Saturday 25th February 2017
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION
WISBECH TOWN (2) 5 v COGENHOE UNITED (0) 0
Fenmen; Adams 11 Beck 32, 81 S. Vince 58(pen) Smith 87

Pouring rain greeted us as we arrived in the Fenland town of Wisbech, leaving the already wet pitch absolutely sodden, but it was game-on with a sticky, muddy surface to play on. A couple of changes were forced upon Tom Chapman with Ryan Ansell missing and Matt Long not fit enough to play, although he did sit on the bench as the third sub. Liam Tuck started at left back, allowing Josh Melling to switch to the right side of the defence and Munya Matiyenga to move up into midfield. Kieran Fitzgerald made his first start up front for after several months sidelined through injury, while it was great to see Jake Cayton return to the squad after damaging his knee a couple of months ago. Elliott O’Reilly was the other sub as he hoped to finally see some first team action.
The rain relented before kick-off and the home side were the first to show. Will Smith played a ball up for Alex Beck and he made himself some space in the box, but Dan Stevenson reacted well to block his shot and concede an early corner. Ryan Dove won the ball midway in the Wisbech half and slipped it through for Fitzgerald, but he striker slipped as he broke into the box and the home side cleared. The Fenmen were forced to make a change after only five minutes when Luke Wilson was forced off after lengthy treatment to be replaced by Edgaras Buzas but it certainly didn’t have an adverse effect on them as they took the game to their visitors. The ever-dangerous Liam Adams burst down the right and cut inside Tuck before unleashing a swirling twenty-five yard effort that Jordan Worth dived to his right to push away. Full-back Adam Millson also made good yardage down the right flank and played a good ball inside for Alex Beck, but this time Josh Melling did well to close him down and block his shot. On 11 minutes Wisbech got the early goal they had been threatening. Buzas won the ball in the Cooks half and played it wide oi the impressive Smith who cut into the box before drilling a low cross that Adams steered home from close range for a well-made and well-taken opener.
It was almost two moments later as Beck looked set to bury an Adams low ball in the box, but Tuck made a great interception at the vital moment. After Cogenhoe had cleared a corner, Harry Vince lofted the ball back into the box and centre-back Jonathan Fairweather steered his header to Worth’s right, but the young keeper dived to make a superb one-handed save. A brave flicked header from Michael Frew gave Adams a chance to run at goal, but this time he fired his shot wide the goal. A good run inside by Smith set Adams up again, but this time he pulled his shot ad it was a yard or so wide of the post. On 32 minutes the almost inevitable second goal came. A great cross by Millson being steered home by the head of Beck from close range and it would be hard for anyone from Cogenhoe to argue it was undeserved at this point.
A Tuck ball almost fell for Fitzgerald in the box, but the defended did just enough to put him off, but the next real chance came down the other end when Buzas met a corner with the meat of his head, but he didn’t get around it and it flew wide of the target. Matiyenga did well down the right wing and pulled the ball back for Melling to whip in a cross. Sam Murphy headed it out as far as Luke Stone who returned it into the danger area where Ryan Dove hooked it towards the far post , but it didn’t have enough power and Sam Vince dived to his right to gather the ball just inside his post. Mtayinga did well again on the halfway line and played a good ball through for Fitzgearld who held of his marker and fired in a shot from a bit of an angle that Vince pushed away for a corner. Dove headed the corner back across the goal and Stevenson brought it down before hooking it goalwards, but again Vince took the shot comfortably. Ass the heavy rain began to fall once more the referee called the first half to an end and although the first half had been pretty one-sided, Cogenhoe had finally come to life as we approached the break.
Half-time; Wisbech tn 2 Cogenhoe Utd 0.
Cooks started the second half as they had finished the first and Matiyenga looped in a good cross that just wouldn’t fall right for Dove, then Clamp played a low ball into Fitzgerald in the box, but again he slipped on the saturated surface as he tried to get past a couple of defenders for a shooting opportunity. Cooks were enjoying a lot more attacking play at this point, but Wisbech still looked dangerous every time they broke away and Adams fired wide of the far post from the edge of the box. Lowery got his head to a Tuck free-kick and the ball ended up with Séan McBride just outside the box, but his low stabbed effort was straight at the keeper. Just before the hour Frew broke straight through the heart of the defence and he used his experience as he got into the box to poke the ball past Worth and draw a foul off the keeper. Unusually it was keeper Sam Vince who went up to take the penalty and fired it low to Worth’s left to extend the lead. Matiyenga made way for debutant Elliott O’Reilly and shortly afterwards Wisbech replaced Frew with Curtis Knight. Harry Vince was allowed to run far too deep into the Cooks half and he set up another chance for Beck, but thankfully he didn’t get a hold of his shot. Murphy went into the book for bringing down Dove just outside the box, but Tucks free-kick was wide of the target. Adams hit a decent effort from range, but it didn’t curl enough to trouble Worth before Cogenhoe made their final swap with Jake Cayton returning t first team action for Clamp. The sub was soon in the action winning the ball for Stone who played it left for Fitzgerald. The striker played a great ball into the box for Dove but it held up in the mud and got between the striker’s feet. He managed to scramble the ball goalwards but first Vince got down to save and then Murphy scrambled away his second effort and Wisbech’s goal remained intact.
Another chance for Adams saw the wide man hit the roof of the cover behind the goal as he found the power, but couldn’t keep his shot down from a few yards outside the box after cutting inside. I have to say that the mud and slippery pitch had now lead to a very scrappy period of play, but on 81 minutes the Fenmen found the target again. A nice ball into the box from Smith found Beck and he finished from close range for his second of the game. Melling went into the book for a foul on 82 minutes and sixty seconds later he took out Smith on the touchline and could have little complaint about the second yellow and the shower to himself. With three minutes remaining, Worth made a great full length save, but unfortunately it was from a wayward backpass and the referee Junior Jones-Eyre deemed it an offence. Normally if you have to use your hands to stop a goal the referee allows it, but he viewed it as handling a backpass and awarded the free-kick. It was touched to Smith and he fired a low shot through the crowd of defenders and into the net for a fifth. Yet more suicidal defending allowed Adams through again, but Worth made another good save to avoid a sixth and thankfully the referee soon ended the pain with the final whistle.

