Saturday 11th March 2023
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – PREMIER DIVISION SOUTH
HISTON v COGENHOE UNITED
Bridge Road Stadium,
Bridge Rd,
Impington,
Cambridge.
CB24 9PH
KO 3pm
It will be a case of de-ja-vu as the Cooks face Histon for the second time in four days and they will be hoping to fair better after The Stutes ran out 3-0 winners at Compton Park on a freezing night in the village. Harry Waple-Moors had a penalty saved for the Cooks in the first half after Max York had volleyed the visitors ahead and we had pressed for an equaliser only to be punished for a mistake at the back on the stroke of half-time Dexter Todd netted from the edge of the box. Hopes of a comeback were severely dashed nine minutes into the second half when Bailey Weatherly was harshly red-carded and Babacar Camara rounded off the scoring with a powerful strike from just outside the area.
This was Histon’s sixth win on the spin so they will be going for lucky seven on Saturday and they will obviously be favourites to complete a quick-fire double over the Cooks, but our young squad are more than capable of getting something from this game if we can find our best form in Cambridgeshire.
Our previous trip to Bridge Road (I think it was called the Glassworld Stadium back then) was during our great F.A Vase run and we pulled off a great result thanks to Ryan Ansell’s beauty from 25 yards out in the second half. This was back in the Jake Stone era in September 2017 and the only player from the 28 that featured that day likely to be involved five years later is Histon’s Max York, although he has amassed over 250 appearances for the club, including at a higher level, he hasn’t been at the Stutes the whole time.
Scott Carlin welcomes back recent father Kyle Ansell into his squad, but Alex Parkes is unavailable for the trip.
I have been to Bridge Road a few times over the years, including during their spell in the Conference, but my first visit stands out the most. The ground was very different back then we visited for an 11am kick-on Boxing Day some thirty years ago as they hammered Chatteris Town 10-0 in an Eastern Counties League Premier Division game and I think Steve Parmenter netted four times that day. I’m expecting a much closer game this time though I hasten to add.
UHLSPORT UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE – RESERVE DIVISION
COGENHOE UNITED RESERVES v BOURNE TOWN RESERVES
Compton Park,
Brafield Rd,
Cogenhoe.
NN7 1ND
KO 2pm
*PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE AN EARLY MORNING PITCH INSPECTION FOR THIS GAME AND AS IT STANDS THE PITCH IS CURRENTLY WATERLOGGED LEAVING A VERY LOW LIKELIHOOD OF IT BEING PLAYABLE TOMORROW.
The Reserves are back in action on Saturday when they entertain a Bourne Town Reserves team who have found a bit of form since the turn of the year. They are sitting in 13th place going into the game, two places and 8 points behind the Cooks, but having won their last game and drawn two of their last four, they should have a bit of confidence running through the team at the moment. Last Saturday they beat G.N.G 4-0 at Abbey Lawn with Leon Kavanagh scoring twice, alongside singles from Rohann Boughey and Joel Manning. The Wakes drew 0-0 at Whitworth and held MK Irish to a 2-2 draw, while in between those two games, they were narrowly beaten at home by Newport Pagnell Town 2-1.
High-flyers Bugbrooke St Michaels were our last opponents on Saturday and they took the points a 23rd minute overhead kick from George Boniface. It was a very deleted Cogenhoe side that saw manager Ian Adcock forced into his first start for the club and he managed 75 minutes before his assistant Lee Saving took over on the pitch. It was a decent performance from the Cooks, but in the end the visitors took the points.
