Saturday 5th May 2018

CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION

COGENHOE UNITED (3) 3 v BOSTON TOWN (0) 0
Tuck 27
Dove 30
Long 40

Hot sunshine bathed Compton Park as a cloudless sky, blue from horizon to horizon, brought summer to the village, a feeling enhanced by the sound of leather on willow over the fence. This was our final Saturday home fixture, although we have one more game here next Friday night after our Wednesday trip to Leicester Nirvana. Dan Smith, George Barnell and Montel Dore were unavailable so Jake Stone, assisted again by his brother Ben, brought back Jamie Inwood, Jacob Gartland and Harry Chipchase to the starting line-up, with Jacob Cox returning to the squad for the first time since breaking his arm.
Boston Town were playing their final game of a long season and decided to treat their day-out as a fun day and the players drew their positions out of a hat! Not what I would do, but each to their own.
Good work from Josh Melling on the right saw him deliver a low ball into the box, but it was cut out for a corner. Tuck swung it in and Ryan Dove met it with a strong header, but it was straight at Jason Field, the man unlucky enough to pull the number one shirt out of the hat. Another good Tuck corner saw Dan Stevenson win the ball, but his header was a few inches over the top. Ryan Ansell played in a great free-kick from the left touchline to the far post and Stevenson won a brave header that went the wrong inside of the post and clashing heads with Richard Ford in the process. Both players stayed down for a moment but thankfully were ok to continue.
Melling put over a good cross but unfortunately it was slightly behind Dove just beyond the far post, although the Cooks skipper bent himself back to get to it, it hit him smack in the face and went harmlessly wide. Stuart Lutter took a free-kick from just outside his box that Dove chested down and Sean McBride played it wide to Matt Long who steered the ball into the box where Ford sliced it behind for another corner.
A lovely counter-attack from Boston saw Cameron Johnson played in on the right side of the box and he fired a low drive on goal, forcing Lutter to get down and turn his shot around the post. Johnson then went for goal from thirty-yards out, but his effort was well over the bar.
On 27 minutes the deadlock was finally broken Harry Chipchase played a free-kick into the box that Dove controlled on the right side of the box before lifting the ball back across and Liam Tuck rose to meet it with his head. The keeper did get a hand to the ball, but not enough to stop it crossing the line.
Lorand Borbely crossed from the right and Jordan Tate got under his header, looping it across the box where Lutter caught it comfortably. On the half hour Cogenhoe doubled their lead as Lutter launched a huge clearance that bounced into the box where Fraser Bayliss couldn’t get it under control. Long nipped in to win the ball before turning and dinking a cross to the far post where Ryan Dove met it with a powerful header to make it two-nil. This was the Cooks skipper’s 28thgoal of the campaign so far.
A deep Johnson corner was headed over by Bayliss, then Tuck won a fiercely competed fifty-fifty and Dove played in Ansell after picking up the play, but his shot hit a defender’s legs. Long hit a powerful shot from the right that flew just wide, but he was on the score sheet with his 18th goal of the season on forty minutes. Great work from Ansell on the left saw him beat his man and play in a low ball that Long got to but his first shot was saved, his second blocked by a defender and finally it sat up nicely for him to bundle the ball home from inside the six-yard box and make it 3-0.
Trickery from Melling and a good ball from McBride found Dove and his powerful drive was saved by Field. Long got onto the rebound and played it back into the danger area, but a defender got there first to head behind for a corner. The half ended with Richard Ford being shown the game’s first yellow card after continuing his dissent aimed at referee Daniel Todd.

