DEAN HORROR SHOW

Cookham Dean will not want to dwell on this performance. As a spectacle It was an awful match from start to finish. Injury ravaged Cookham were forced to field a weakened side but they still should have had enough to compete with a struggling Mortimer outfit.

Richard Jones had an early chance for the Dean but fired wide with a hurried effort when well placed. The visitors then carved out a chance which West fired over, but Mortimer then took the lead following a slick move which was finished off from close in.
Kevin Ford was well placed to get Cookham back on terms moments later following a Reece Richardson corner but his header flashed over the bar.

Cookham Dean were soon level though when Richard Jones lobbed the keeper in fine style and the goal briefly lifted the home side.
Richard Webb then went close to giving the home side the lead towards the end of the first half with a strong header from Ford's free kick, but again the chance cleared the bar and the side's went in at the break all square.

The second half was a scrappy affair as both sides gave the ball away constantly and there was no pattern to the play at all. This was not helped as several injuries broke up the game. Firstly Chris Ellis left the field with a suspected torn hamstring while Keeper James Clarke struggled on with a hip problem which he hurt making a good save from a dangerous free kick.

The visitors sensed the opportunity to cause an upset and went close to regaining the lead when a striker hit the post with free header after 55 minutes.
However Mortimer were ahead within minutes following a wonder strike form 40 yards that was totally out of keeping with everything that had gone before.
In the closing stages Cookham pressed forward in search of an equaliser but left some big spaces open at the back and the inevitable happened in the last minute when Mortimer broke away to score to claim a 3-1 victory.

Cookham will have to do a whole lot better next week when Westwood United visit the Alfred Major Rec. in the County Cup.

Gallery

1. Richard Jones lobbed the keeper to level the scores
2. Short lived relief
3. First half pressure
4. Richard Jones on the ball
5.Scott Allen takes the post