Hallam test his new tan up against the orange of the Gill shirts!!!!!!!

After Higgy’s juggling act in the last minute cost Cobham a well earned, well deserved and well overdue win, revenge was on the cards as the Merley Park outfit travelled with width of the county to the deep, dark, dank depths of Gillingham for the return trip 7 days later. Again the team was all change with Matty Allen, Rob Cotton and Scott Hole’s absence meaning an instant re-call for the returning Chapman complete with new ‘Mawsey’ hair cut and also for Si Hallam, complete with fake tan glow. Robbie Cooke also made a cameo as he managed to get out from under the thumb for long enough for a rare appearance in a Cobham shirt. Gillingham seemed to have ringed the changes as well due to injury, rested players returning and Loic being in France.
The pitch was in fantastic shape for a bog. The wings were ok but the centre of the pitch resembled the Cobham training pitch as opposed to the top of the Combination pitch, but never the less the match kicked off. Cobham were shooting up the hill in the first half and from the whistle took the game to their carrot crunching 6-fingered counterparts. Confidence was oozing, Tucker went on a steam-rolling run from the back and gained 60 yards before being tackled. Gunn flying down the wing was showing flashes of brilliance and trickery that earned him his big money move to Cobham and with Cooke’s bustling energy in the middle of the park Cobham looked in mighty good form. On one occasion, Gunn dragged his ever-expanding beer gut past his marker, then cut inside and ran at goal, evading challenge after challenge on the way. He got to the edge of the box and let fly, the ball sailing toward the roof of the net when the keeper dived across his goal parrying it over for a corner. Cobham on top, without Loic they were nothing, just a mere rabbit caught in the headlights of the onrushing Cobham car and were about to be demolished. Cooke in the midfield was flying into tackles with purpose and desire, Merrell energetic as ever covering every blade of grass and tackling anything orange that moved (at one point, Si was more worried about this than anyone in a Gill shirt).
As for an attacking threat, they weren’t one. Chapman had his pipe and slippers out on his return to action with Tucker and Hallam looking comfortable and assured with their be-atches being marked into oblivion. Time after time Goodbody, Mawer, Gunn or Vukcevic breached the back line of Gillingham and only a lack of a quality delivery or shot prevented Cobham from taking the lead. Then, finally, it happened. Merrell played the ball over the defence, up the slope and unto the channel; Goodbody gave chase. The defender tried in vain to keep him at bay but couldn’t so reverted to malice. He grappled him to the ground in a move that would look more at home in a square wrestling ring than at Gillingham. Penalty was the shout . . .. penalty was the referees interpretation as well. Confidently, Merrell collected the ball and strolled to the spot. Placed the ball on the spot and the proceeded to strike the top of the ball with no real pace, no real direction, luckily for the Cobham skipper, the keeper had dived out of the way. He was only able to watch agonisingly as the ball slowly trickled over the line and nestled in the back of the net. 1-0!! Gillingham fans true to form muttered something in farmer but could only watch as the Cobham boys celebrated a deserved goal.
Gillingham tried to push on for the remainder of the half but Hallam, Tucker and Mawer, sorry, Chapman stood firm (insert own joke about Chapman being an immovable object here . . . . . . . .)

Half time – 1-0 and deservedly so.

Be wary of a Gill side shooting up the slope was the rallying cry as the sides took to the field to kick off the second half. Before long Gill were on top yet despite their persistent long balls to hold up in the corners still failed to be a test for Higgy in any way, shape or form. With Jude ‘Alfie’ Law offering himself as a willing runner for the counter attack Cobham still looked dangerous on the break. Then it happened, the mistake, the one a game guaranteed error that will occur in the Cobham defence. An innocuous enough looking ball wasn’t dealt with by Cooke or Hallam and the ball found it’s way to the left winger who whipped in a terrific cross which was meet in equal quality by the striker at the far post. 1-1 That was that, despite the obvious disappointment of conceding, that goal seemed to really spark Cobham into life. Time and time again a through ball penetrated their rear-line and time and time again Freddie Starr who was running the line flagged for offside. Then the impressive Law made a decision, to run at them, picking the ball up inside his on half he set off. He beat his first challenge as he advanced over the half way line. By knocking it long he beat the final defender for pace and was all set to head for goal, when inexplicably for no reason conceivable to man, other than sheer stupidity/incompetence up went Freddie’s flag again. The ref bought proceedings to a halt for offside much to the dismay of the Cobham side and to the sheer amusement of everyone else as they rolled around laughing. This was it, this was when G made his first substitution, Paine on for Cooke. Goodbody dropped into midfield so that Paine could re-forge his partnership with Chapman up top.
This change soon paid dividends as Paine made his way to goal one on one with the keeper. A good effort forced a good save from the goalie but the rebound fell to the on-rushing Mawer who coolly skipped around the grounded keeper to roll the ball into an empty net for his first goal in 4 games. 2-1 Cobham were dominating. Could this really be the same side that had conceded 3 at home to Cranborne? Playing with such passion, such desire and creativity the question wasn’t how could Cobham hold on, it was how many would Cobham score.
This fact was lost on Cobham’s Serbian wing-back, who in true Vukcevic style felt sorry for them and had a ‘funny-five’ where he seemed to do everything in his power to let Gillingham back into the match. Including giving the ball to their striker 6 yards from goal and also scything down the same striker from behind with a traditional striker’s tackle trying to give a stone wall penalty. Luckily a combination of Hallam, Merrell, Chapman and good luck prevented the striker in the first instance and another one of many baffling refereeing decisions saved his blushes the second time. This was the break Cobham required as from the loose ball after the penalty shout, the ball was fed up to Mawer who turned neatly and slipped a ball through for Goodbody to chase, which he did. Closer to the goal he got and then knocked the ball past the advancing keeper ready to tap into an empty net but instead was viciously wiped out by the Gillingham no. 1. This time Goodbody wanted revenge, having been taken out for both penalties, coupled with the fact that the skipper shanked the first penalty, Goodbody was to have this one. He stepped up, and put the ball powerfully in the opposite direction to the ‘keepers dive. 3-1! At the cow field end as well. Just as chants of ‘You’re staying in the Comb’ were beginning to echo from the Cobham bench Mawer went close with a powerful drive after a steam train-esque run.
This was all G could take, he wanted in on the action. He stripped off and took an age to do up his shin pads, then as he approached the touchline to gain the referees attention so he could enter the fray, the final whistle went much to the amusement of the Cobham bench.

3-1 what a result! Bring on the Borough next week.
Team: Higgins, Hallam, Tucker, Mawer, Vukcevic, Gunn, Merrell (c), Law, Cooke (Paine 72), Chapman