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Match Reports - 2011/12
KEY: CCP - Combined Counties Premier, PCC - Premier Challenge Cup, RCC - Russell Cotes Cup
FAC - FA Cup, FAV - FA Vase, HSC - Hampshire Senior Cup, ASC - Aldershot Senior Cup
31 January 2012 - Ruthless South Park Punish Cove
Cove 1-7 South Park
By Daniel Tait
South Park ran riot as they put seven past Cove on a bitterly cold night at Oak Farm. Striker Kieran Laverly grabbed four of the seven goals giving Cove manager Dean Thomas a lot to think about ahead of Saturdays visit of Raynes Park Vale.
Cove got off to the worst possible start as Laverly put South Park 1-0 up within the first minute. Laverly picked teh ball up on teh right hand side of the box before curling a sublime effort into the top left hand corner.
South Park doubled their lead little over seven minutes later when Laverly got infront of his man to prod home at the front post from a low David Smith cross.
The busy striker completed his hat-trick on thirteen minutes from a South Park counter attack. As Cove were attacking a through ball hit Coves Dwayne Townsend on the heel, and South Park retained the ball and broke in numbers. Jack Stafford played the ball to Laverly on the edge of the box who then chipped the ball over the top of debut goalkeeper Luke Edgecombe into the far left hand corner.
Cove then seemed to pick up their game as striker Kevin Dalrymple headed onto the roof of the net, and could have hit the target had he delayed his jump for a moment. Dalrymple should have reduced the deficite when he latched onto a mistake by South Park centre-back Nathan Miles, however his shot went high over the crossbar.
Cove's Laurie Walters was unlucky with his effort five minutes before the interval. Walters picked up the ball on the left hand side of the box, when he opened his body and fired across the face of goal.
South Park then put the game beyond all doubt when they made it 4-0 on the 41st minute. George Smith beat the Cove offside trap and kept his head to slot past Edgecombe.
Walters was again unlucky in first half injury time when his composed finish was cleared off the line by desperate defending by Daniel Guscott.
Cove were very much the dominant team at the start of the second half and were rewarded when they pulled a goal back on the 61st minute. The in-form Andrew Harewood recieved the ball on the edge of the South Park box before stepping inside and curling a brilliant shot right footed into the left side of the goal.
However, South Park responded immediately and Laverly grabbed his fourth and South Park's fifth of the game. Laverly found the ball at his feet inide the Cove box, when he cooly slotted past two defenders and the goalkeeper.
South Park were dominant for the rest of the game, and it was one way traffic towards the Cove goal. Substitute Chris Smith made it six with ten minutes to go. Scott Robson crossed to the unmarked Smith who swivled and fired into the top right hand corner, giving Edgecombe no chance.
Smith scored his second and rounded the game off with seven minutes left on the clock. A costly error from Cove captain Eagles presented Smith with his chance as his back pass was not strong enough to reach goalkeeper Edgecombe, and Smith rolled home at the second attempt.
COVE - Edgecombe, Tancock, Millerick, Denness, Eagles, Townsend, Walters, Firth, Dalrymple, Harewood, Bond. Subs: Oladipa, Ball, Peters, Roberts, Thomas.
SOUTH PARK - Wastell, O'Sullivan, Ward, Miles, Guscott, Stafford, D Smith, M Smith, Laverly, Every, G Smith. Subs: Robson, C Smith, Bastin.
28 January 2012 - Egham 3 Cove 1
Cove were left ruing missed chances as they went down 3-1 away to Egham.
Egham dominated possession heavily for the first fifteen minutes, and would probably have been ahead if it wasn't for Matt Grave being caught offside four or five times. Egham Midfielder Tom Hedges looked the most creative from the start as his pace and footwork gave the Cove players a lot to deal with.
Cove started to pick up their game around the 20th minute mark. Laurie Walters and Andrew Harewood both had chances to break the deadlock but their efforts were wayward. However it was left-sided midfielder Vinnie Bond who had the chance to open the scoring. Bond found himself one on one with the goalkeeper Paul Borg, however his shot was partially blocked by Borg and trickled across the face of goal with no Cove players following up the effort.
