There was a battle Royale at Merley Park on Saturday as Cobham Sports hosted near neighbours Holt Utd in the Dorset Premier League, Cobham requiring a win to see them inflict a little more scoreboard pressure on league leaders Blandford but it was always going to be difficult against a Holt side that had won their last six games. The game ended as a 2-2 draw which dents Cobham’s title aspirations a little but, in the end, I believe it was a fair result. Holt withstood a lot of early pressure from the home side but took the lead in the 34th minute, Bryce Banfield finishing well from 18 yards and they went to the break holding that one goal lead. Cobham equalised through Amechi Eze-Sunday but Holt regained their lead shortly after through Alastair Williams, Faustino Maher regained parity for Cobham with twenty minutes to go as both teams threw everything at each other and the game ended in a really entertaining 2-2 draw, the large crowd certainly getting their monies worth.

 

Cobham started the game well and put Holt on the back foot from the whistle but the Holt backline stood firm and they needed a little luck also as on 15 minutes Cobham winger Sam Lench was brought down by Reece Mitchell in the Holt goal but the referee waved away the Cobham appeals and wouldn’t consult his assistant. Cobham were getting most of their joy from the right flank but too often the final ball was found wanting, on the counter Holt were beginning to threaten and they gradually got into the game and they took the lead, against the run of play, in the 34th minute, Bryce Banfield was played the ball on the edge of the box by Josh Buck, Banfield had his back to goal and cleverly wrong footed his marker and struck a sweet shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net to put the visitors one ahead, there were protestations from the home side and Cobham skipper Ellis George was given 10 minutes in the sin bin as a result. With Cobham temporarily down to ten men the goal sparked more life into the Holt side with Matt Steer, who had an outstanding game, beginning to orchestrate their play in the engine room. That said Joe Wood was unlucky to see his header rebound off the crossbar in the 39th minute and a Callum Perry free kick from 25 yards was deflected just over the crossbar in the 44th minute as the sides went to the break with Holt holding a slender lead.

 

The second half saw Cobham back to eleven men but the game was far more open with both teams attacking each other. Cobham got themselves back on level term in the 54th minute, they won a corner on the right and Andrei Munteanu’s excellent delivery was headed home by Amechi Eze-Sunday at the far post. Back came Holt and they won a corner of their own in the 57th minute, Cobham failed to deal with kick effectively and second phase ball was expertly struck home by Alastair Williams 16 yards out on the angle to restore the visitors lead. Cobham went to the bench and the game became a little scrappy for a while but both teams were intent on adding to their score. Cobham got back into the game in the 76th minute, from another corner, this Holt made a mess of dealing with things, Cobham’s Harry Wright ending up finding Faustino Maher on the edge of the box who shot through defenders and past Mitchell in the Holt goal from 18 yards to tie things up at 2-2. It was all to play for now, Matt Steer’s audacious effort from 40 yards clipping the outside of the post and crossbar in the 78th minute and a header from Cobham’s Lee Wilkins at the near post was fractionally too high. Cobham threw everything at Holt in time added on, Maher was just too high with effort and Harvey Elsom had a shot well saved on the line by Mitchell as the game finished as a 2-2 draw.

 

Ian Gilmartin