Saturday 23rd December 2017
CHROMASPORT & TROPHIES UNITED COUNTIES LEAGUE-PREMIER DIVISION
COGENHOE UNITED (0) 1 v DAVENTRY TOWN (1) 2
Cooks; Alexander (og) 60
Daventry; Creaney 11 Fitzgerald 75

Jake Stone was able to welcome back a few players for today’s all Northamptonshire clash with skipper Ryan Dove and centre-back George Barnell both starting, while Harry Chipchase, Liam Tuck and Luis Vieira had to settle for a spot on the bench. Daventry started with five former-Cooks in their eleven, with a further one amongst their subs.
Dove chipped a cross into the centre that Rico Alexander got his head to first, although Montel Dore was first to the rebound, he didn’t middle his shot and Alexander cleared his area this time. Long played in a cross from the right that Dore met on the volley, but he didn’t get enough power behind it to trouble Ant O’Connor in the visitor’s goal.
Down the other end an Adam Creaney corner saw Jacob Gartland rise highest at the expense of another set-piece on the far side, although this one was even less effective. Dove fouled Cassidy on the edge of the Cooks box and to make things worse he was forced off for a couple of minutes with a blood injury, but we can’t use the fact as we only had ten men as a factor in Daventry taking the lead after 11 minutes. Creaney lined up the free-kick and I have to say he didn’t strike it particularly well, but it went through the wall and somehow under the body of Stuart Lutter to cross the line.
Lutter was called upon again soon afterwards and he used his head to put the ball to safety after coming out of his box to deal with a long ball over the top. Rhys Taylor made a great run through the middle covering a good forty yards to get into the box. He tried to lay it to his right but a defender got a foot to the ball, Dore seized possession back and tried to curl a shot into the far top corner, but he couldn’t get his foot around it enough and it sailed harmlessly high and wide.
Adam Moussi played in a low cross for the left that Séan McBride stretched to get a foot to and the ball fell nicely into Lutter’s hands. Great battling from Taylor on the right flank saw him keep the ball in and get the better of Dan Childs before cutting inside, but his cross went straight behind for a goal-kick. Lutter came out to the edge of the box to beat Moussi to a ball over the top with a brave piece of keeping that saw the Daventry man feel the pain of an awkward landing.
Taylor had a shot blocked by Ross Harris and the ball went spinning towards the far post, but O’Connor dived on it before Matt Long could get a vital touch. There were a number of tasty tackles going in in what has to be described as a competitive yet scrappy period of the game, with not a lot in the way of goalmouth action at either end of the park.
Moussi had a half chance to the inside the box on the left, but he pulled his shot wide of the near post, while Rico Alexander went into the book for bringing down Long after he outpaced the centre-back down the right wing. Hynam played the free-kick into the box and Gartland headed it down, Dove flicked it on and Taylor met it on the volley from a narrow angle, but O’Connor reacted well to save the well-struck effort. Taylor then sent over a dangerous cross, but former Cooks striker Kieran Fitzgerald was back in his own box to clear. Good work from Creaney saw him fire in a low shot from the edge of the box, but Stevenson blocked, then Fitzgerald got his head to a deep cross just beyond the far post, but couldn’t get behind it enough to get it on target.
Shaun Barry brought a scrappy first half to a close and Daventry will have been the happiest with proceedings and possession, although O’Connor had kept them in front with a fine save.

Half-time; Cogenhoe Utd 0 Daventry Tn 1.

