COMPTON PARK UPDATE
With both Sileby Rangers and the Cooks having their games called off on Saturday due to waterlogged pitches, they took the opportunity to play a friendly game on the 3G at Moulton College. Although the game ended goalless, Scott Carlin was pleased with his team’s performance after a rusty start, with the onus being on getting some match action into the boys during a very frustrating time that has seen them play just once in the last five weeks. The Cooks could easily have won the game and would have done if it hadn’t been for the form of former Cobblers Youth and Wellingborough Town keeper Lewi Patching, who denied them on numerous, with Biff happy to see some of the things he has been trying in training work well in a game situation. He also felt the gap in the two teams was very evident, Sileby playing a step lower, plus the fitness was clear to see which is important for the Cooks as we enter a crucial period of games once the weather allows.
Only one of the teams battling it out at the bottom with the Cooks managed to get their game played on Saturday and it went well for us as Coventry United scored twice at the death to beat Lutterworth Town 3-1, leaving the Swifts two points clear of us, but now having played three games more. The Swifts trailed at the break, but Stewart Ndlovu levelled things up against his old teammates. Former Whitworth U18 player Renato Prifti put United back in front after 89 minutes with his second goal of the game and Kyle Carey made sure with the third three minutes into stoppage time.
We have a few frosts to come this week, then the weather does seem to be improving before next weekend so hopefully it will be all systems go with a busy end to the month and beginning of February. We start next weekend with a tough trip into the fens to face March Town United, with the Hares in 7th spot after falling away a little following their superb start to life in the UCL, then the following Tuesday we try again to play our N.F.A Senior Hillier Cup semi-final tie at home to the Poppies. A Saturday trip to Godmanchester is an important game with our hosts just above us in the league, then more midweek action at Compton Park on the last day of the month as current leaders Rugby Town will put us to the test. February starts with two games against teams around us in the table. Eynesbury come here on Saturday 4th, then three days later we head to Lutterworth Town to play under the Dunley Way lights. This run of games will see us target at least nine points with three wins against our relegation rivals and this would see us pull ourselves away from the drop zone, but that is very much in our own hands and the table could look very different ten days into the second month of the year. Biff has been busy even if though we haven’t been playing and he has managed to extend Ash Bodycote’s loan from Rugby Town up to the end of March after his successful initial spell, plus he has added to our defence with the dual-registration of Josh Going from AFC Rushden & Diamonds. Josh, who is 23, has featured for the first team at Hayden Road and will be looking to make his mark at Compton Park.
Josh Going pictured playing for Diamonds.
(photo taken from the Northants Telegraph website)
Keeper Ash Bodycote has extended his loan spell at Compton Park.
The Reserves have been even more frustrated by the inclement weather having not played since their 6-1 demolition of high-flying Kempston Rovers at Compton Park on the first Saturday of December. They will be chomping at the bit to get going again with a home tie against Wittering Premiair in the NFA Junior Cup this coming Saturday. The winners of this game will travel to face Kettering Nomads in the quarter-finals, the club managed by former Cooks assistant manager Joe Rich, who put out O.N Chenecks first team in an exciting finish that saw them come from 3-1 down late on to win 4-3.
