THE RECORD GOES BUT BEATEN FAIR AND SQUARE

The Dean finally surrendered their long unbeaten run but their could be few complaints as visitors Berk County Sports played out of their skins to earn the victory.
Cookham started well enough and Jon Schaaf went close with a powerful shot after good work from Gordon Hill after 10 minutes.
But it was Sports who took the lead when their skipper Dan Purvis smashed the ball into the top corner of the home goal from fully 3o yards after 22 minutes.
It was a cracking strike that lifted the Sonning based side and they tried their luck again minutes later but their centre backs fierce drive was straight at keeper James Clarke who held the shot well.
Although possession was fairly even Sports used the ball better than Cookham and carved out the better chances, and they almost doubled their lead just before the break when their centre forward broke clear and was only denied by an excellent save from keeper Clarke’s superb save.

After the break Cookham responded when Nathan Lishmans skills set up a good chance but Hill just failed to connect to a fine through ball.
Full back George Bond then sent over a cross but despite Kevin Ford’s high leap his well directed header was easily saved.

Berks number 10 then went close with a spectacular volley as the play moved from end to end but moments later Cookham were level.
Chris Ellis blasted a free kick goal wards that was too hot to handle for the keeper and Louis Shepherd was on hand to smash the loose ball home for the equaliser.

The game was now in the balance but it was BSC who got the winner and following hesitancy in the home defence Clarke’s attempted clearance was charged down and fired into an empty net by the hard working Stuart Stone for a deserved winner for the visitors.
Man of the match Ford said afterwards ”Sports worked phenomenally hard and we did not work hard enough, they were so difficult to pick up as they ran all over the place”.

Cookham however have had a great start to the campaign despite a threadbare squad and
certainly would have settled for one defeat in thirteen when the league began back in September.
Matters were not helped in the lead up to this match when influential midfielder Paul Reeve was forced to miss the game when he was struck on the head with a golf ball in his job as greens keeper and required a number of stitches in a head injury.
But It is a fact that what there is at the Dean is a bunch of honest lads who did not play well in this game but who have so far this season done the club proud and they will bounce back

On to the next.