jack Bowen |
| 2012/13 | W 7-1 | Darren Frost (3), Lewis Leslie, Jamie Russell, Josh Urquhart, Sam Heavey |
Thursday 9th September
NORTHANTS SENIOR YOUTH LEAGUE-SOUTH
WELLINGBOROUGH WHITWORTH U18 RED v COGENHOE UNITED U18
Whitworth Sports Ground,
London Rd,
Wellingborough.
NN8 2DP
KO 7-45 pm
The Cooks start their NSYL campaign on Thursday with a short trip to Whitworth to play their ‘Red’ team as we hope to continue the excellent form we showed in our 4-1 F.A Youth Cup win at Barton Rovers last week. Matt Fletcher netted a brace in Bedfordshire to add to goals from Andis Vigants and Freddie Shaw. Whitworth Red started their league season a week earlier and ran out comfortable 5-0 winners over Bedford Town Youth Development, but we are so early into the season you can’t judge how good or bad teams might be until at least a few games in.
Darren and Chris have added a few new players to the very young squad we had last season and with a majority of them now gaining experience with our reserve team, we are hopeful of an exciting season of football at U18 level.
A week after the game in Wellingborough, we play our first home game of the season as we host league rivals Bugbrooke St Michaels in the first qualifying round of the F.A Youth Cup, but more on that game next week as we concentrate on getting our first points on the board at Whitworth.
