It was the proverbial game of two halves at Compton Park as Cogenhoe let slip a half-time lead.
Tuesday 20th September 2022
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – RESERVE DIVISION
COGENHOE UNITED Reserves (1) 1 MILTON KEYNES IRISH Reserves (0) 2
Cooks;
Cakebread 22
Irish;
Dummett 66
Ajigbolamu 79
Att; 14
These two clubs had met at first team level seven days previous and put on real show with the Irish winning 5-4, so the reserves teams had a lot to live up when they went head-to-head at Compton Park. Luca Purse was included in the starting line-up as he makes his way back from an injury lay-off, whilst first team squad players Josh Jones and Ash Masumbuko joined him on the field. First team skipper Paddy Cichosz is also making his first tentative steps back and was named amongst the subs, although he wasn’t to make an appearance tonight.
The Cooks had a big shout for a penalty inside the first minute when Glenn Cakebread burst into the box and went down under pressure from Clinton Zawe and in truth I have seen these given, but referee Clinton Ormshaw waved the appeals away. Cakebread played a good ball out wide left to Masumbuko who then went for a one-two with Cakebread, but the return ball was just too far ahead of him and it ran through to keeper Jack Taylor. Cakebread was a real livewire from the start and he broke with pace down the left before sending over a cross that went over the reach of the keeper and hit the underside of the bar before bouncing back into play, then Masumbuko saw his shot from 25-yards out drift over the bar for a goal-kick.
Kieron Mobbs did well on the right and set up a chance for Masumbuko 15-yards out and his first-time shot forced a save out of Taylor, then a great run down the left by Asumbuko saw him play a superb ball across to pick out Luke Andrews’ run at the far post, but unfortunately, he couldn’t keep his shot on target as he slid in to meet it. Andrews made a run through the middle that opened up the visitor’s defence and when the ball broke to Masumbuko he delivered another great ball that Mobbs met at the far post and with the ball probably heading in, Cakebread showed a true striker’s instinct as he stooped to meet it with his head a few inches from the goal-line and give the Cooks a deserved lead. It hadn’t been all one-traffic at this point though, but the Cooks had certainly played the better football so far during the opening 22 minutes.
Ciaran Wells was forced to switch his balance quickly to get down and turn a deflected shot from Jack Clarkson around his post, whilst Lorenco Soulollari had a shot blocked by Zawe after good work by Masumbuko down the left, then Masumbuko sliced wide from 10-yards after some fluent football involving Joe Morris and himself. Jesse Forson had a shot deflected wide for a corner after going narrowly wide of the far post, whilst a short corner down the village end saw Josh Jones fire over from just outside the box. Tommy Jones was wide of the target with his 30-yard effort and then the last attack of the first half came through Josh Jones down the left and he played a low ball across the area to Cakebread whose first-time shot beat the keeper, but hit the base of the post. Jones was first to the rebound and tried to play in Cakebread once more, but this time it was too close to Taylor who gratefully dived on the ball.
Half-time; Cooks 1 Irish 0.
Jones played a nice ball to his right and Mobbs went for goal from a tight angle, but fired it over the top before Ian Adcock made his first change of the evening, bringing on Eddie Mann in place of Soulollari on the left side of the defence. Cakebread sent over a beauty of a cross from the right that dropped over the head of Zawe to find Masumbuko, but he needed a better first touch on this occasion and the Irish defender recovered to clear. Liam Murphy became the only player to be shown the yellow card on 61 minutes when he fouled Cakebread and then pushed the Cooks forward over for reasons only known to himself.
Clarkson had a half-chance deep inside the box after Olu Ajigbolamu had knocked the ball down, but although he lifted the ball over Wells’ head, he also cleared the crossbar. The Milton Keynes team drew level after having the better of the play in the second half when Scott Dummett converted a corner from close range after Wells hadn’t been able to reach the ball in his crowded 6-yard box. 1-1 with 66 minutes played.
Wells was forced into action again as he saved a well-struck shot hit from the centre of the box by Clarkson before the Cooks replaced Morris with Sam Giddens on 72 minutes. Cakebread whipped in a dangerous cross that Dummett did well to cut-out, injuring himself in the process, but he was able to hobble on in an ‘I’ll run it off’ scenario. Masumbuko hit a goal-bound shot from the edge of the box that Dummett managed to get his head to the ball and divert it wide just before Isaac Redding came on for the hard-working Cakebread with twelve minutes left.
Mobbs played in a great free-kick from half-way on the right, but we didn’t attack it as it went across the box, but it was the visitors who struck next on 79 minutes. An excellent cross sent in from the left found an unmarked Ajigbolamu who placed his header to the keeper’s right and inside the post. Forson perhaps should have extended the lead within a minute, but put his header over the bar. Patrick Medan replaced Sam Harris late on as the Cooks pushed for a late equaliser and Giddens drilled in a shot from a tight angle that Taylor turned behind at the near post and a great corner delivered by Medan was headed off the line by Harry Robertson.
Milton Keynes Irish will be very pleased to have secured all three points from this evenly matched game having had much the better of the second half, but the Cooks probably deserved a draw after bossing the first 45 minutes. Glenn Cakebread hit the bar and the post as well as scoring the first goal of the game and we certainly created enough chances to have built up a lead, but that’s football so well done to Lea Coulter, Vinnie Shrieves and their team on taking the points tonight.
Cooks; 1. Ciaran Wells 2. Sam Harris (sub 15. Patrick Medan 82) 3. Lorenco Soulollari (sub 12. Eddie Mann 55) 4. Luke Andrews 5. Luca Purse 6. Lee Felgate © 7. Kieron Mobbs 8. Joe Morris (sub 17. Sam Giddens 72) 9. Glenn Cakebread (sub 16. Isaac Redding 78) 10. Josh Jones 11. Ashraf Masumbuko. Sub not used; 14. Paddy Cichosz.
Irish; 1. Jack Taylor 2. Clinton Zawe 3. Cameron Johnson 4. Liam Smyth © 5. Scott Dummett 6. Liam Murphy 7. Tommy Jones 8. Jesse Forson 9. Oluwanimilio Ajigbolamu 10. Jack Clarkson 11. Wesley Iroegbu. Subs used; 12. Mo Echcharki 14. Mawfal Echcharki 15. Harry Robertson 16. Josh Hawkins. Sub not used; 17. Vinny Shrieves.
Yellow card; Murphy (60) Foul.
Referee; Clinton Ormshaw.
