Penalty heartbreak for Cooks.

Tuesday 9th November 2016
NORTHANTS SENIOR CUP-QUARTER FINAL
COGENHOE UNITED (1) 2 CORBY TOWN (1) 2
CORBY WON 4-3 ON PENS.
Cooks; Stevenson 32 Dove 90
Corby; Trainer 37 Moore 61(pen)

Just a couple of changes for The Cooks with Joe Curtis and Rhys Taylor promoted to the starting line-up, with Ryan Ansell dropping to the bench and Josh Crawley not involved at all. Ashley Clamp and Alex Lowery returned on the bench. Corby fielded a very strong line-up including all four of new boss Gary Mills experienced recent signings, one of which was former premier league striker Stefan Moore.
On a cold and progressively wet November night, Cogenhoe were quickly on the offensive with Rhys Taylor announcing himself with a strong run down the right flank, but he didn’t get his foot round his cross enough this time. Danny Harmon won the ball back on the edge of his area and Matt Long got the better of Jamie Anton to find Curtis, but his ball was just too far ahead of Taylor for the wideman to keep it in. Dove flicked on a Carl Knox kick and Long steered a great ball wide to Harmon who hit t first time, only for his shot to take a heavy deflection off a defender and looped into Aiden Grant’s arms. Jake Cayton misjudged a bounce which allowed Phil Trainer to try a shot from twenty-five yards, but it didn’t trouble Knox at all. A good passing move from Cogenhoe involved Harmon, Luke Stone, Ryan Dove and Curtis with the latter playing a good ball through to Harmon in the right side of the penalty area and the Cooks number seven cut inside before trying to place a shot across Grant, but the big keeper stretched to push the ball away. Knox was forced to push a dipping cross from deep from Nathan Fox over his own bar for the games first corner after a quarter of an hour. David Bell played in back to Fox just outside the corner of the box, but his first time shot was over the bar. McBride made a great tackle on Robert Parsons inside the Cooks box and from the clearance Grant was forced to race out of his box to get there before the onrushing Long could get a touch. The ball fell to Dove around thirty-five yards out and with the keeper still well out of his area, he tried a first time shot, but he didn’t get any lift and the ball was easily cleared by The Steelmen. Taylor made another good run down the right before cutting inside his man, but he couldn’t find Long with his final ball. Corby went close when Connor Kennedy glanced his header just wide from Bell’s free-kick, then Trainer almost played Parsons in but Knox reacted quickly to sweep up. Parsons cut a ball back to Bell on the edge of the box and he struck it first time, but the ball hit a defender and ended up safely in the arms of Knox. On 32 mins the Cooks made the breakthrough from a set piece. Both Dove and Long had battled hard for possession before Long was fouled as he tried to break free. Harmon delivered a great free-kick and Dan Stevenson got in front of Trainer and steered a header past Grant and a giant-killing was a real possibility. Taylor had to do some defending and did well to rob Stefan Moore as he broke into the Cogenhoe box, but Cooks were undone on 37 minutes with a set-piece again root cause. David Bell sent over a great corner and Phil Trainer was left with a relatively simple header at the far post to level the scores from close range. Trainer had another effort shortly after his goal, but this time he couldn’t keep his effort from the edge of the box below bar height. A great mazy run at the Steelmen defence saw Taylor shape a shot for himself and with Grant beaten, we watched the ball go agonisingly wide of the far post.
Half-time; Cooks 1 Steelmen 1.
With the rain now a persistent heavy drizzle, both sides entertained us to some attacking forward with play going from end-to-end. A Dove flick sent Long into the box, but the striker slipped just at the vital moment. Parsons fired over from outside the box, then Bell fired a shot straight at Knox. Taylor made another good run, but this time he couldn’t get a cross in. Harmon pulled the ball back to Dove, but his first time effort was blocked, then Dove tried to play Long in, but he was a bit too heavy on his pass and Grant got there first. On 61 mins the game took a massive turn with a very controversial decision from referee Robert Evans as he awarded a penalty to the visitors. No issue with it being a foul, it’s just that the whistle should have gone before. Knox went up at the far post and appeared to be fouled by the Corby striker and was left flat out by on his own goal-line. Now even if it the referee didn’t view it as a foul, surely play should have been stopped with the keeper motionless on the floor, but he ignored the fact and allowed play to go on in the box which is where the Corby player was eventually brought down. After a couple of minutes treatment, Knox was able to continue and the next time he touched the ball was to pick the ball out of the net after Stefan Moore had coolly slotted the spot-kick to his left. There is no doubting that this affected Cogenhoe, but they almost levelled straight away when Harmon had Grant scrambling across his goal with a thirty-yard free-kick that skimmed the top of the crossbar. Corby made their first swap with Andre Johnson replacing Parsons before Bell pulled a shot wide from just outside the box. Taylor would have played Harmon in with a great pass, but for an intercepting header from James Jepson, which was the cue for Cogenhoe to make their first changes with Taylor and Curtis making way for Ashley Clamp and Lewis Galpin respectively. Corby brought on Danny Draper for assistant manager David Bell, but it was Cogenhoe who went close straight afterwards. Jake Cayton launched a long throw that Stevenson headed on, but Long’s shot was just over the bar. Corby made their last swap with Ryan Bell replacing Connor Kennedy. Long played Dan Smith through and he looped a cross in towards Galpin, but Fox cleared the ball up field. Cayton hit a great dipping shot that dropped onto the roof of the net, then Clamp beat Liam Marshall before crossing, but Cooks couldn’t take advantage. It was good pressure from the blues now as they looked for an equaliser and with two minutes of injury time already played, they got it. Stevenson had stayed up field and he flicked the ball on to Clamp, who made ground towards the box before being brought down. Last chance saloon for Cogenhoe and Ryan Dove took full advantage with a perfectly placed low free-kick into the far corner. 2-2 and thankfully no extra-time in this competition these days, so the lottery of penalties would decide who progresses.
Corby took first and for the second time tonight Moore tucked his penalty away. Luke Stone fired his effort into the roof of the net to make it 1-1. Andre Johnson fired over and when Harmon netted it was advantage Cogenhoe. Knox saved Jordan Crawford’s shot, but Dan Stevenson saw his saved too. Marshall levelled before Dove rattled the crossbar. Draper made it 3-2, so Cayton had to score to keep the tie alove, which he duly did. 3-3 after five pens, so it was into sudden death. Nathan Fox buried his and it was left up to Aiden Grant to be the hero of the day as he saved Dan Smith’s effort and send Corby through.
Cogenhoe; 1. Carl Knox 2. Séan McBrde 3. Dan Smith 4. Jake Cayton 5. Dan Stevenson 6. Joe Curtis (sub 15. Lewis Galpin 71) 7. Danny Harmon 8. Luke Stone © 9. Matt Long 10. Ryan Dove 11. Rhys Taylor (sub 14. Ashley Clamp 71). Subs not used 12. Harry Osbourne 16. Ryan Ansell 17. Alex Lowery.
Corby Town; 1. Aiden Grant 2. Connor Kennedy (subs 12. Ryan Bell 84) 3. Nathan Fox 4. James Jepson 5. Janie Anton © 6. Liam Marshall 7. Phil Trainer 8. David Bell (sub 14. Danny Draper 78) 9. Stefan Moore 10. Robert Parsons (sub 16. Andre Johnson 66) 11. Jordan Crawford. Subs 15. Adam Frisch 17. Gary Mills.
Referee; Robert Evans.