Game 19
08/03/25 – Dev Cup Semi-Final
Cotgrave 1 – 2 AFC
Attenborough had seen off Cotgrave with something to spare
at home in the league just seven days earlier, but things are never
straightforward when it comes to knock-out football and, with a prize of a spot
in the final up for grabs, it resulted in a nervy affair at the Cotgrave Welfare
Club.
Graham Mee switched back to the 4-4-2 formation that had
served the team well at times this year, with the returning George Cuesta-Sarris
adding another string to his bow by undertaking the holding mid-field role. However,
the visitors were slow to get going and within the first ten minutes Cotgrave
were ahead after Fin Haywood was caught in no man’s land and Shaun Tunaly
expertly lobbed in. Just seconds later Attenborough had the chance to level,
but George Pursglove missed the target from twelve yards with the goalkeeper
out of position.
It soon developed into a frustrating half of football for
the Blues, with the hosts managing their lead and several breaks in play, while
the locals sensed a cup shock and added some atmosphere to the morning’s events.
Mid-way through the opening period, Mee reverted to last week’s 3-5-2 formation
and Attenborough began to control more of the game, though the final pass and
shot lacked quality on numerous occasions, Pursglove working himself an excellent
chance but only able to produce a tame finish shortly before the interval.
The half-time team talk was a positive one for Attenborough with
the players composed and focused on the tasks ahead. Namely having to quieten
down the home support and add more quality to their attacks. Cotgrave proved resilient,
however, and the chances the Blues did create early in the second half were
spurned, Lewis Caine and Louis Smith in particular both failing to convert
headed opportunities.
As the game approached the final quarter, Haywood kept us in the contest when he made an excellent save to tip over a good shot
from a rare Cotgrave foray forward. Things began to get more urgent for the visitors
thereafter and Luke Smith had to be added to the forward line to provide more cutting
edge to the attacks, something he soon did in fine style. In the 73rd
minute Luke broke into the area and was brought down to earn the Blues the lifeline
they’d been craving. Lewis Caine made no mistake in calmy converting the equaliser.
Attenborough then sensed they could win the game in normal time and went into overdrive. Both Lewis Sanderson, who had come on as a second half substitute, and Louis Smith, who switched to left wing back to keep the balance while Luke went up front, got stuck in and made some big challenges to energise the side.
With just seven minutes remaining a Sanderson long throw provided
Luke with another chance to enter the box, this time beating his man before
firing an excellent shot low into the net, completing a memorable transformation
and securing Boro a big day out at Hucknall Town for the final against AFC Warriors
on Saturday May 3rd.
All that matters in these games is the result and Attenborough
stuck together and kept going admirably to give themselves every chance to turn
this game around, something which will prepare them well for the games left to
come given the situation at the top of the table means every match in the
league season now also resembles a knock-out contest.
haywood; savage, r caine, humphriss, keegan-o’kane; mee,
cuesta-sarris, l caine © (73’p), luke smith (83’); greatorex, pursglove
subs; louis smith, sanderson
Goalscorers Luke Smith and Lewis Caine
Comments
Post a Comment