Saturday 19th January 2019

FUTURE LIONS UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION
ROTHWELL CORINTHIANS (0) 1 v COGENHOE UNITED (3) 6
Rothwell;
Ademidun 83

Cooks;
Dove 13, 90
Johnson (og) 32
Stevenson 38
Stone 70
Long 80

A few changes and a different formation as Jake Stone shook things up following the 0-0 draw at Newport on Tuesday. Josh Melling, Ryan Ansell. Ben Drinkwater and Tom Iaciofano were all handed starts while Harry Darnell came in on the bench.
After a fairly even set of opening exchanges, Corinthians keeper Adam North mishit a clearance straight at Ryan Dove on the edge of the box, but a great reaction from Aiden Smith stopped the Cooks skipper from punishing him. A good move saw Charlie Dolden play Adefolan Ademidun down the left channel and he played the ball into the box only to see Dan Stevenson cut it out. The game’s first real chance was created by Drinkwater who flicked the ball over the defender to give himself some space to run into and he made it deep into the box before drilling in a low shot that North saved well with his foot. Down the bottom end a low shot from Joey Wright bounced in front of Lee Baxter, but the Cooks keeper got down to his left to parry the ball and Liam Tuck swept up before Ademidun could pounce.
The opening goal came on 13 minutes with a piece of magic from Ryan Dove. Josh Melling looped the ball up to him from defence and he got up above the defender to get his head to it before turning and oh so calmly lobbing the ball over the stranded keeper’s head from the edge of the box. Great vision and execution from Dovey.
Séan McBride won the ball in the centre with a typical tackle and Dove flicked the ball into Drinkwater’s path, but the striker caught the back of the defender’s heel as they gave chase and the home side survived with a free kick. A Tuck corner was only half cleared so Iaciofano sent it back over where Alex Lowery got up to win the header but got the direction wrong from a very dangerous position. Iaciofano again sent it back into the box and Dove got in a volley that hit a defender which took a lot of the pace off the ball and North dived to his left to push it around the post.
A decent run from Ryan Ansell saw him get in a well-struck shot, but it was straight at the well-positioned North, then Dove played in Drinkwater who got the better of Charlie Dolden to get into the box on the right but his shot was saved comfortably by North at his near post. Cogenhoe won a free-kick on the right midway inside the Rothwell half and Liam Tuck played it into the box. In truth it wasn’t a particularly dangerous one, but Ben Johnson stretched to get his head to it and inadvertently looped it over his own keeper and into the net to double the Cooks advantage on 32 minutes.
A lovely knock from Lowery saw Drinkwater try to get away in the box but former Cogenhoe player Aaron Campion managed to steer it back to his keeper. A Johnson cross was headed out by Tuck only for Callum Plowright to meet it with a first-time shot just outside the box, but it was a foot too high to find the target. On 38 minutes the lead became three as Tuck swung in a corner and Dan Stevenson rose to steer his header inside the far post for a well taken goal, the big centre-half’s fourth in his last five starts.
The game’s first booking came as we approached half-time with it starting as Tom Mills went in a bit late on Baxter. The play moved on and as Ansell tried to turn in the centre he was brought down from behind. A bit of ‘handbags’ followed between Lowery and Mills and both players ended up in Shan Gregory’s notebook as a result. The last action of the half saw Luke Stone’s effort from just outside the box strike a defender and roll safely through to North and it was Cogenhoe who were much the happier as we headed inside for fifteen minutes.

Half-time; Rothwell Corinthians 0 Cogenhoe United 3.

