Cookham Dean FC 9
Holmer Green FC 0

A cold damp 7 degrees on the trademark sloping Cookham lower pitch (as the boys count the days until their 17th Birthday) and Holmer Green lined up in an unusual 6:4 formation.

The opening stages of the game muddy and a little ugly, Cookham recollecting the early goal Holmer managed against them within 7 minutes of their first game on 21st September last year, quickly sharpened their play and pushed into the Holmer half with an early run up the outside by Ollie; dodging and pushing up, finishing with a nice nudge thru for our first attempt of the game within minutes.

Moments later, a trademark PJ corner found Paul alert in the goalmouth, and with a quick thinking second touch he nailed the first of the game.

Holmer pushed back quickly from the kick off, but Cookham’s passing was sharp despite the slow conditions. Some lovely solid passing and fluid movement once again found Paul up front, who with a rebound created a lovely opportunity for Luke to tap in our second.

The 4:6 formation seemed to be working for Holmer. Without the pace of the butcher’s-dogs Cookham lads, Holmer were occasionally using strong but fair play to force into the Cookham area; but tight defence at the back with some solid and pointed passing kept us out of trouble.

Luke and Paul were on fire in the middle, then as the ball rolled back again a lovely lob into the middle found Louie, who dodged a thick line of green shirts to slide a neat pass on to Luke and in for our third.

In the meantime Will was holding a busy midfield coping well with the physical nature of the game, and in the thick of the action created yet another of the many almost-goals of the game. With four strong defensive players at the back though, Holmer were minimising the scoreline with some sharp goal keeping and a strong defensive line.

As the first half drew to a close it was Tom Harvey-time. First as he created space for himself out on the right, the ball was threaded through; and Tom took his time as he set up a lightning shot and a goal. Moments later before the half time whistle Tom once again pulled the ball across in a long shot with an impossible angle that found Paul who steered the ball into the back of the net for Cookham’s fifth.

Immediately the second half opened up our lads were at it again, with a lovely left Louie shot and Miles pushing convincingly up the outside creating opportunities in the middle. There was no doubt that the crowded attack and defence were reducing the options for Cookham, but Ben read the game well in the thick of green shirts as he turned, passing back towards the halfway line in a lovely pass picked up by Greg and nailed home for another.

Now Tom Banks was out on the right pushing forward and roaming hungrily, penetrating into the middle and creating more chances, and on the other side, Ben now pushed into the middle again; firing the ball across the goal mouth as Ollie neatly and deftly dummied out of the way, reading perfectly that Greg would pick up the shot behind and to his left ;-) and Greg was in for his second lovely goal and the game’s 7th.

Up front again, one of the many Cookham corners found Paul in the middle with razor sharp reactions diving low for a John Terry style header and another goal inching Cookham towards double figures.

As the second half unravelled Paul nudged the ball onto Will who deftly popped the ball up, sailing in slow motion across the goal mouth anticipating hungry strikers moving in; but we were infinitesimally too slow to nail it; despite the picture perfect premier league cross from Will.

Now Jack was knitting together some lovely passing pieces at the back opening up three corners in a row finished eventually by a trademark Greg shot that pushed their keeper back a full yard as he bravely placed himself right in the way of the shot.

With some more messy too and fro in front of goal and Holmer clinging on, a closing PJ shot ricocheted around before being planted into the back of the net by Luke.

PJ finished the game with some more of his neat crosses, the lads in the middle holding off from helping the scoreline reach double digits in some charitable play; before the final whistle closed a 9 – 0 strong win.

An interesting morning with a strong and fit Cookham team coasting to victory over a slower but physical Holmer side, who nevertheless managed to close down the game well at both ends and minimise the scoreline and who despite the score actually had some good defensive successes.




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