One change at the break with Luis Vieira making a very welcome return to Compton Park on what we hope will be a permanent basis, replacing Rhys Taylor who had been struggling with an injury late in the first half.
A typical crunching, yet well-timed tackle from McBride saw him get the better of Jack Beesley and put Dore into space on the left and he crossed to the far post, but it was just too deep for Dove. Gartland played the ball to Vieira on the right side of the box and he struck a shot into the side-netting as Cogenhoe pressed for an equaliser. Tom McGowan increased his foul count on McBride giving Hynam a chance thirty-yards out, but his dipping effort dropped just over the top. Hynam’s pace then saw him beat Ross Harris to the ball and the former Cooks centre-half caught him late and became the second player to go into the book.
A great defensive header under pressure by Beesley saw him clear a Gartland cross, while McGowan fed Jake Dumbleton on the edge of the box but he pulled his shot wide. On the hour Cogenhoe saw how luck can go against and for you in the space of a split second. Dore put in a great cross that Dove met with an equally good header, but the ball came back into play off the underside of the bar. However, that wasn’t the end of the move as the unfortunate Alexander then headed the ball sweetly into the back of his own net, even though he wasn’t actually under any pressure from a blue shirt. Assumedly he was trying to either head it over or wide, but took it in a way any striker would have been proud of!
The goal was no more than Cogenhoe deserved after bossing the game after the interval and they were now looking to go on and win it. Dore laid the ball wide to Melling who whipped in a great cross with his first touch, but it was well cut-out by a defender. Hynam lost Beesley with a turn of foot on the left and sent over a low cross that just evaded Long at the near post and Dove couldn’t turn in at the far.
Vieira cut in and saw his low cross cut-out for a corner, Hynam played it in and Melling met it with a good header that was cleared off the line with the keeper beaten. Hynam, who had really impressed today, made way for Harry Chipchase for the last twenty minutes, while George Barnell picked up a needless booking for dissent that may well see him suspended. We then gave away a silly free-kick on our left and allowed Creaney to whip in a beautiful free-kick that Fitzgerald headed home from close range to give Daventry the lead. The goal was a blow to Cogenhoe and was very much against the run of play this half with just fifteen minutes left to play.
Rico Alexander’s afternoon had already been a bad one, but it got a lot worse on 79 minutes, catching Long with a very poor challenge and Barry had no real choice but to show him his second yellow card followed by the red.
Dore won a header in the centre and Barnell played in up to Melling on the edge of the box. He flicked it on and Dove steered a header over the keeper, but it also looped over the bar. Liam Tuck returned to action after a missing several games through injury when he replaced Dore on the left. Cogenhoe were so near to levelling things up again when Dove met a shot as sweetly as is possible, but Beesley blocked it on the line with his, let’s say midriff. Dove was first to the rebound but he fired it over the bar from close range. Beesley needed a few minutes to count his crown jewels and get his breath back from what was a game saving piece of bravery for Daventry.
Jake Dumbleton was replaced by Jordan Orosz in a time-consuming substitution as Daventry tried to take the sting out of the game in the last few minutes and McGowan was lucky not to go into the book for a tripping Tuck, more for his accumulation of fouls than this particular offence as he looked to make his mark on his former club.
A decent Chipchase free-kick into the box resulted in a real scramble that saw O’Connor dive bravely at the various feet to claim the ball, seemingly taking a knock as he did so as after treatment he was replaced by Iulian Cerga with the game already into stoppage time.
Dove became the second Cooks player to be booked after catching his man with his boot as he tried a shot on the turn, then Long touched the ball out to Tuck who whipped in a cross that was just ahead of Dove.
Daventry made their final change five minutes into added time with Harry Beckley replacing Creaney and it was the visitors who had the final shot of the game when the sub saw his shot blocked after being set-up by fellow sub Orosz’s run.

All-in-all a disappointing result for Cogenhoe after a good second half showing. A mistake for the first and a second against the run of play from an unnecessary free-kick costing us dearly today, but we have to lift ourselves up for our trip to leaders Newport Pagnell Town on Boxing Day, kick-off 1pm.
Man-of-the-match for the Cooks today goes to Montel Dore who was a real livewire out there. Pushing him close were Séan McBride and Charlie Hynam in the centre of the park. We defended pretty well on the whole, but Daventry took their chances and therefore the points.

Cogenhoe United; 1. Stuart Lutter 2. Jacob Gartland 3. Josh Melling 4. Séan McBride 5. George Barnell 6. Dan Stevenson 7. Rhys Taylor (sub 16. Luis Vieira HT) 8. Charlie Hynam (sub 15. Harry Chipchase 71) 9. Matt Long 10. Ryan Dove © 11. Montel Dore (sub 14. Liam Tuck 81). Subs not used; 12. Munya Matiyenga 17. Ali Duncan.

Daventry Town; 1. Ant O’Connor (sub 17. Iustin Cerga 90+2) 2. Jack Beesley 3. Dan Childs 4. Ross Harris © 5. Rico Alexander (S.O 79) 6. Phil Cassidy 7. Adam Moussi 8. Tom McGowan 9. Lieran Fitzgerald 10. Jake Dumbleton (sub 15. Jordan Orosz 86) 11. Adam Creaney (sub 12. Harry Beckley 90+5). Subs not used; 14. Chief Boateng 16. Olalade Esuruoso.

Referee; Shaun Barry.

Cogenhoe United Football Club

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