Doughboys snatch late point.

Cogenhoe will have that 'three points dropped' feeling tonight after Wellingborough grab a draw at the Dog & Duck.

Easter Monday 17th April 2017
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION
WELLINGBOROUGH TOWN (1) 2 v COGENHOE UNITED (2) 2
Doughboys; Wisniewski 24 Buckby 86
Cooks; Lowery 4 Long 36

With the Dog & Duck pitch looking in pretty good shape, although obviously hard at this time of year, Tom Chapman made just one change from two days hence. Ashley Clamp dropped to the bench with Liam Tuck starting wide left with Jacob Gartland behind him, whilst Lewis Galpin replaced Nathan Burrows on the bench. It was also a return to a former home for our assistant Rob Gould, who had a decent spell as manager of Wellingborough Town. The Doughboys lined up with several former Cooks, Jake Gillingwater, Dan Mortimer, Joe Rich and latest signing Kieran Fitzgerald all starting, with Josh Olowoyo on the bench, while Ryan Ansell lined up against a former club for Cogenhoe.
A chilly, overcast afternoon was soon warmed up with Cogenhoe straight on the attack and had the first effort at goal with a thirty-yard volley that was a yard off target. Luke Stone played a ball up for Ryan Dove on the left edge of the box and he turned and whipped in a shot that was just over the bar. Wellingborough’s first attack of purpose saw Jake Cayton catch his former teammate Fitzgerald just outside the corner of the box. Justin Dowling delivered a dangerous free-kick in and Fitzgerald wasn’t far off getting a touch with his head in front of Stuart Lutter, but it remained untouched as it went straight across the box. Cooks were back on the attack and Matty Long won a corner on the right. Tuck’s corner was a good one and Alex Lowery swept it first time past Oli Ryanolds and the defender on the line to give Cooks the lead with just four minutes on the clock.
Adam Speight tried an effort from the edge of the box, but it didn’t trouble Lutter, then Munya Matiyenga intercepted a decent looking Barry Deacon through ball in his own box. Gillingwater had a Beckham moment and tried a shot from a yard inside the Cogenhoe half, but it was well wide of the mark. Ryan Ansell played in a good free-kick from the right that Rich was happy to head behind for a corner with Dove pressuring him in the air. Fitzgerald got the better of Séan McBride on the half way line and tried to break, but Jake Cayton covered well and took the ball off him with a well-timed challenge. A great ball from McBride gave Matty Long a chance to cut into the box, but Reynolds got down to save his shot at the near post. A quick break from the hosts saw Fitzgerald fire into the side netting as he tried to beat Lutter at his near post. Ansell played the ball out wide to Long who delivered a great cross that had to be headed behind for a corner, although Ansell’s effort drifted out and landed on the roof of the net. On 24 minutes the home side levelled the scoring. Adam Speight did well on the left and slipped the ball into the path of Jack Wisniewski and he calmly slotted the ball past Lutter and into the far corner. Wellingborough pressed down the same wing within a minute of the goal and Fitzgerald found himself in a good position in the box. He probably should have squared for Deacon, but instead tried for goal himself as Lutter closed him down and the ball flew at pace straight across the six-yard box. Long found himself in the book for foul after he felt he should have had a free-kick as he tried to get away from his man on the right. A good free-kick from Dowling picked out Gillingwater’s run at the far post, but he couldn’t keep his volley down as he stretched for the ball. On 36 mins though, Cogenhoe re-established the lead. Ansell’s excellent ball saw Matty Long outpace Adam Randall and somehow squeeze his angled shot across Reynolds and just inside the far post. From where I stood it didn’t look like he could possible score from there, but that is why Matty is our leading scorer.
Ryan Dove won a header in his own box following a set-piece and Ansell picked it up in the centre before releasing Tuck on the left. He whipped in a great cross that was met by Dove’s run and his header wasn’t too far over the top. This really typified Ryan Dove’s box to box effort and the teams want to win mentality. Rich lifted a ball into the box and Fitzgerald was given too much room, but he didn’t get over his header and it looped over the bar. Tuck played in Gartland on the overlap, but great battling back from Fitzgerald saw him rob the full-back as he got to the edge of the box. McBride was left in pain after appearing to fall awkwardly on his back after making a challenge in the centre. It is very rare that Séan asks for treatment and he was clearly struggling as he tried to make it to the break. Both Gartland and Matiyenga made vital defensive headers as the Doughboys looked to level it up before half-time and Speight had a chance with a header from Dowling’s corner, but he couldn’t keep it on target.
Half-time; Wellingborough Town 1 Cogenhoe United 2.
As feared, McBride’s injury meant he couldn’t continue, so Ashley Clamp came on at the break, with Tuck moving into a central position alongside Stone and the sub going wide left.
Nice work on the left of the box saw Long control and dink in a cross that was just too deep for Dove, while Wellingborough had a fair bit of the early ball without causing any real issues at the back for the Cooks. Matiyenga, Tuck, Gartland, Cayton and Lowery all did their bit at the back when called on and Lutter only had to take one high ball during the opening spell of the half. Cayton headed out a cross that fell to Lloyd Buckby, but his speculative twenty-five yard volley was well off target. Gillingwater lifted a ball up towards Speight, but Lowery got up well to win it before the home side made their first change. Fitzgerald came off and Deven Ellwood, who had scored the only goal on Boxing Day, took his place up front. Matiyenga was penalised for a push wide on the left and Dowling played the free-kick into the box where Ellwood steered a header at goal, but Lutter took it comfortably. Ansell broke down the right and hit a well struck shot from an angle that Reynolds had to push around the post. Stone lifted the ball up to Long in the box and although he had two defenders on him he managed to turn and poke in a shot, but it was easy for the keeper to take. Wellingborough messed up their clearance though and Tuck hit a shot from outside the box that cannoned off a defender for a corner. Ansell swung it in and Dove got in a header that must have deflected off a home head before it scraped the top of the bar and gave Ansell another chance from the quadrant. This time he went deep and Lowery met it with a good header that was heading for the far corner had Deacon not been on the post to block it on the line.
