COBRA OAKWOOD CUP MATCH REPORT (AWAY FIXTURE)
Codnor Boys secured a place in the quarter-finals by overcoming a Cobra Oakwood side who
before today were mid-table in the other U/11's Division 1 ,this game was to be a test
against a team in the opposite division whilst giving us an idea of the standard of the
football being played in the other league.
Again this week Codnor were slow to start as
they struggled to find their rhythm, with the mid-way point of the half approaching Codnor
began to click and they took the lead when F.Kirk unselfishly released J.Miles with an
excellent pass across the area to open up the Oakwood defence and he beat the keeper with
a shot into the bottom corner of the net, Oakwood who until they conceeded the goal were
matching Codnor and should have been in front but the boys had S.Neal their keeper to
thank for a fine save minutes earlier. Codnor then increased their lead on twenty-five
minutes as M.Shelton squared a pass and J.Miles struck his shot over the Oakwood keeper
from just inside the 18 yard area to take them in 2-0 at half-time.
Oakwood kept battling,
trying really hard to get back into the game by counter attacking and looked threatening
on the few occasions they did have but came up against a resilient Codnor defence , Oakwood
finally pulled a goal back early in the half after a goal mouth scramble eventually found
the back of the boys net from close range, this spurred Codnor on and they played some of
their best football of the game creating chance after chance but unfortunately they couldn't
make the chances count , until J.Griffiths sent J.Miles clear for a one on one opportunity
with Oakwood's keeper and he clinically placed his shot into the bottom corner of the net
to score his first hat-rick of the season, the next goal was to be crucial for both sides
and Codnor struck the blow when R.Burke's precise pass through the middle for J.Griffiths
to run onto and he beat the keeper with a shot finding the far corner of the net leaving
him with no chance. Oakwood were still trying to compete with Codnor and they were finally
rewarded with their second goal with only five minutes remaining but Codnor's second half
display with better finishing would have meant them doubling the margin which gave Oakwood
hope right until the end.