IT’S ALMOST HERE. THE COUNTY FINAL TAKES PLACE AT SIXFIELDS TOMORROW EVENING.

Tuesday 18^th April 2023

NORTHANTS F.A HILLIER SENIOR CUP – FINAL

COGENHOE UNITED v PETERBOROUGH SPORTS

At Sixfields Stadium.

Upton Way,

Northampton.

NN5 5QA

KO 7-45 PM

Admission; £12-00 adults and £6-00 concessions.

Cogenhoe head into the final of the county cup without actually winning a game in 90 minutes, in fact they were knocked-out for a week or so in the first round, so the omens may well be on their side even though they go into the game as massive underdogs on Tuesday night. Every one of their ties this season have ended level and in the first round back in July they were knocked out on penalties by AFC Rushden & Diamonds, but the visitors had played a player who hadn’t received international clearance making him ineligible for the tie, so the Cooks were put back into the competition and given a home draw against Desborough Town. This also ended 1-1 with substitute Pharrell Anderson taking the tie to penalties with an 86^th minute equaliser after former Cooks player and fellow sub Dennis Nkrumah had given Ar Tarn a late lead. Ash Bodycote was the hero saving three penalties and his teammates duly obliged to send the Cooks through 4-3. The semi-final saw step 2 Kettering Town visit Compton Park and the Cooks were very unlucky not to win it in 90 minutes, but it remained 0-0 and it was penalties again. This one was more one-sided with the Cooks going through 4-1 on spot kicks.

The Turbines route to the final has been far more emphatic though. They despatched Northampton Town U23 3-0 at Lincoln Road in the first round with Maniche Sani, Mark Jones and Lewis Hilliard all on target, then Wellingborough Town were beaten 4-0 in the quarter finals. Jones bagging a brace with Hilliard and Lamine Sherif also on target in the win. The semi-final draw took them to Corby Town and Sports cruised to a 4-0 victory at Steel Park with Josh McCammon helping himself to a hat-trick, with Sani the other man on the score-sheet.

The Turbines came right through from the Peterborough League (step 7) to reach the National League North division in an incredibly short space of time with Jimmy Dean guiding them through the UCL Division One inside the first three years which was followed by just one season in the Premier before they headed on to bigger things. Dean will always be a legend at the club, but earlier this season he was lured what would seem to be a bigger club in fallen football league side Scunthorpe United, but he was unable to keep them up in the National Division and will be returning to Peterborough in the league next season with the Iron. Taking his place were Michael Gash and Luke Steele. This season had seen them hover just above the relegation zone for a time, but a decent run has seen them lift themselves 14^th place and a comfortable mid-table position, but they have failed to win any of their previous four games, the latter being a 0-2 home defeat to Hereford. Their last victory came away to Kevin Wilkin’s AFC Telford United where Dan Jarvis’ 24^th minute screamer from outside the box gave them a 1-0 win.

Our two clubs have met five times so far since their elevation to senior football. Results below.