C W BRUTY Cup

Cogan Coronation 5 V Cwmaman Institute 1

It was a good afternoon for Cogan Coronation on Saturday, December 6, in the first round of the Bruty Cup. Drawn against Cwmaman Institute from the league above, Cogan went into the game under no pressure.

However a good performance was needed to build momentum for some key league fixtures over the festive period. And they delivered.

Both teams started the match cautiously. Cogan needed to size up their Division One opposition. While Cwmaman would have known that Cogan sit unbeaten at the top of Division Two and wouldn’t have wanted to be caught out early by their in-form opponents.

The early chances went to Cwmaman, who looked like they had the quality final ball to give them the edge. A few shots from distance caused no problems for keeper Mark Hussey, whose smart positioning also thwarted a couple of promising attacks. But when Cwmaman got in behind Cogan’s defence for the first time, Hussey spread himself impressively to make a fine block at his near post.

Buoyed by the save, Cogan responded, with Sam Wooster and Gavin Beddard causing problems up front, while the midfield three of Haidn Dibble, Rhys Buckley and Gareth Clarke beginning to take control of the game.

Wooster began getting passed his marker with ease on the left flank and one run led to the attack which brought the opening goal. A short goal-mouth scramble saw the ball fall to Beddard who smashed it home. It looked like the perfect time to score, just before the break. But Cogan weren’t satisfied.

Shortly after, Dibble found some room on the left flank and swung in an exquisite cross that was impossible for Cwmaman to defend. It fell perfectly for Beddard, whose diving header flew in.

The second half didn’t get much better for the Rhondda team. Cogan started quickly, pressing the visitors high up the pitch, with Jamie Harris giving even more problems for them coming down Cogan’s right. The combination of Cogan’s physicality, particularly from Clarke and Buckley in the middle, and the passing and ability on the ball from Dibble and Wooster was too much to handle.

Cogan’s third was clearly coming, and it was a great goal when it arrived. More impressive defending, with Leigh Bennett snuffing out another Cwmaman attempt to break, kick-started an attack from the hands of Hussey.

A few passes later, Beddard was running onto a through ball which he smashed in off the bar from just inside the box for his hat-trick.

Cwmaman did get their chance to initiate a comeback. A contentious handball decision against Jon Matthews 25-yards out was followed by a superb free-kick that gave Hussey no chance. At 3-1, it was game on.

Cwmaman tried to take advantage, but were met every time with Stewart Owadally and man of the match Dean Morgan in the centre of Cogan’s defence, while Bennett and Williams repelled every attempt to get at the hosts down the flanks.

But the game was then over when Beddard scored his fourth, courtesy of a penalty he won after being dragged to the floor in the box. And not long after, Cogan made it five when Morgan met a corner to power the ball home with his head.

A 5-1 win against a team in the division above them was a very impressive result for Cogan. Still undefeated, they go into critical December fixtures on a high after possibly their best performance of the season.