Back to winning ways for Cobham Sports on Saturday afternoon when they faced Bridport FC Res at a rain sodden Merley Park, they defeated their West Dorset opponents by 5-1 dominating the game in really heavy conditions from the start, the scoreline could have been even more convincing but for an outstanding display of goalkeeping from Bridport’s man mountain, Archie Kershaw, he made a dozen top class saves to deny a rampant home side performance. First half strikes from Harry Wright, Joe Wood and an Asa Phillips brace put Cobham in early control of the game but Noah House got one back for the visitors in the 35th minute, Sam Lench’s second half goal making it five didn’t really tell the whole story.

 

Cobham were out of the traps smartly with Asa Phillips going close in the 4th minute and just five minutes later Harry Wright brought a wonder save out of Archie Kershaw with a drive from fully 30 yards, Wright was not to be denied from the resulting corner heading home a Sam Lench corner to make it 1-0. It was two in the 13th minute, Asa Phillips playing in Joe Wood and a minute later it was 3-0, this time Dan Brown’s shot deflected into the path of Phillips to complete a quick fire brace. Cobham were very much in the mood and forcing Bridport into giving the ball away regularly and they increased their lead in the 22nd minute, Sam Lench beating his man down the right and crossing for Phillips to claim his brace. Bridport’s only threat was from the counter attack and when they forced Cobham to give the ball away in the 35th minute Noah House gave Luke Beale no chance to make it 4-1. Cobham thought they had a fifth in the 39th minute but Tino Maher was adjudged to be offside, another outstanding save from Kershaw denied Wood in the 45th minute and that man Kershaw was at it again just a minute later, firstly saving well from Mike Trim then immediately touching a Maher header onto the crossbar as the sides went to the break with Cobham holding a 4-1 lead.

 

The onslaught from Cobham continued at the start of the second period but with the pitch cutting up players were finding it hard to keep their footing but Tino Maher remained sure footed in the 55th minute but Kershaw saved well again, debutant Max Rees was the next to test Kershaw in the 64th minute but the keeper won that battle, again! Cobham got their fifth of the game in the 65th minute, Sam Lench scoring direct from a corner, Kershaw being deceived by the flight of the ball. Kershaw made two cracking saves in quick succession, one from Wood and the other from Lench, Rees went close in the 70th minute, beating three men down the left, cutting in and shooting but he was just wide. It was all Cobham and they were really thwarted by Kershaw in the last ten minutes when the stopper made saves from Joe Wood in the 78th minute, Max Rees in the 81st minute, Tino Maher in the 86th minute and finally Callum Perry in the 89th minute as the game finished at 5-1 to Cobham.

 

Ian Gilmartin