Cove's Elliott Firth nearly put the ball into his own net on the 25th minute mark when he slid in to intercept a low cross, only for the ball to slice off his foot and spin up over the bar for an Egham corner.
A good five minute spell on the half hour mark should have seen Cove take the lead. A low in-swinging cross from the right hand side found Harewood at the far post, only for the striker to prod a tame shot into the midriff of the goalkeeper. Bond also struck an effort from the edge of the box, that 'keeper Borg caught comfortably.
Egham then took the lead on 37 minutes when Enrico Rossoni struck an effort from the edge of the box and into the far corner.
Egham then made it 2-0 shortly after half time. Forward Matt Grave latched onto a through ball and slotted calmly past Cathal McLean.
Cove then seemed to respond immediately as Bond had two opportunities to half the deficite. Bond fired high and wide when he should have really laid the ball to one of his team-mates in a better position, before forcing a good save out of Borg when his low shot was tipped around the post for a corner.
Cove's pressure paid off when Harewood pulled one goal back. Harewood chested a ball that was headed out by the Egham defence before volleying across goal into the far left hand corner.
Egham held out for the rest of the game and put the game beyond all doubt in the final few minutes. Substitute Tom Brunton crossed a delightful ball to the back post for Grave to tap in and grab his second of the game.
McLean, Tancock, Firth, Millerick (Kayode 80), Eagles, Townsend, Roberts (Denness), Walters, Dalrymple (Ball 61), Harewood, Bond.
14 January 2012 - Chessington & Hook 3 - 4 Cove FC
Cove centre back Nathan Nelson scored a controversial 96th minute winner to edge a seven goal thriller at Chessington & Hook.
It was the home side who were quickest out of the blocks. The possession was very much in the favour of Chessington, however they seemed to fail to produce and end product.
Cove then began to get into the rhythm of the game with Laurie Walters looking lively on the left flank. It was Walters who created the opening goal on 17 minutes. The number 11 took the ball inside onto his right foot before whipping a low, in-swinging ball towards the far post for Tyrone Roberts to slide the ball into the net.
The visitors had been leading for less than ten minutes when Chessington found an equaliser. Cove goalkeeper Cathal McLean ran out of goal to collect a cross only for the Chessington number 8 to get to the ball first and head into an empty net.
Both teams had good opportunities to get a second as the game neared the half hour mark. The Chessington number 10 will feel he should have done better from a head down from his strike partner, whilst Cove's Nathan Nelson had a point blank shot saved superbly.
Cove forward Andrew Harewood scored the goal of the game in the 30th minute. Harewood latched onto a pass from Kevin Dalrymple before taking a touch an unleashing an unstoppable shot from 20 yards into the top left hand corner via the post.
Cove started the second half the brightest as Dalrymple and Dwayne Townsend both had chances to double the deficit, whilst Harewood had an effort cleared off the line.
Cove's efforts paid off on 65 minutes when Harewood grabbed his second of the game. Good work involving full-back Craig Hewitt, Dalrymple and Harewood led to a scrap in the box, however Harewood's eventual shot crept in the bottom right hand corner.
Cove seemed to switch off as Chessington immediately reduced the deficit back to one goal. The Chessington midfielder was allowed time and space to drill a low effort into the bottom left hand corner from the edge of the box.
Substitute Jack Ball did well to create an opportunity for Cove when he wriggled his way into the box. The tall front man could have put the game beyond doubt had he squared to an unmarked Harewood, however chose to go alone and smashed wayward.
Chessington looked to have salvaged a draw in the dying moments of the game when the referee pointed to the penalty spot in the 93rd minute. The Chessington striker kept his cool to send McLean the wrong way and stroke home.
The drama continued as Cove snatched a winner in the 96th minute. A free kick delivered into the box lead to a desperate scramble, and Nathan Nelson struck a low, neat finish to make the scoreline 4-3. The Chessington players were adamant that Nelson was offside, however the Referee blew the whistle for full time and Cove took all three points.
Mclean, Hewitt, Firth, Nelson, Eagle, Townsend, Roberts (Peters 86), Thomas, Dalrymple (Ball 75), Harewood, Walters. Subs Not Used: Tancock, Olandipa, Matterich. Goalscorers: Roberts (17), Harewood (30 & 65), Nelson (90+6)
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