Tuesday 6th September 2017
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION
COGENHOE UNITED (0) 1 v YAXLEY (0) 1
Cooks; Vieira 87
Cuckoos; Hook 65

A few changes to the side from Saturday with a new strike-force in the returning duo of Luis Vieira and Ashley Clamp. Stuart Lutter was available again and returned between the sticks, Jacob Gartland replaced Dan Smith at left-back, meaning Josh Melling moved to right-back and Jake Cayton dropped back to partner Dan Stevenson in the centre of the back four. Ryan Cooke came in on the left side of midfield allowing Liam Tuck to partner Séan McBride in the centre of the park, while Ryan Ansell continued on the right flank. Matt Long was named among the subs, but the return of his pre-season knee injury means we are unlikely to see him in action for a couple of weeks. Nathan Burrows, Ali Duncan, Harry Chipchase and Kiel Mullen joined him in the dug-out.

The pleasant evening gave way to a nasty black cloud just as we got underway and we were treated to forty-five minutes of wet stuff ranging from annoying to drowning levels for your cameraman who was forced to take shelter behind the goal. The rain left the top surface very slippy and the ball was zipping around the pitch and with the rain almost horizontal at times, it wasn’t easy conditions to play in.
Cogenhoe started very much on the front foot and full of confidence as they took the game to Yaxley, bossing the opening fifteen to twenty minutes. Vieira had the first shot, a low drive from twenty-yards that Oli Sutton got his body behind. Ryan Ansell played in a decent free-kick from the left and Dan Stevenson stretched out a long leg to get a touch just beyond the far post, but he could only stab it wide. Clamp played the ball inside, Vieira touched it to McBride who picked out Ansell’s run down the right. He played a nice ball into the centre and Clamp fired in a first time shot from ten yards, but it was too close to the keeper. Minutes later some great work from Vieira again gave Ansell the chance to make space and deliver a low cross into the box. Clamp ran on to it with a bit of space on his side and again hit it first time, but Sutton was equal to his effort once more.
Another good Ansell free-kick from the left gave the Cuckoos defence plenty to think about and Stevenson wasn’t far away from getting his head to it on the edge of the six-yard box. A great ball from Vieira would have seen Clamp with a clear run at goal from the edge of the box, but he slipped at the vital moment and the ball skidded past his foot. The rain was now at its heaviest as Ansell was brought down on the right wing. Tuck sent in a dangerous free-kick, but Sam Spencer got above Stevenson to head it clear.
We were into the final ten minutes of the half when Lutter was forced into his first save and he had to get down well to keep out a well struck low-drive from Matt Sparrow from the right-side of the box. Liam Tuck went into the book four minutes before the break after sliding into a tackle on the wet surface in the centre of the park and catching Josh Pike on the ankle. I think this was more down to the conditions than malice and the Cooks skipper can consider himself unlucky this time. The prolific Dan Cotton stung Lutter’s hands with a shot, but the keeper dealt with it well and then took the ensuing corner above his head in the last real action of the half.

Half-time; Cogenhoe Utd 0 Yaxley 0.

