A second half goal from Dan Porter sinks the Cooks.
Tuesday 23rd August 2022
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-RESERVE DIVISION
COGENHOE UNITED Reserves (0) 0 v WELLINGBOROUGH TOWN Reserves (0) 1
Doughboys;
Porter 72
Att; 55
This was a very different Wellingborough Town Reserve team that had lost their first three games of the season as first team manager Jake Stone took charge and included a number of players who would normally have been with his squad on a Saturday afternoon. Ian Adcock’s side included Saturday’s subs Louie Barrett, Louis Martin, Ash Masumbuko and Luca Iaciofano as gaffer Scott Carlin watched on for the sidelines.
Lee Felgate played an early free-kick into the box that Martin took down well and although his shot was blocked, Barrett latched onto the loose ball and drilled in a low cross that was cut out for the game’s first corner. Lorenco Soullorari took it and it he sent it high over the 6-yard box, but it was just too high for Felgate to get his head to and Joe Morris couldn’t get their either as he came in at the far post. Masumbuko turned and fed Barrett on the right wing and he sent in a dangerous cross that Dan Farrell held well.
Ciaran Wells first action was to catch a Matt Long header following a Doughboys’ free-kick, then Josh Jones drilled in a low shot from outside the box that Farrell dealt with easily. Jones broke into the box on the left and won a corner off Brady Stratford who defended the situation well and Martin sent it in deep, but Soulollari couldn’t get it back across the goal as it curled out of play beyond the far post. Luke Andrews drove through the centre and swept the ball wide to Barrett and he crossed first time, but Soulollari couldn’t take advantage. Former Cooks man Long forced a save out of Wells with a shot from the right side of the box, then a few minutes later Wells was definitely the hero with a superb double save to deny Long, the second from very close range on the follow up. Jones played in Soulollari on the edge of the box but shot was blocked and Jones first time effort hit a defender and went behind for a corner on the right. Soulollari delivered it into the centre where Andrews rose strongly, but couldn’t keep his header under bar height.
Long went close to opening the scoring for the visitors when he squeezed the ball past Wells from deep inside the box, but the Cooks keeper recovered very quickly and managed to dive back and scoop the ball off the line at full stretch. Wells was again in action as he got his hands to a powerful Joe Cayton strike from deep inside the box, then Morris battled hard to keep the ball and allow Jones to feed Soulollari inside the box on the left, but he opted to shoot rather than play in across and his weak effort was easy for Farrell to gather.
Carter Price put a free-kick ten yards over from well outside the box, then we had a flare-up that was just inside the Cooks half after Harry Chipchase had been fouled and he retaliated, although the referee then went back to an earlier foul and awarded it to the Cooks. Weirdly, once things had calmed down, Luke Andrews was singled out for the only yellow card. Morris went for goal from 25-yards with the ball deflecting wide for a corner which Martin took, but Farrell came off his line to get his hand to the ball and take it away from those looking to pounce.
Half-time; Cooks 0 Doughboys 0
Iaciofano came on at the break with Martin making way. Jones broke through the middle and tried to play Masumbuko through, but he put a little too much weight on his pass allowing Farrell to come off his line and take the ball, then Morris robbed Price midway in the Wellingborough half and gave it to Masumbuko who hit a decent shot from 20-yards out that flew just wide of the keeper’s left hand post. A ball in from the left from Jake Stronge was met first time by Long in the centre, but Wells held well, whilst down the other end a nice interchange between Jones and Barrett saw the latter’s shot blocked for a corner.
Masumbuko went on a good run down the right before pulling it back to Jones who’s first time shot was blocked by Stratford with the ball looping over the bar for another corner. Soulollari swung this one out and Felgate header was on target, but he was a little too far out to trouble Farrell who caught it comfortably on his goal line. Wells got down to save Stronge’s low shot from the left then moments later Long headed over. Iaciofano made a good run down the right but couldn’t get his cross over, then Wellingborough were an inch or so away from taking the lead when Long beat Wells with his shot, but clattered the crossbar. Isaac Redding replaced Felgate as the Cooks reshuffled a little and shortly afterwards the visitor’s took the lead.
Oli Anderson did well to get inside the box on the right before squaring the ball across to an unmarked Dan Porter and he side footed the ball home at the far post. 1-0 to Wellingborough with 72 minutes played. Iaciofano bobbled a shot wide from 25-yards out, then Jones was just off target with shot from the right corner of the box. Kieran Mobbs and Sam Giddens were both brought on by Adcock as the Cooks looked to get themselves back on terms and Barrett fired a low shot in from the edge of the box which went straight at Farrell. Mobbs did really well on the left and got the better of his man to get inside the box, but he was hesitant to shoot himself and his pull back was easily cleared allowing the Doughboys to break with Porter firing wide from a good position.
Iaciofano played a great ball over the top to Redding who hit his shot straight at the keeper, but it wouldn’t have counted anyway as the young striker was flagged offside. Wells used his feet to block a Porter shot, then a flick over the top from Iaciofano saw Farrell quickly off his line to claim with Giddens just unable to get a vital touch in front of him. The last chance of the game fell to Long inside the box on the right, but it wasn’t to be his night as he placed his shot wide of the far post.
Decent performance from the Cooks against a very strong looking Wellingborough Town line-up and we were close to getting a point. The Doughboys really tested us at times and Ciaran Wells certainly kept the score down and had that bit of luck when Matt Long’s shot hit the bar, but we got a lot of balls into the visitor’s box, but just lack the finishing touch on a number of occasions.
Cooks; 1. Ciaran Wells 2. Sam Harris 3. Eddie Mann 4. Luke Andrews 5. Joe Morris 6. Lee Felgate © 7. Louis Barrett 8. Louis Martin 9. Josh Jones 12. Lorenco Soulollari 11. Ashraf Masumbuko. Subs used; 12. Luca iaciofano 15. Kieran Mobbs 16. Sam Giddens 17. Isaac Redding. Sub not used; 14. Connor Gibbins.
Yellow Card; Andrews (42). (not sure what for).
Doughboys; 1. Dan Farrell 2. Zach Arnold 3. Kyle Ansell 4. Harry Chipchase 5. Brady Stratford 6. Dan Smith 7. Sam Whitford 8. Carter Price 9. Joe Cayton © 10. Matt Long 11. Jake Stronge. Subs all used; 12. Oli Anderson 14. Calvin Green 15. Charles Griffiths 16. Dan Porter.
Referee; Tony Haynes.