Apart from a period either side of the interval this was far to one sided for comfort. Man of the match Jordan Worth has to be thanked for this not being far more emphatic, but it’s still nine goals conceded in two games and the great form since the turn of the year can soon be forgotten. We need to get back into the winning frame of mind quickly as we enter the final few games of the season and look to build a platform for next season. We were second best all over the park today. Wisbech were quicker, sharper and appeared to want it more. The pace out wide of Smith and Adams killed us down the flanks today and we were seldom in the game in the centre of the park either. Well played to Wisbech, you gave your fans a real treat today, but for Cogenhoe, get the mentality right again before Chenecks visit us next weekend.
Wisbech; 1. Sam Vince 2. Adam Millson 3. Luke Hipwell 4. Luke Wilson (sub 12. Edgaras Buzas 5) 5. Jonathan Fairweather © 6. Harry Vince 7. Liam Adams 8. Sam Murphy 9. Michael Frew (sub 14. Curtis Kinight 62) 10. Alex Beck 11. William Smith. Sub not used; 15. Paul Cousins.
Cogenhoe; 1. Jordan Worth 2. Josh Melling (S.O 83) 3. Liam Tuck 4. Alex Lowery 5. Dan Stevenson 6. Séan McBride 7. Ashley Clamp (sub12. Jake Cayton 70) 8. Luke Stone © 9. Kieran Fitzgerald 10. Ryan Dove 11. Munya Matiyenga (sub 14. Elliott O’Reilly 60). Sub notused. 15. Matty Long.
Referee; Junior Jones-Eyre

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