A great Dowling threaded pass dissected the Cooks left side of defence and gave Wisniewski possession in the box, but he opted for a shot and could only fire the ball wide of the near post when a ball back across the area would have been very difficult for the Cooks to defend. Clamp saw an effort on the break blocked and Lowery headed over from a Ryan Ansell corner as Cogenhoe continued to create chances, while a good run inside from Wisniewski set up a chance for Buckby on the edge of the box, but he dragged his shot wide of the far post. Clamp’s flick almost played in Long, but Rich out-muscled him in the box. We really should have taken the lead soon after when Long put Clamp clear in the box with just the keeper to beat, but his shot failed to beat Reynolds and although Ansell got to the loose ball, the keeper recovered brilliantly to save his effort too. Lutter made a double save from a Wellingborough break, first from a low Ellwood strike and then when the ball was returned into the box from a Speight header.
A Tuck cross was only half cleared and Luke Stone tested the keeper with a well-struck shot from just outside the box, then Ansell played the ball up to Dove who did brilliantly to play in Long, but he tried to lift the ball over Reynolds from close range and the keeper held on to his effort. Dove played in a good ball for Long, but he lost his balance as he tried to bring the ball down inside the box. A great flick from Dove found Long running towards the edge of the box. He had a touch before slipping it inside to Clamp, but his shot was too close to Reynolds. Long tried to pounce on the rebound but he was flagged offside. A couple of good bits of defending from Jacob Gartland saw him stop Ellwood and then Speight. Ansell played the ball wide to Matiyenga who played a good first time ball into the box, Long laid it off to Dove who fired a shot through a crowd of defenders, but it was always a foot or so wide of the far post. Wisniewski blazed a shot high and wide from outside the box, but it was Cogenhoe who still looked the most likely to add to their tally. Tom Carroll replaced Ansell for the last five minutes, with Clamp swapping wings ad Tuck delivered a great free-kick that Lowery headed back from the far post. Dove nodded it down and Long met it well with a spectacular volley, but it was too close to Reynolds, although he did well to hold on to the shot. With four minutes left of the ninety, Cogenhoe were made to pay for all the chances they had failed to capitalize on. Reynolds clearance was headed on by Speight, Wisniewski broke into the box on the left. Lutter narrowed his angle and the striker coolly slipped it across the box for Barry Deacon to tap home from close range at the far post. A great counter-attack goal, if somewhat cruel on Cogenhoe. Joe Rich slipped as he went for a Matiyenga throw and left Carroll with space to attack. He took it into the box and tried to beat the keeper at his near post with a powerful shot, but he sliced it wide of the target. Ellwood broke into the box on the left and Lutter slipped as he came out, but Cayton was on hand to save the keeper’s blushes as he came across to block his shot as he tried to roll it in from an angle. Rich did well to get a toe in as Long broke through the centre as we went into injury time. Randall went into the book for a foul on Long, Tuck saw a well-struck thirty-yarder hit a defender before Cogenhoe almost grabbed a late, late winner. Long found Dove in the box and he teed up Tom Carroll in the box. The youngster hit a thunderbolt of a first time shot that seemed destined for the back of the net, but for a great save from Reynolds and the keeper had the final say of a great personal performance with a really good take from Matiyenga’s deep cross. Shaun Barry brought a very entertaining local derby to an end with Cogenhoe extending their unbeaten run to seven games, although this was the fourth consecutive draw.
In truth we have played worse than this and won this season and I’m sure we will again. Doughboy’s keeper Oli Reynolds was in fine form today and deserves a lot of praise for earning his team a point. Having said that we created the chances and really should have been out of sight before the late equaliser. Another good team performance again with all doing well. I felt the loss of Séan McBride at half-time did make a difference today, but it is a squad game. My man-of-the-match today goes to Ryan Dove. Both he and McBride have become so consistent in their performances that we have come to expect it as the norm, so perhaps for that reason they don’t get the nod for my award as much as they should.
Just one more game left for the first team and that is a week on Saturday when we entertain Harborough Town. Before that the Reserves have their final two games that if they win, they will claim the runners-up spot in the league, so come and support them if you can. Tomorrow they entertain Olney Town at 7-45, then next Saturday they round their season off at Rothwell Corinthians, the team they will need to better to get that second place behind Lutterworth Athletic.
Wellingborough Tn; 1. Oliver Reynolds 2. Jake Gillingwater 3. Dan Mortimer 4. Adam Randall 5. Joe Rich © 6. Lloyd Buckby 7. Justin Dowling 8. Barry Deacon 9. Jack Wisniewski 10. Adam Speight 11. Kieran Fitzgerald (sub 12. Deven Ellwood 57). Subs not used; 14. Rico Alexander 15. Josh Olowoyo 16. Adesina Oluwagbemiga 17. Nathan Wills.
Cogenhoe Utd; 1. Stuart Lutter 2. Munya Matiyenga 3. Jacob Gartland 4. Jake cayton 5. Alex Lowery 6. Séan McBride (sub 12. Ashley Clamp HT) 7. Ryan Ansell (sub 14. Tom Carroll 85) 8. Luke Stone © 9. Matty Long 10. Ryan Dove 11. Liam Tuck. Sub not used; 15. Lewis Galpin.
Referee; Shaun Barry.