COGENHOE UNITED 2-0 HARBOROUGH TOWN: full report by THE MOWDOG...

An Exercise In Extreme Untidiness

Cogenhoe United 2-0 Harborough Town

This encounter was a tough watch at times. A wind favoured the guests during a messy first period but they failed to take advantage, amassing just one shot on target at home ‘keeper Josh McAdoo and when beefy central striker Mason Thomas did manage a head-on, his fellow striker and the most dangerous chap on the pitch, Barnes Gladman, was rarely able to reach the ball. Indeed, the ball spent too much time in the air, that’s for sure. Visiting left-back Michael Duroe picked up a nasty injury when tackled, I think by Bayley Leslie on a touchline, which was surely either a foul or if not, a throw to Town but the officials awarded a throw to United instead, badly offending Harborough and typically leading to the opening goal. The officials’ communication abilities were questionable throughout the game and the referee almost hogged the limelight at times. A better fist of it after the break should have brought the guests back into contention, as Cogenhoe hacked a shot from their goal-line and Gladman threatened a couple of times but it was the hosts, with the sprightly Kasy Morgan in attack, who had missed a first-half sitter, who nabbed a second goal late on, through Damon Herbert, a wide-left player who helped himself to a brace on the day. 

THE TOSS...

An early Harry May corner for the visitors was hacked away by home skipper Phil Cassidy, whose clearance hopped along to Town’s number 5, wearing 15, naturally, Callum Milne but his hooked shot drifted well off target. Gladman was prominent with channel runs for Harborough and when he did manage to latch onto a Thomas head-on, his shot from the right flew across the face of McAdoo’s goal. The referee spotted an infringement when McAdoo got a partial punch to another May delivery but when Duroe was left writhing in genuine agony on the touchline, the hosts capitalised immediately. Following the throw-in, a cross was swung in, ‘keeper Glen Giles hesitated because Ryan Watkin was jumping in front of him to head clear but right-back Callum Traynor had dropped behind Watkin, leaving Herbert free to rap a low 12 yard shot past the helpless Giles into the bottom left corner of the net.  

THE SPECTATOR WONDERS WHERE GLADMAN'S KNEE IS ABOUT TO GO...

HERBERT HAS OPENED THE SCORING FOR COGENHOE...

Oscar Trier replaced the hobbling Duroe, in duress as he stumbled away to the changing-room but it was Town who won the next corner, taken by May on the left but Watkin’s towering downward header at the far stick bounced wide. Gladman was not being favoured by the footballing gods at Cogenhoe for when he raced clear onto another long ball, his chest control was loose and McAdoo was able to collect. The Cooks soon lost possession on offense and Giles’ long punt caused a problem for those attempting to judge the ball’s flight in the wind and Gladman took possession, fed May to his left and the stocky winger moved inside for a shot, only for McAdoo to catch the 25 yard effort easily. The referee and a linesman then messed up badly, when the assistant flagged for a free-kick to The Cooks but the ref’ failed to recognise the direction of the lino’s flagpole, possibly due to the wind blowing the actual coloured handkerchief in the opposite direction (I jest) and he gave a 23 yard attacking free-kick to Harborough. After consultation, the referee finally got it right. All the players were well pigged, for United’s players were incensed then appeased, whilst Harborough’s chaps were pleased, then incensed…

DUROE HOBBLES AWAY...

THE PLAYERS GO WHERE THE BALL HAS SPENT MUCH OF THE TIME...

Joel Konteh, now at right-back for the guests, with Traynor replacing the wounded Duroe at left-back for Harborough, missed a couple of floated passes, which dropped over him and Herbert was hovering both times. Firstly, Leslie’s long centre allowed Herbert to shove a pass inside to Morgan but after opening out his body, the unmarked, diminutive striker totally miscued the ball with his right boot from a few yards out. Secondly, Herbert’s low cross was shot at goal from beyond the far upright by Taylor Orosz, whose effort was slightly deflected for Giles to fall upon at the post. When Traynor was spoken to by the referee, it was May who was cautioned, but with both the procrastinating referee taking an age to deal with situations and home ‘keeper McAdoo in no hurry to get on with things against the wind (and who can blame him?) it seemed like the game was being played to the strains of a lullaby, when it surely needed to be played to the thrash of a heavy metal tune… Half-time, spectators yawned to the tea-bar, or to purchase beer and it remained to be seen whether United would use the wind better than Town had…

MAY IS WRESTLED BY LESLIE...

AN UNHAPPY LOOKING HARBOROUGH BENCH...