Thankfully the rain had finally passed us by as the second half got under way with Cogenhoe kicking away from the clubhouse. Tuck played the ball in to Vieira on the edge of the box and tried a shot on the turn, but it hit a defender inside the box. JP Duncliffe played a great ball from the half-way line into the Cooks box. But Melling stooped to steer his header safely back to Lutter.
Cooke mad a run down the left and cut inside before trying to curl a shot towards the far corner, but it hit a defender and went behind for a corner. Ansell’s delivery looked good, but Wayne Morris got up high to head clear. Sparrow appeared to be about to break into the box for Yaxley, only to be stopped by a perfectly timed tackle from McBride. The Cooks midfield man then won a tackle in the centre of the park before releasing Cooke on the left. He played it into Ansell’s feet in the centre of the box and although he almost created himself space to shoot, the attention of two orange shirts managed to crowd him out. Very reminiscent of PNS away last year, only that time he managed to poke the ball past the keeper.
The visitors were looking quick on the break and Stevenson did well to stop Spencer in the middle, while Joe Butterworth’s effort from distance was well handled by Lutter. Nathan Burrows replaced Clamp with twenty-eight minutes left, but it Yaxley who were on top now. Stevenson again stopped a Cuckoos attack with a great piece of defensive work, but on 65 minutes the visitors drew first blood. Matt Sparrow played the ball behind Melling and Liam Hook took advantage of the space to finish superbly with a shot across Lutter and into the far corner. The goal was a really good one, but what incensed the Cogenhoe players was the fact that Tom Waulmsley pushed past Lutter to grab the ball from the back of the net and boot it out of the ground over the linesman’s head. Mr Trusler was keeping an eye on the celebrations on the opposite side of the pitch so wouldn’t have seen this. But the assistant saw everything and didn’t want to help his referee out which is what he is there for! Dan Stevenson went into the book for his anger at all this while the linesman continued to look totally disinterested in the game.
Back on the pitch with a replacement ball and Melling sent over a great cross that Sutton dived on at his near post with Burrows coming in behind him for what would have been a tap-in. Ross Watson went straight through Vieira from behind and although he immediately blew for the foul, the ref decided it didn’t even warrant a word in his ear! A minute or so later, Waulmsley took out Liam Tuck in front of the dug-outs and became the first Yaxley player to go into the book for what should have been his second yellow of the night. Cooke played in the ball for Ansell who hit a shot on the turn, but it deflected over the bar for a corner. We had a run of subs now with not much else happening over a five-minute spell. Kiel Mullen replaced Melling but went left for his first team debut, Ali Duncan came on for Ansell to become part of a three-pronged attack, while Yaxley brought on veteran Rob Hughes and Jack Saunders for Hook and Sparrow respectively.
A good run from Vieira saw him get a shot in, but it was half blocked and ended up in Sutton’s arms. With three minutes left, Cogenhoe’s late pressure paid off with an equaliser. Liam Tuck’s corner was a beauty. Sutton got above Vieira to try and catch the ball on his goal-line, but it squirmed through his grasp and Vieira reacted quickest to fire the loose ball home from no more that a foot out.
Yaxley were desperately close to grabbing a late-late winner when Ross Watson got above Stevenson to get in a great header that beat Lutter, but smacked against the crossbar. Very unlucky on the impressive Yaxley centre-back. The last change came late on with Ted Haime coming on for Pike and Yaxley had a chance through Saunders, but his effort went well wide before Sutton had the last word, saving from Vieira.
I feel the draw was the fair result tonight. Cogenhoe dominated early on and could have had couple of goals during that spell. Yaxley dominated for twenty minutes during the second period, but only had Hook’s goal to show for it. They have some good players in their squad, Watson and Morris looked really accomplished players at the back, while Sparrow and Cotton can easily turn games, but were largely kept quiet today.

It was a much-improved performance from Cogenhoe on the last couple of weeks. We miss Ryan Dove holding the ball up for us and Matt Long’s busy work-rate and finishing up top, but Luis Vieira was excellent for us, but I feel his wing-play in supplying the other two, whilst getting into scoring positions himself will be a massive threat to defences this season. Ashley Clamp came in and played up front and gave everything for the cause and could easily have bagged a couple himself early on but lacks a bit of match sharpness. Ryan Ansell was superb in the first half and Vieira linked well with him, while Ryan Cooke hasn’t had too much action yet this season, but looked useful down the left. Séan McBride and Liam Tuck did well in the centre of the park, while I thought both Dan Stevenson and Jake Cayton were both superb tonight in very difficult conditions for defenders. Stuart Lutter didn’t have too much to do in the first half, but when he was called upon late on he did what he had to do and did it well. No chance with the goal or the header that hit the bar, but solid throughout. Playing in goal in rain like that really is no fun. Jacob Gartland did his job well tonight, although a majority of the play went down the Yaxley left tonight, meaning Josh Melling was by far the busiest of the full-backs. The goal came when the ball was played in behind him, but the fact that this was a rare chance created shows he did ok over the ninety minutes.

Man-of-the-match today goes to Dan Stevenson for a very solid defensive display, especially when you take into account that Dan Cotton, a player who has netted 40-plus goals for the last couple of seasons, was hardly noticeable today. He just pips Luis Vieira for my accolade tonight.

It’s the turn of the F.A Vase next up, with a somewhat disappointing draw against fellow UCL Premier side Rothwell Corinthians, but at least it’s at home.

Cogenhoe United; 1. Stuart Lutter 2. Josh Melling (sub 16. Kiel Mullen 77) 3. Jacob Gartland 4. Dan Stevenson 5. Jake Cayton 6. Séan McBride 7. Ryan Ansell (sub 14. Ali Duncan 80) 8. Liam Tuck © 9. Luis Vieira 10. Ashley Clamp (sub 15. Nathan Burrows 62) 11. Ryan Cooke. Subs not used; 12. Harry Chipchase 17. Matt Long.

Yaxley; 1. Oli Sutton 2. J.P Duncliffe 3. Josh Pike (sub 12. Ted Haime 89) 4. Sam Spencer 5. Ross Watson 6. Wayne Morris © 7. Matt Sparrow (sub 14. Jack Saunders 81) 8. Liam Hook (sub 16. Rob Hughes 80) 9. Tom Waulmsley 10. Dan Cotton 11. Joe Butterworth. Subs not sued; 15. Kyle Nolan 17. Phil Stebbing.

Referee; Wyndham Trusler.

Don't forget the Reserves are at home tonight (Wednesday 6th) as they entertain Lutterworth Athletic in a league game (7-45) while the youth team are at home to Biggleswade United in the FA Youth Cup on Thursday night.

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