Half-time; Cogenhoe United 3 Boston Town 0

Both sides made a change at the break with Ryan Ansell making way to give Ali Duncan forty-five minutes, while Boston brought on their usual keeper Seth Greeves, allowing Jason Field to move to left back. Keegan Townrow, a centre-half who had been playing up front the man to make way. Boston were now back playing most of the team in their regular positions, making their original decision an even weirder one, although perhaps it was a case of damage limitation with forty-five minutes to go. (That’s limage damitation in old money Jon Wright).
McBride saw his shot hit Ford and bounce back to the keeper, while a high Field cross was taken one handed by Lutter as Johnson threw himself at the header. Stevenson won a Greeves goal-kick and McBride played it up to Dove, but Ford read the danger well and steered a header back to Greeves. Duncan made a good run down the flank and played in a low cross, but it was too close to Greeves and the keeper smothered it comfortably.
Boston used their second substitute just before the hour as Ollie Pinner made way for Robert Raducan and as they only brought thirteen players, this would be their final change of the season. Good determination from Duncan saw him win back possession near the corner flag and Dove took over and ran into the box along the touchline, he tried to fool the keeper by going for goal but his shot hit the outside of the post and went wide.
Long played in Melling on the overlap and he whipped in a good low cross that the keeper couldn’t hold, but he recovered well to dive on the ball as Dove moved in menacingly. Melling then made a great defensive header as Bayliss looked to get on the end of a Johnson cross. A long throw Ford saw Lutter push out under pressure, but he took the ball cleanly as Turki Mido headed it back at goal, then Gartland defended superbly as Johnson made a dangerous run into the Cogenhoe penalty area.
Two quick subs followed for Cogenhoe with Jacob Cox making a welcome return to first team action, with McBride the man to make way and two minutes later Harry Southgate came on for Long on the right wing. Duncan was beaten in the air by Mido as he went for a cross and the ball fell to Dove ten yards out and I have to admit I was preparing to write down the fourth goal of the afternoon, but his thunderous volley screamed the wrong side of the post.
Inwood won the ball in his own half, Duncan squared it to Tuck who slipped it first time to send Inwood clear down the left. He took it onto the edge of the box before playing a great low ball across to Dove who’s shot bounced up and smacked the crossbar. More cool defending from Melling saw him steer a header back to Lutter under pressure from Johnson.
Duncan was clearly pushed in the back as he went up for a header but the referee saw nothing wrong, although Dove latched on the ball and turned to fire in a low shot, but it was wide of the target. Dove won the ball and Cox sent it wide to Melling who slipped it through to meet Tuck’s run into the box. The Cooks man went to ground under the challenge but no penalty and it was probably as much Tuck’s tired legs as it was a foul.
Southgate stretched to steer a cross at goal with his boot, but it flicked off a defender and went wide for a corner. Chipchase took this one and Dove steered his header on target, but the keeper dived to his right to stop his effort.
Borbely is something of a legend at Tattershall Road, but he certainly seems past his best these days and his main contribution today appeared to be moaning at the ref and Mr Todd finally had enough with four minutes remaining and got out the yellow card. He was then extremely lucky to stay on after sarcastically applauding the official. Not much happened in the final minutes with the points decided and the heat taking its toll, so the referee called time and Cogenhoe had another win, three more goals and Lutter had yet another clean-sheet. Surely the big-man can’t hang up his gloves while he is still playing so well.
Another very good team performance and a goal apiece for Ryan Dove and Matt Long giving them 46 between them so far. Also good to see Liam Tuck hitting the target as he ran his socks off in the heat today. It was a strange game with Boston starting players in unfamiliar roles and then gradually changing them all back during the game, but you can only beat what’s in front of you and that is exactly what we did today. Matt Long takes my MOTM for his all-round effort and persistence today, topped off with a goal and an assist, but special mentions to Jacob Gartland for playing through injury when he was needed and not letting his team down at all, Josh Melling who was very close to man-of-the-match and Ryan Dove who might have had a hat-trick on another day and battled up top on his own in the heat. I could go through everybody out there today as they all played well and put in a shift. It’s on to Leicester Nirvana on Wednesday night and they have now told us the game will be on their new Hamilton Park ground.

Cogenhoe United; 1. Stuart Lutter 2. Josh Melling 3. Jamie Inwood 4. Sean McBride (sub 14. Jacob Cox 71) 5. Jacob Gartland 6. Dan Stevenson 7. Harry Chipchase 8. Liam Tuck 9. Matt Long (sub 15. Harry Southgate 73) 10. Ryan Dove © 11. Ryan Ansell (sub 16. Ali Duncan HT). Sub not used; 12. Curtis Avery.
Boston Town; 1. Jason Field (on pitch HT) 2. Turki Mido © 3. Richard Ford 4. Fraser Bayliss 5. Ollie Pinner (sub 12. Robert Raducan 56) 13. Lorand Borbely 7. Simon Ashton 8. Peter Evison 9. Jordan Tate 10. Cameron Johnson 11. Keegan Townrow (sub 14. Seth Greeves HT-went in goal).

Referee; Daniel Todd.

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