IT WAS a Jekyll and Hyde performance from Cogan on Saturday, February 14.

Fellow top five team Ynyshir Albions were the visitors, on a soggy pitch following a morning inspection.

And within minutes, the match showed that it wasn’t going to disappoint. Ynyshir reacted to an early Cogan attack by winning a corner of their own.

As the cross came in, Cogan’s poor marking left an Ynyshir midfielder free at the near post to divert a header in.

Soon after, Cogan replied. Their next attack pinned the visiting defence to their goal as Sam Wooster bombed forward down the right flank. Going passed his marker with ease, he swung a cross into Gavin Beddard who took one touch and finished clinically on the turn.

From there, Cogan really kicked on. Wooster was tormenting the Ynyshir full back, who couldn’t have wished for a worse start. It was dragging defenders into areas they didn’t want to be in, and leaving Beddard with more room to operate in, and Jamie Harris on the opposite flank with more freedom to run with the ball.

The home side took the lead not long after, a few rebounds in the penalty area fell to Beddard. His form in front of goal saw to the rest, and Cogan were ahead.

The pressure didn’t stop. Haidn Dibble, back from injury, was controlling the game and bringing the ball retention that Cogan had been missing.

While Liam Beddard was continuing his superb form, anchoring the midfield, winning every header and tackle that came his way. Josh Bell had been moved deeper into the third central midfield role, and was taking Ynyshir players out of the game at will, carrying the ball out of tight spaces and setting off attacks for the forwards.

With this sort of dominance, a third goal was always on the way. It came from Harris, after Gavin Beddard was again involved, heading the ball down for the winger to finish.

However for all of their energy going forward, Cogan never seemed to settle at the back. Bad defending cost them the first goal, and it cost them another as the game got closer to the break.

An Ynyshir attack down the left flank appeared to see the ball cross the line for a goal kick, but with no call from the referee the visitors carried on while Cogan switched off. As a cross came in, the defence failed to clear, and Albions found a goal to bring them back into the game.

Determined to recapture their two goal lead, Cogan continued to press forward. Bell took on two men in the midfield, was brought down by the third challenge and won a free kick for Cogan.

Dibble stepped up and from distance, sent the ball with perfect speed and precision into the top corner. The goalkeeper was nowhere to be seen, the shot couldn’t have been more accurate into the top right of the net. Cogan celebrated, and went into the break 4-2 ahead.

The second half was a different matter, although Cogan did go further ahead.

They kept creating openings, but their finishing was lacking. Harris had gone off injured, but Gaz Blyth was still exploiting the space left for him on the wings and was helping to drag open the Ynyshir defence.

Rhys Buckley, on for Wooster who had run himself into the ground, was helping to get Cogan on the ball and compose their play.

Eventually, the goal came via Blyth, who burst down the left flank and played a brilliant cross into Gavin Beddard. Cogan’s top scorer put the ball away with a one-touch finish for his hat-trick, bringing him to 17 goals from 17 games.

Cogan’s defence was looking uncharacteristically vulnerable as the visitors shifted to a two-man attack. A superb last-ditch tackle from Bradley Munn – the standout performer at the back – had stopped one good chance.

Mark Hussey in goal also helped, reacting well from a good starting position to beat an Ynyshir striker to the ball in the nick of time.

Stewart Owadally, Dean Morgan and Leigh Bennett were coping well enough when facing up to play coming through, but were struggling with longer balls. And the visitors punished them with one such ball.

Hussey came to cut out another attack, but was beaten to it and the striker played a composed ball into his onrushing teammate, who beat Owadally to the ball to head home, 5-3.

Then, out of the blue, a mix-up between Morgan and Owadally let Ynyshir in for a surprise fourth goal. From nowhere, the game went into the last 10 minutes with Cogan hanging on for three points that they desperately needed.

As the match went into injury time, there was still time for drama.

One more Ynyshir long ball split the Cogan defence. The striker tucked the ball passed Hussey, but Owadally continued his sprint behind his ‘keeper and slid in to take the ball off the goal-line.

Cogan were able to celebrate a huge three points against a top five rival team. They were brilliant going forward, with Beddard reinstated between two wingers, but they will need to shore up their back line and find the defensive form that saw them to conceding just 16 in their first 13.