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Chairman's View Cookham Dean 2 Marlow United 6

Chairman's View Cookham Dean 2 Marlow United 6

Alan Turner18 Dec 2016 - 10:45
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Yesterday’s match was preceded in poignant fashion ............

.......with a minute’s silence held in memory of Mortimer Chairman Adrian Keep who passed away following a long illness. ‘Mr Mortimer’ who had been the soul of the club for over 30 years is yet another familiar face taken far too soon. We send our condolences to Ade’s family and of course to all at Mortimer Football Club.

The match itself was played in damp, foggy conditions but the afternoon was brightened from a United perspective with a brace of hat tricks from both Andy Nicol and Liam Bushay as Cookham were put to the sword which confirmed United as the Christmas number one.

There is no escaping the fact that this was a weakened Cookham Dean. The final Saturday before the Christmas break is notorious for absentees, a predicament United have suffered over the past two seasons. Indeed last season at the same time of year United travelled to Aldermaston with effectively a reserve team and returned with our tails firmly between our legs following a 1-3 defeat.

Therefore, yesterday’s victory was crucial for three reasons, 1. In that we have picked up three points at a time of year where we usually don’t 2. Bragging rights are secured over our neighbours for a further season. 3. But most importantly Cookham are now behind us and when football commences again on 7 January Cookham will return stronger, they always do, and will provide a threat to our title challengers.
United began slowly yesterday, which is fast becoming a bad habit, but responded in excellent style but while 6-2 appears resounding, it was, there were periods of the game when a Jamie Handscombe inspired Cookham might have got back in the game. Handscombe, probably the best player never to wear a United shirt, was a credit to his club as he led from the front in his usual tenacious style but even he couldn’t suppress United’s attacking menace. Therein lies the rub, United have a mentality of ‘we will score more than you’ approach which belies a defensive wall of some quality which has the habit of occasionally switching off. Yesterday saw the return of Rob Marshall which can only strengthen the United back line going into the New Year.

Indeed the New Year will also see the return of Leigh Mason, Ryan Britnell and skipper Ollie Flint so United have much to be optimistic about.

Other games saw Highmoor draw with Rotherfield 2-2 while Unity smashed Hurst 5-1. Newbury Town maintained their title challenge with a 3-1 win over lowly Taplow and Woodley squeezed home 2-1 against Wraysbury.

In the Maidenhead Senior Cup Reading YMCA knocked out East Berks league leaders Delaford 3-2.

The league now closes down until 7 January 2017 and all it leaves for me to say on behalf of all at Marlow United Football Club is a very Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year to all.

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