Scrappy affair as Adams boys lose for the first time.
Saturday 14th August 2021
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
COGENHOE UNITED (0) 0 LEICESTER ROAD (0) 1
Langham 65 (pen)
Att; 53
Craig Adams was without Lloyd Groves, Josh Adams and Faris Rahman as we played host to Leicester Road for the first time, enforcing him to make changes from our win on Wednesday night. Harry Darnell came back from university to help out and found himself in the unfamiliar role of centre-back today. Jordan Orosz, Dan Mortimer, Will Bates, Dylan Wilson and Jack Daldy all returned to the starting line up after being on the bench at Haverhill, but Kobi Bivens, Archie Elmore and Paddy Cichosz had to make do with a place amongst the substitutes.
The Hinckley club should have taken the lead inside two minutes when a low delivery from the left came to the feet of an unmarked Dom Brennan deep inside the 6-yard box at the far post but he was thwarted Rico Alexander who threw himself across and blocked his shot on the goalline. Foxall then got down to save a shot from the edge of the box as the visitors started with intent before a Orosz played a low ball into the visitor’s penalty area that was intercepted. The ball went out to the right where Bates sent over a first time cross that keeper Will Highland caught cleanly, despite the challenge of Mortimer.
A nice ball from Mortimer up to Wilson saw the striker use his pace as he tried to escape the presence of Nathan Astill, but the defender dealt with things well and stopped him getting into a shooting position before taking the ball away. A free-kick into the box saw Alexander caught as he played the ball, but referee Michael Dunkley waved play on as Wilson won possession, but his angle was very tight now and he couldn’t turn inside to get in a shot. A cross/shot from Mortimer wide on the left gave the keeper a couple of nervous seconds as the ball dropped over his head, but it was just over the bar too.
Astill steered a header on target from a free-kick only to find Foxall’s positioning and handling both spot on, whilst down the other end Wakley hooked a volley across the box from the left but Wilson couldn’t quite get his head on the end of it. Daldy beat his man wide right and sent over a cross that Highland was forced to turn over his own bar, but the keeper then took Mortimer’s corner cleanly. Alexander intercepted a through ball in his own half, Bates won the second ball and fed Wilson on the left and he got past Jarred Acton to get to the corner of the box, but his shot was a yard or two over the top.
A pretty uninspiring first 45 minutes with all to play for in the second half.
HT; Cooks 0 Leicester Road 0
A long throw by Acton found its way to Jordan Burrows on the edge of the box and he turned to shoot but didn’t really go through the ball and it looped over the bar. Orosz did well on the right and cut into the box before going down. There were a few appeals from around the ground but the referee correctly waved play on. A quick free-kick from a long way out was struck well, but didn’t cause any concern to Foxall who caught it comfortably, then another set-piece saw Brennan send a free-kick in from the right that Danny Jenno met with a powerful header, but it was the wrong side of the far post and out for a goal-kick.
Elmore replaced Wakley one minute past the hour just before a decent looking cross from the left that was just too high for Brennan in the centre. Orosz made way for Cichosz on 63, but two minutes later disaster struck for the Cooks. Brennan was chasing a ball that was going to the right of the goal, but a little bit of inexperience in his role from Darnell saw him check into and across the run of the striker just inside the box to stop him chasing the ball and Mr Dunkley immediately pointed to the spot. Matt Langham stepped up to take the penalty and placed to Foxall’s right and just inside the post. He Cooks keeper went the right way and very nearly got his outstretched hand to the ball but he was just beaten and we had conceded our first goal of the season after a very impressive 5 hours and 35 minutes. 0-1 in Leicester Road’s favour with 65 minutes played.
Bates and Elmore combined to send Cichosz down the right, but his cross was cut out for a corner, then Wilson went for goal from the edge of the box only for a defender to block his effort. Goal scorer Langham made way for Tom Smith on 71 and four minutes later Adams made his final change as he brought on Bivens for Daldy who had put up a battling display in the centre of midfield. Brennan went for goal with a free-kick some 25-yards out that Foxall caught at head height.
Jamie Mastropierro defended well from a big kick down the middle by Highland as he calmly steered his header back to Foxall. A late sub by Neil Lyne saw Jack Harrison come on for Burrows, but this was more about consuming time than anything else. Alexander was thrown upfront for the final minutes but in truth we hardly crossed the half-way line as the visitor’s managed the game out well. Darnell’s afternoon got worse when his frustrations got the better of him in stoppage time and he lunged into a tackle that took the man rather than the ball and he became the only player to be shown the yellow card in a well-fought and competitive game.
Today Craig Adams lost his unbeaten tag and Craig Foxall was beaten for the first time, but with no midweek game we have plenty of time for licking our wounds and getting things right before we host Dereham Town in the F.A Cup next Saturday. In truth we weren’t good today and the visitors were more physical and direct which we didn’t get a handle on at times. Having said that we defended well again but we did sorely miss the presence of Lloyd Groves today in both penalty areas. He would most likely have been the man at the back in the penalty incident and would have just ensured the forward was forced wide, but that is life and we need to put this disappointment behind us and move on. We created very little for our forwards today and as the game went on Wilson found himself isolated up front and was hardly seeing the ball as Wakley was forced to drop deeper in search of the game. It did appear that Wednesday’s game may have taken a little out of us in what was a real battle on the night, but I still felt that everyone gave their all again today so heads up and roll on next Saturday.
Man of the match today goes to Rico Alexander for another solid performance at the back for the Cooks.
Cooks; 1. Craig Foxall 2. Jordan Orosz (sub 15. Paddy Cichosz 63) 3. Dan Mortimer 4. Harry Darnell 5. Jack Riley 6. Rico Alexander 7. Will Bates 8. Jamie Mastropierro © 9. Dylan Wilson 10. Jack Daldy (sub 12. Kobi Bivens 75) 11. Tom Wakley (sub 14. Archie Elmore 61).
Leicester Road; 1. Will Highland 2. Jarred Acton 3. Callum Earls 4. Ben Humphries 5. Danny Jenno © 6. Nathan Astill 7. Jordan Burrows (sub 17. Jack Harrison 86) 8. Simon Alcott 9. Matt Langham (sub 14. Tom Smith 71) 10. Dom Brennan 11. Liam Read. Subs not used; 12. Jack Brown 15. Adam Hohn 16. Jack Beasley.
Referee; Michael Dunkley
Assts. Aaron Lloyd & Benjamin Hughes.
As I stated above, there is no game for the first team this midweek, but the Reserves do play here on Tuesday night when we entertain local rivals O.N Chenecks Reserves in a league game, KO 7-45pm.
They played their first game of the season today and picked up what looks like a decent point in a 2-2 draw at Yaxley. Will Russell and Jessi Obeng on target for the Cooks.
