Cogan Coronation AFC 2 CWMBACH ROYAL STARS 2

AFTER a busy pre-season and lots of changes on and off the pitch once again, Cogan Coronation Football Club's new-look first team had a tough opening South Wales Senior League game on Saturday.

On a very hot afternoon down 'The Rec,' Cwmbach started the better, putting the Cogan defence of Joe Taylor, Anthony Pine, James Marr and Bradley Munn under a lot of early pressure.

Cogan stood tall and, after a slow start, started to take control of the game with some great passing and movement from the midfield. Skipper Haiden Dibble and Dan Owen won all the battles at the heart of midfield, with Scouse and Mark Lane on the wings causing all sorts of problems for the Cwmbach full backs.

It was only a matter of time before Cogan took the lead and, through some great work up top, Scott Muir and Mike Selio combined well to create the chance for the well advanced Bradley Munn who took his chance. With some great accuracy and finesse, Munn placed the ball over the Cwmbach goalkeeper and into the top corner for his first ever goal on home soil for the Cogan 1st team!

Cogan continued to dominate, with James Curtain controlling everything from his goal, and Cogan's outfield players starting to cause many problems for the visiting midfield and defence.

After another great passing move, which all started from a James Marr interception at the back, Mike found himself through one on one and, with a little more composure, Cogan would've gone into a commanding 2-0 lead; credit to the visiting goalie who made himself big, forcing Mike to hit the ball first time.

Then, with the last attack of the half and against the run of play, Cwmbach were awarded a corner from which the Cogan marking was a little loose to allow the visitors to snatch an undeserved equaliser.

This changed the mood in both camps and Cwmbach came out in the second half as they did in the first with a sense of belief and on the upper foot, taking the game to Cogan.

They started to pass the ball very well and created a few chances which forced Curtain into action on occasions. Cogan decided to bring on some fresh legs on the hour mark, with Scott Muir and Munn being replaced by the youthful Paul Jones and more experienced Dave Sadler respectively.

Just five minutes later Cogan failed to get rid of a Cwmbach corner effectively and, from the resulting ball back into the box, Dan Owen was adjudged to have pushed a Cwmbach midfielder in the back and the Royal Stars were awarded a penalty, which they slotted home to take a 2-1 lead with just over 20 minutes left.

Cogan had to respond and nearly levelled instantly through a direct 'over the top' ball, resulting in the young and impressive Jones heading just wide. The next five minutes saw Cogan regain their dominance whilst searching for the equaliser.

Scouse had a 25-yard strike turned around the post and Mikey was again denied by the visiting goalie through an impressive point blank save. With 15 minutes left, the stand in management team of Paul 'Willow' Williams (1st team assistant manager) and Dean Ford (reserve team manager) decided to sacrifice Joe Taylor from the back and throw on the ever present, experienced Daniel Humphries to find the equaliser the home team thoroughly deserved.

Cogan were now throwing everything at the Royal Stars and, with two minutes left on the clock, it was the visitors who got the chance to seal the game with a breakaway.

Their manager was screaming at them to take the ball to the corner but the players decided to run at goal. With a five on two advantage, the Cwmbach players were queuing up to score and would have if it wasn't for an incredible save from the Cogan goalkeeper who even managed to hold onto the ball and set up an attack of his own.

As the game went into stoppage time, Cogan had one last attack through Sadler and Scouse down the left hand side which resulted in the latter beating his man and pulling the ball back to a number of waiting Cogan players. The man to take the responsibility was youngster Paul Jones who, whilst turning, caught the ball sweetly and curled it into the top corner to the delight of all players and supporters.

With the final whistle going just one minute after the restart, this was a very good and entertaining performance by both sets of players on a very warm day and resulted in an even 2-2 draw.

Man of the match went to Cogan's James Marr who gave a solid performance at the heart of the defence.

COGAN CORONATION AFC 0 SULLY SPORTS 1

AFTER some good opening results and with just one day of rest for both sets of players, Cogan and Sully were in derby action on Monday.

It's normally a hard fought encounter when these two local clubs meet and always draws a healthy crowd down 'The Rec.' This occasion wasn't any different as Cogan, who had changed their shape to last season's 3-5-2, started, as they did on Saturday, on the back foot!

Sully, who were expected to win this game very comfortably just as they did with the league last year, looked very well organised and were desperate to get an early goal as they came at the Cogan back three of Joe Taylor, Anthony Pine and the ever impressive James Marr.

It took Cogan's midfield of Dan Owen, Haiden Dibble and Scouse all of 20 minutes to get a stranglehold in the middle and start to play some good football of their own, whilst Mark Lane and Bradley Munn on the flanks were putting pressure on the Sully defenders.

Sully, who were trying to start every attack from the back, were being caught out by the constant closing down of the ever running Mike Selio and Daniel Humphries who was in for the injured Scott Muir.

But it was Sully who were having the better chances and, if it wasn't for some sloppy finishing, they would've gone into the half time break with at least a one-goal advantage. During the half time team talk, Paul 'Willow' Williams and Dean Ford reminded the Cogan boys that they were still in the game and to just go out in the second half and keep doing what they were doing as chances were starting to come.

Cogan started the second half with a great passing move which resulted in a last gasp interception by the Sully defence to deny Danny a great shooting opportunity. Dan and Haiden were dictating the way the game was being played in the middle which was allowing Scouse to get up and support the Cogan front two.

It was on the hour mark when an innocent looking challenge forced Piney to be replaced by the experienced Wesley Drew at the back. Weso took his place in the back three and continued exactly where Piney had left off by getting stuck straight in.

With 20 minutes to go, Weso brought down the Sully winger and, from the resulting free kick into the box, the ball fell kindly to a Sully midfielder who made no mistake with a sweetly struck shot from eight yards out to grab a 1-0 lead that their possession probably deserved.

The Cogan bench reacted by swapping Haiden with Saturday's goalscoring hero Paul Jones and, five minutes later, swapped Scouse with the returning Kevin Spear.

Cogan kept taking it to Sully whilst desperately searching for that elusive equaliser and, with five minutes left, the chance came. Dan Owen drilled the ball across goal and it was Jones, desperate to get there, who headed the ball agonisingly over the bar from six yards out. Cogan kept the pressure on in the dying minutes with a few attempts and corners that didn't really test the Sully goalkeeper.

The game finished with a 1-0 win for the reigning league champions who came off the pitch looking relieved to get the three points after a very competitively fought match. Willow and Dean said they were very proud of the whole squad's performance and attitude over both opening games and, if it continued, couldn't see any reason why Cogan couldn't have a successful season again this year.

Cogan's man of the match, which was awarded by the visiting management team, went to Chris 'Scouse' Bramhill.

* Cogan's next two fixtures are away to St Joseph's on Saturday, August 18, and home to Porthcawl Town on Wednesday, August 22.

* Cogan Coronation AFC would like to thank all at Penarth Motor Company, CASS Hire & Sales Ltd, Penarth Stone Masonry and all the supporters who came down to show their support to the team.