21.09.24 – 3.00Pm KO – Merley Park
Third v fourth at Merley Park on Saturday as Cobham Sports entertained Bournemouth Sports, it was a cracking day for the game played on a pristine surface, there was little to chose between the two sides and the final score at two apiece was probably a fair result in the end. Bournemouth Sports had the better of things in the first half and took the lead in the 34th minute through James Bergin, Josh Buck equalised for Cobham in the 43rd minute then took the lead in the 59th minute only for Bournemouth to equalise in the the second minute of added on time at the end of the game to make it 2-2.
Bournemouth took charge of the game early in the piece threatening out wide on the right in the first 10 minutes, catching Cobham cold at the back but the home side gradually worked their way into the game and the midfield of both sides were having a real battle for ascendency. Bournemouth Sports had a gilt edged opportunity to take the lead in the 23rd minute, again they probed down the right and Borges failed to deal with Jack Voisey out wide who beat him and when rounding Harvey Elsom the Cobham defender clipped his heals and conceded a penalty but Jacob Deakin came to the rescue with a save to his right from the Voisey spot kick.
Six minutes later Voisey carved out another opportunity and found Sam Darlow in space 16 yards out and his shot cracked against the bar. Josh Toop came close for Cobham in the 31st minute expertly beating his man but he chipped over the advancing keeper and just over the bar, a minute later Bournemouth took the lead, a long ball from Cameron Shaw beat the high, square Cobham backline and Bergin rounded Deakin and slotted home the opening goal of the afternoon to put the visitors 1-0 ahead. Cobham rallied from this setback and got back on level terms just two minutes before the interval, good work from Toop and Chris Manners saw the latter square a ball into the path of Josh Buck who drove home a fine effort from 18 yards giving Ryan Knibbs no chance in the Bournemouth goal, 1-1 at halftime.
Cobham started the better of the two sides in the second period and were starting to look threatening, Buck being in the thick of things for them and Tadgh Case brought a brilliant save out of Knibbs in the 57th minute, his shot from 20 yards being tipped over for a corner.
Cobham hit the front in the 59th minute, an excellent ball from Deakin found Toop on the right, he cut inside and found Buck who’s beautiful incisive pass caught the Bournemouth backline square and the on running Dan Brown rounded the advancing Knibbs and slotted home to make it 2-1 to Cobham. The game had now opened up and I felt that this suited Bournemouth Sports a little, Cobham became a little deep in midfield at times allowing their opponents more room to work the ball from the back but the home defence held well until conceding a corner deep into stoppage time, the cross wasn’t dealt with by Deakin and the defence and was headed home at the far post by Shaw to tie the game up and give them a deserved share of the spoils on the day.
Written by – Ian Gilmartin – Cobham Sports “man in the stand” & thankyou.
Image: Cam Shaw heading home the injury time equaliser.
