New Harrowby United bosses get off to worst possible start

United Counties League

Premier Division

Cogenhoe United 6

Harrowby United 1

Harrowby United’s first game under the new stewardship of manager Nick Andersen and his assistant Alex Cross ended in defeat in Northamptonshire.

The Arrows got off to the worst possible start, conceding two goals in the first three minutes. The first, with under two minutes played, came when Harrowby gave away possession from a quickly taken free kick, resulting in a break down the left. A fine cross over was powerfully headed home by Karl Bates.

Only a minute later, another sortie forward from the Cooks saw a cross into the Arrows six-yard box scrambled home by Dean Lukeman.

Harrowby got back into the game on the quarter of an hour mark when right back John Currall played a ball out of defence to Scott Webb. Webb worked it down the right for Sam Weatherstone to run on to and the wide man advanced into the area, holding off a defender, and stabbed the ball past Josh Thompson in the Cogenhoe goal.

The game evened out for the remainder of the half, with Arrows keeper Jack Drury saving well from a low Alfie Taylor drive, and Weatherstone seeing a shot from distance fly wide.

As the half time whistle approached, Phil Cassidy got in behind the Harrowby defence and Jack Whyley, in a desperate lunge to make up ground felled the Cooks midfielder to concede a penalty kick. Taylor stepped up to smash home the spot kick before the referee immediately blew for the break with Cogenhoe 3-1 up.

The Arrows created the first chance of the second half, a shot from Liam Harper that drifted wide of the goal.

After 54 minutes, Harrowby again conceded possession cheaply and a quick Cogenhoe break ended with a fine save from Drury. Drury saved again on 65 minutes, pushing away a fierce drive from the right edge of the penalty area.

The Cooks added a fourth goal after 77 minutes when a deep cross from the left was headed home by Lewis Leslie. A minute later at the other end, man-of-the-match Harper headed fractionally over the bar from a corner.

The game ended as it began with two very late goals for the Cooks which made the scoreline appear harsher than the Arrow’s performance deserved.

With eighty eight minutes remaining, Cogenhoe left back Damon Herbert found himself with time and space in the area and produced a scoop cum toe poke to find the far corner of the net.

Four minutes into stoppage time, substitute Luke Emery hit a hopeful low shot from 25 five yards out and looked surprised to see the ball slip past the diving Drury and into the net.

Harrowby United: Drury, Currall, Clarke, Stubbs, Whyley (c), Weatherstone, Harper, Bolland, Potts (Watson, 63), Webb, Shaw.