Saturday 19th February 2022
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
COVENTRY UNITED (1) 1 COGENHOE UNITED (1) 1
(Butts Park Arena)
Coventry Utd;
De Mulder 25
Cooks;
Elmore 42 (pen)
Att; 79
The Cooks made their first ever trip to the Butts Park Arena to face a much changed Coventry United who have seen quite an upheaval over the last couple of weeks.
The Cooks had an early chance when Archer intercepted play deep in inside the Red & Greens half and slipped the ball to his right where Elmore drilled it across the box, but Wakley couldn’t get a clean connection as he arrived at the far post. Nduna put a 25-yard free kick too close to Foxall for it to trouble the keeper, then a long clearance saw Wakley get the better of his man inside the box before pulling it back for Elmore, but he couldn’t keep his close-range first time shot under bar height. Ndlovu fired over after running on to a through ball, then Nduna launched himself at a De Mulder cross but the ball just skimmed off his head and went wide of the far post, although Ashton De Mulder put the home side in front on 25 minutes. The youngster on loan from Solihull Moors was allowed too much space and he lashed in a powerful low strike from the 22-metre line (the dominant markings on the pitch are for Coventry Rugby Club) that beat the dive of Foxall and flew just inside the post.
Cogenhoe tried to respond quickly and Wakley did well inside the box on the left before cutting back and sending over a great cross that Boateng won on the edge of the 6-yard box, but his header was well held by Roscoe in the Coventry goal. An inswinging Adams corner was headed on target by Wakley, but Roscoe got down well to hold on once more. On 42 minutes though the Cooks won a penalty after Adams cross held up in the wind and Cichosz put the defence under pressure and Blowers took him out with a rather high challenge, leaving Archie Elmore to send the keeper the wrong way with his low, well struck penalty.
Half-time; Coventry Utd 1 Cogenhoe Utd 1.
The home side had a couple of half-chances early in the second half before Wakley held up play nicely on the right before setting up a crossing opportunity for Archer which saw Boateng go for a diving header at the far post, but it was only his dreadlocks that made contact with the ball and it continued its path wide of the goal. A good run down the right by Boateng saw him send over a cross that Adams received back from Culley before hitting a great shot that Roscoe dived to his left to turn around the post. Culley forced Roscoe to touch his inswinging corner over the bar, then Archer pulled an effort wide from the edge of the box. Sub Will Bates saw a fizzing shot from 25-yards go an inch wide of the post, then down the other end a great challenge from Alexander robbed Ndlovu, but he then gave the ball away and was thankful to see Nduna curl his shot well wide of the far post from a good position after Prifti had set him up inside the box on the left.
Elmore latched on to the ball inside the Coventry box just to the left and he went for the near post with his shot, but Roscoe did really well to get down and save his effort and Culley’s corner caused all sorts of problems as the home defence got it off the line and eventually Roscoe was able to get hold of the ball after Boateng headed it back at goal. A free kick from wide on the left was sent in by Cichosz and Boateng was millimetres away from getting his head on to it inside the 6-yard box at the far post, but that was the final chance of the game and both sides had to settle for a point apiece on a very windy day in Coventry.
Coventry United; Kris Roscoe, Junior Kom Yawli, Pierce Moudime, Riley Davoile, Tyler Donaldson ©, Archie Crowther, Joe Blowers, Ashton De Mulder, Brian Ndlovu, Jarrell Hylton, Muzi Nduna. Subs; Bales, Boden, Prifti, Pearson, Agunbiade.
Cooks; Foxall, Cichosz, Adams, Mortimer, Riley (sub Bates), Alexander ©, Archer, Culley, Wakley, Boateng, Elmore. Subs not used; Norman & Vaughan.
Yellow cards; Culley, Archer & Bates.
Referee; Callum Timperley.
Assts; Chris Ward & James Strumidlo.
