Cogenhoe United 1 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1

AFC Rushden & Diamonds just failed to force a late winner against Cogenhoe in a competitive contest at Compton Park on Tuesday evening. After a goal less first half Cogenhoe took the lead on 49 minutes after a hurried clearance boomed down the pitch over Liam Dolman into the path of Luke Emery who chased in on goal and finished coolly past Pycock in the Diamonds goal. The equalizer come on 64 as Elliott Lamb-Johnson struck superbly from 25 yards against his former club. Diamonds pressed in a frantic final period that contrasted with much of the rest of proceedings coming close through Sam Brown, Fazel Koriya, and Jamal Clarke while surviving a goalmouth scramble and another close effort from Emery.

It meant a third draw in 5 games against top sides in the division but Diamonds now lead the table by two points.

Manager Andy Peaks made two changes from the side that fought out a goalless draw against Yaxley at the weekend. Elliott Lamb-Johnson came in for Joel Gyasi to play against his former side, and Jason Turner returned to the starting line-up for Tom Lorraine who dropped to the bench.

The game was feisty and competitive from the start with both midfields and defences snapping into tackles and closing space to deny any attacking momentum. Elliott Lamb-Johnson was prominent for Diamonds throughout trying to work space down the right-hand side but often faced by 2 or 3 defenders. He worked well with Fazel Koriya on 10 minutes to create space for a curled shot come cross that Cogenhoe keeper Urquhart clutched just under the bar.

The first yellow card of came on 12 minutes as Fazel Koriya got on a run at the Cogenhoe midfield and looked to have created space to surge into when he was brought down my Thomas McGowan.

Cogenhoe gradually started to dominate possession moving the ball well through midfield and working chances around the edge of the box. On 15 minutes Urquhart had a rasping shot from 25 yards go just wide as Pycock scrambled across goal at the end of good move, and on 20 minutes Thom McGowan who was prominent throughout for Cogenhoe had a shot blocked in the area from close range, with the rebound fired over on the volley by Dean Lukeman.

Diamonds were making too many errors in possession under pressure from a hard working Cogenhoe side and denying themselves much in the way of attacking momentum. Fazel Koriya had the best of few opportunities in the first half after a cross was only pushed out to him on 15 yards but he blazed over.

The Diamonds back line were at full stretch to keep Cognehoe to shots from distance. Chilton did well to hit a firm shot just over as he was falling on the edge of the box on 32. A minute later McGowan had the best chance with a superb volley also just over, and Luke Emery hit another dangerous rising shot just over after a good cross on 35.

Just a minute later Chilton received a yellow card for a lunging challenge on Jason Turner as an uninspiring game drifted to half-time without further incident.

Half-time: Cogenhoe United 0 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 0

Cogenhoe started the second half brightly with Ross Harris superbly finding McGowan in space at the near post only for Jack Ashton to slide in with a last ditch challenge, and they took the lead on 49 minutes. A hurried clearance to a Diamonds attack boomed down the field over the retreating Liam Dolman for Luke Emery to collect, run in on goal and slide under Pycock to the delight of the home supporters.

Diamonds responded well and a great ball from Koriya found Ashton on the far post but his ball back along the 6 yard line was blocked for a corner. We then had a period where Diamonds players and fans seemed to get frustrated by referee Wayne Chalmers, firstly as Brown appeared to be pinned to the ground under challenge from Thomason which was not punished, and then stopping play for an apparent head injury deep in the Cogenhoe area with Diamonds in a dangerous position.

It seemed to ignite Diamonds and they pressed forward solidly for pretty much the rest of the game but kept undermining their efforts through misplaced passes at key moments and made some poor decisions on challenges which drew unnecessary free-kicks stopping any momentum. Fazel Koriya received a yellow card on 58 for one such challenge, and Jamal Clarke was lucky to escape punishment moments later for a lunging challenge.

Clarke very nearly got Elliott Lamb-Johnson in on 60 minutes though his final pass at the end of a good run just fell short of the winger when well placed. But it was Lamb-Johnson who would get the vital equalizer on 64 as he ran at a for once retreating Cognehoe defence, worked space on the edge of the box and fired home across Urqhart from 25 yards.

With the sides now level and following a period of apparent consolidation a series of substitutions spiced up the game. Adam Confue who took a knock late in the first half was replaced by Tom Lorraine, former Football League player Courtney Herbert replace Heavey for Cogenhoe. Then after Thomason got the yellow card he might have had earlier for a cynical challenge on Fazel Koriya, Matt Gearing replaced Elliott Lamb-Johnson who had just received lengthy treatment, and Karl Bates came on for Dan Herbert for Cogenhoe.

We then had a frantic finish at odds with the rest of the game but exciting non the less. There was a major melee in the Diamonds 6 yard box on 77 as a ball played in wasn’t initially cleared and Herbert and Lewis had chances to strike blocked by last ditch bodies thrown in the way. Pycock finally pounced and as he had done all game launched a speedy attack which ran the length of the field with the ball into the box resulting in set of head tennis before being partially cleared to Matt Gearing who sold a great dummy to his defender only to see his cross blocked for a corner.

After Scott Joseph replaced Jason Turner on 81, it was pretty much all Diamonds pressing for that later winner. First Dunkley played a superb reverse pass in midfield to set Koriya away who cut inside as he approached the box and fired just over. And then he was cynically pulled down by Chilton who received his second yellow card reducing Cognehoe to 10 men for the final 10 minutes.

Scott Joseph showed real energy to get onto a good ball on 87, controlled well on the left hand side of the box, had his shot blocked into the path of Koriya who blazed over again. Jamal Clarke then surged from his full-back position onto a loose clearance and fired in probably the hottest shot we’ve seen from a Diamonds player which genuinely stung then hands of keeper Urquhart.

Then on 90 minutes Sam Brown broke into the box controlled Dunkleys’s cross and nearly fired past Urquhart only for a goal line clearance to deny him. There was still time for one more volley from Koriya as the corner fell to him just outside the box but a feature of his night and Diamonds saw the ball fly over the bar.

Final Score: Cogenhoe United 1 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1

Not a vintage performance from Diamonds and they were held, then pushed hard and finally resisted by a strong Cogenhoe side. Manager Andy Peaks will have been pretty happy with his sides defensive effort bar one mistake of positioning which was punished by a rogue clearance leading to Emery’s goal. They were wasteful in possession and struggled to maintain momentum throughout the game, but finished strongly and could have won it late on. It would have been harsh on Cogenhoe and the run of draws against top sides in this division goes on although they still lead the table by 2 points.

Diamonds make their entrance in the FA Vase on Saturday at Hullbridge Sports in Essex.

Man of the Match: Elliott Lamb-Johnson

Attendance: 320