Iaciofano was pushed in the back just outside the Rothwell box but nothing was given and the home side broke away and Ademidun played the ball into the box for Plowright, but he didn’t control it and Stevenson cleared. Lowery’s free-kick from half-way was flicked on by Stevenson and Iaciofano ran in behind him to get a touch but his shot was just the wrong side of the post. Lowery then played Drinkwater in on the left and he outpaced two defenders to get into the box before rounding North. His angle wasn’t the greatest though and his rolled shot hit the base of the near post and came back into play where North cleared via Drinkwater’s backside as he bravely tried to block.
A good interception from Dolden stopped Dove playing Ansell clear just before we had the game’s first sub. Tom Mills making way for James Stephenson as the hosts tried to get themselves back into the game with an hour gone. Joey Wright had a chance to the right of the box but although he lifted his shot over Baxter, it was a yard or so wide of the far post too. Jake made his first change as he took off Drinkwater for Matt Long in a straight swap up top on 67 and three minutes later Cooks netted their fourth. A Tuck corner was headed up in the air by a defender and Luke Stone watched it all the way before hooking a superb volley into the far top corner from the edge of the box for a cracking goal. Perfectly executed giving the keeper no chance at all.
A great touch from Dove gave Ansell space on the right but his cross was easy for North to claim. Good work from McBride as he held the ball up in the box before creating room to dink a cross to the far post where Dove headed back to Ansell, but he pulled his shot badly and Tuck came in well-beyond the far post to hit a low first time shot that cannoned behind off a defender. Rothwell made their second change as Tom Gudyer replaced returnee Jordan Henson and the sub was quickly in the action as he cut in from the left to set Ademidun in the box and his first touch was superb, but he opted to hit the ball with the wrong foot and scuffed the chance. The lead became five as Dove threaded a through ball for Long who got past his man and fired a low shot across the keeper from the corner of the six-yard box and inside the far post. This was the Matty we know well and should do his confidence the world of good. The goal also sparked the last changes with Harry Darnell and Charlie Hynam getting run-outs for the hard-working pair Luke Stone and Liam Tuck.
Ademidun played a low ball across the box for Wright at the far post with Baxter making a good save to deny him, but the clean sheet was gone with seven minutes remaining as Ademidun converted a low ball in from the right from close range. Baxter then had to race out of his area to beat Ademidun to a long ball, Stephenson then chested the ball down well on the edge of the box but Hynam had back-tracked well and was in position to block his shot inside the box.
Ryan Dove had the final word in stoppage time as he fired home his 28th goal of the season. Ansell cut between two defenders to get into the box from the right before pulling the ball back to Dove on the edge. He controlled it before stepping to the side and firing a powerful low drive just inside the diving keeper’s right-hand post to cap off a great performance from The Cooks.

Jake Stone wanted a reaction from his side after scoring just once in their last two games (despite dominating large sections of them) and he certainly got that today. A great goal from Luke Stone, two pieces of great play from Dove for his brace, a very well created and taken goal from Matt Long and a typical set-piece header from Dan Stevenson all worthy of the admission fee, plus a fortunate own goal to bring up the half-dozen at Sargeants Lawn.
A very good all-round performance from the team today with everyone contributing on the pitch. Disappointing not to keep a clean sheet to that late consolation, but we largely stood firm at the back, although Lee Baxter made a couple of decent saves when called upon. We took a few minutes to settle into the new formation but once we had we always looked comfortable. Ryan Dove was again absolutely superb out there and scored two great goals and Ben Drinkwater was very unlucky not to join him on the scoresheet today. Tom Iaciofano impressed in wide midfield and I really wasn’t sure who my man-of-the-match was going to be though, but I had narrowed it down to two. Séan McBride was fantastic in the centre but my nod goes to his partner-in-crime Luke Stone today, with that goal just nudging him in front.

It’s a trip to Spalding next week as we travel to face Pinchbeck United who currently sit just above us in the table. There is midweek action at Compton Park on Thursday though as the U18s start their Jaymann Shield group games against Corby Town.

Rothwell Corinthians; 1. Adam North 2. Aiden Smith 3. Charlie Dolden 4. Callum Plowright 5. Sam Tully 6. Aaron Campion © 7. Ben Johnson 8. Tom Mills (sub 12. James Stephenson 59) 9. Jordan Henson (sub 14. Tom Gudyer 77) 10. Adefolan Ademidun 11. Joey Wright. Subs not used; 15. Kieron Nugent 16. Paul Rice.

Cogenhoe United; 1. Lee Baxter 2. Josh Melling 3. Liam Tuck (sub 14. Charlie Hynam 80) 4. Séan McBride 5. Alex Lowery 6. Dan Stevenson 7. Ryan Ansell 8. Luke Stone (sub 15. Harry Darnell 80) 9. Ben Drinkwater (sub 16. Matt Long 69) 10 Ryan Dove © 11. Tom Iaciofano. Subs not used; 12. Jack O’Connor 17. Stuart Lutter.

Referee; Shaun Gregory.

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