They didn’t. May took a free-kick too quickly for Harborough at the start of the second period and the ball rose like a neat rugby conversion but then Town really should have regained parity. The incident was so unlike the previous tedious 45 minutes that even the sun reappeared from behind its half-time cloud to check out this rather unexpected excitement. May’s free-kick was punched out by McAdoo, who was flattened by Thomas in the process, Trier was quicker to react to the loose ball than Herbert and shot at goal but Harry Osbourne flung himself to block the effort on his goal-line and Leslie got in the way of Gladman’s rebound, for Herbert to smash the ball clear. The response from The Cooks was the result of a Danny Harmon free-kick from the left, which appeared to have been nudged by Herbert at the near stick, before being booted clear by Milne, before a Kieran Fitzgerald effort bounced to Giles.

THOMAS GOES UP WITH OSBORNE...

TRAYNOR RECEIVES HIS CAUTION...

May sliced a decent chance well wide for Town from 18 yards and with the game becoming more interesting, with both teams not exactly creating opportunities but more like finding themselves presented with them, Gladman was tackled, Dean Lukeman nudged the ball forward for the hosts, Herbert fed Orosz on the right and he passed to Fitzgerald then received the ball back from the wider striker but the ball bounced from his left boot and over the left angle of bar and post. At the opposite end, Trier was hauled to the ground some 28 yards out and May stepped forward again to shoot the free-kick, which certainly had McAdoo scrambling, as the ball flew wide of the left post. It wasn’t to be May’s day. It is still April, you see…

Gladman then broke free at inside-right but McAdoo thrust out a mitt and bashed aside the ball from his slightly advanced position, so we saw McAdoo pushing pineapple, shaking a tree, or grinding coffee, as he jumped up and down and to the knees… Fitzgerald was hauled down by Town’s Traynor, who was cautioned, having been warned earlier, of course, before a good break by Orosz onto Harmon’s pass led to a beating of Giles but a taking of the ball too wide, although Fitzgerald reclaimed the ball and his eventual low centre was hooked over the crossbar by United’s liveliest player, midfielder Harmon. He maybe ought to have done better with the shot from 15 yards.

The second goal was a killer for Harborough, who probably felt like they deserved something from the game and they were certainly still peeved by the loss of Duroe and also the surrounding circumstances. Orosz pushed a pass right to Fitzgerald, who was enjoying his best spell of the game and as Milne stumbled, the striker moved inside and shoved a low left-footed delivery across the 6 yard box, where Herbert reacted to get in front of Konteh and convert easily from 3 yards. 

2-0...

HERBERT IS IN THERE SOMEWHERE...

Harborough’s busy and effective midfielder Alex McMillan threaded another pass through for the ever-willing Gladman to get onto, this time at inside-left, but with a fine chance to score the forward pulled his low bobbling left-booter across the face of goal and wide of the right upright. Gladman thus became Sadman, hands on head and Town’s final offensive threat had been snuffed out. There was only time for Matt Brown to relieve the tireless but unfortunate Thomas and before Fitzgerald could be replaced by Toby Jones for United, Orosz rapped two successive right-side deliveries low across the Harborough goalmouth. 

GLADMAN HAS SLIPPED A SHOT WIDE...

...& REALISES THAT THIS WASN'T HIS DAY...

The game over, Town would rue the few chances missed and Cogenhoe would reflect on a hard fought victory, which could easily have ended in a draw, in all fairness. Morgan had shown quick flashes of clever and slick play, although he will relive his first-half miss many times I’m sure, but with Oli Wilkinson and Osborne sturdy at the back, Cassidy relentless and Harmon a nuisance in midfield, they prevented Town from being really menacing. True Gladman was a thorn in their side and May’s set-pieces could have been more lethal but in the end too many Cooks spoiled the Harbroth…

Me? Back to Solihull for a chicken pie.

It’s what I do…

TEAMS:

COGENHOE UNITED:

Josh McAdoo, Bayley Leslie, Dean Lukeman, Oli Wilkinson, Harry Osborne, Phil Cassidy (Capt), Danny Harmon, Taylor Orosz, Kieran Fitzgerald, Kasy Morgan, Damon Herbert.

SUBS:

Matt Pinder, Joe Ackroyd, Toby Jones, Elliot Herbert.

HARBOROUGH TOWN:

Glen Giles, Callum Traynor, Michael Duroe, Alex McMillan, Callum Milne, Ran Watkin, Harry May, Lucas Blackwell, Mason Thomas, Barnes Gladman, Joel Konteh.

SUBS:

Oscar Trier, Matt Brown.