RACING CLUB WARWICK 5-0 COGENHOE UNITED: The Mowdog's independent, lighthearted view on the contest...

 Racers Secure Comfortable Victory As Cooks Spoil Their Own Broth…

Racing Club Warwick 5-0 Cogenhoe United…

The Mowdog’s thoughts…

3-0 behind at the break, Cogenhoe needed some kind of response during the second period but two unforced defensive errors handed RCW a pair of gifts in the opening stages of the post-recess play. Then replacements by both teams led to a final half-hour which was littered with stoppages and often untidy, going through the motions football. 

Oddly, despite the five goals scored, neither goalkeeper was particularly overworked with saves to make, the best of them arriving late in the match when Racer Brad Catlow dropped like a gannet upon a submerged herring to save from a rare moment of penetration by the Cooks. 

Warwick of course played their patterned possession game throughout the encounter, ensuring that defenders Jamie Ashmore and skipper Kyle Barnett saw a lot of the ball, as did midfielder Ryan Andrews. Typically, the lighthearted James Hancocks, he of the ready quip and on-field observations, alongside the busy Ryan Quinn, constantly supported by the dangerous wingbacks, two-goal Archie Hamp and the lean Callum Carsley, meant that Charlie Jones and forwards Josh Parsons and Louie Monaghan were regular threats.

There was little on the Cooks’ menu to offer on an offensive platter and really, United were comprehensively beaten, like kneaded dough. However, their skipper Harley Mallard would never duck out of his defensive duties as the Racers, dark-shorted like a busy flock of black tailed godwits, dominated the proceedings, often tying the United defence in knots. Certainly Cooks’ midfielder Troy Johnston did enough ground work, head down and committed, like a shoveler marauding with its beak beneath the water in a local pond…

Cogenhoe were often blowing and puffin’ as their hosts made life at Townsend Meadow ruff for them, with Parsons displaying a neat tern of pace to open the scoring, before Hamp sniped twice in a matter of moments. First he showed a goldeneye for goal with a curlew of a left-footer, then leaned like a heron to nod in at the near post from a left-wing corner.

After the recess for breadcrumbs and sunflower hearts, Mallard’s men watched Warwick steal possession and be punished by smart finishes from the ebullient Hancocks and the lively as a redshank Monaghan. 

The massed gadwall of United’s later defending, led by the very impressive Ben Gough who strode across the guests’ defensive line like a particularly irritated greylag goose, plus the many later changes of on-field personnel, prevented a more embarrassing scoreline.

5-0...

4-0...

3-0...

2-0...

1-0...

The final words… 

I guess that despite their valiant efforts to work as a contesting group, like perhaps a flock of lapwings swooping around a bunch of raucous black headed gulls, subsequently the Cooks were rather skua-d by their own menu.

Little went right for the visitors and in truth, their sprightly wide player Shama Bako was reduced to a couple of shots from downtown, whilst central striker Bailey Weatherley found little scope as he skittered across the attacking line like a particularly frustrated avocet hunting for morsels to eat.

Certainly Sonny Che Knights showed glimpses of ingenuity for the Cooks and served up one or two offensive starters but Warwick had their pintails up and would not be denied. There was no widgeon about the defeat by the Cogenhoe players and they surely won’t grebe for long about the outcome…

It was cold at Townsend Meadow, hence a plover over my polo-necked jumper and the wearing of a heavy, warm coot… I taped my team lists onto the rail and was as pleased as a fledgling moorhen that I wasn’t at Redditch Borough v Knowle. When I learned that the Midland League 2 contest had been called off 50 minutes before the start, I was as relieved as a migrating pochard that I had made a better choice of games. 

It’s what I do, me duck…

Images...

ANDREWS (4) IS CAUTIONED FOR TRYING TO HIDE THE BALL BETWEEN HIS THIGHS...

BEING SHOWN THE NAUGHTY CARD...

"IT'S OK, I CAN MAKE THAT FISH BONE SPEW OUT FOR YOU..."

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR A 'JUST STOP OIL' PROTEST..."

BARNETT SPOTS A WEED IN THE ARTIFICIAL SURFACE.
MAYBE...