COULD COCKFOSTERS RESERVES WIN ON A COLD, WET & HORRIBLE WEDNESDAY EVENING IN WELWYN?

Many local games on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd March were called off due to waterlogged pitches after the deluge of rain that had come down including the Codicote v Welwyn Garden City game at Gosling Stadium and the Bedfordshire Senior Trophy Final between Ampthill Town and AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College at Barton Rovers.

Despite lots of hard work the pitch at Sharpenhoe Road was declared unplayable on Wednesday afternoon. @bartonroversfc

PUDDLES - The Gosling Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. @danzed_

The pitch at Herns Way on Wednesday evening had some water on it with a real sticky patch near the centre circle but it was playable for this Spartan South Midlands League Reserve South and East Division game. Both teams went into the the game with a playing record of winning three games in twelve and placed in eleventh (Cockfosters) and twelfth positions (Welwyn Garden City) of the thirteen team table.

Welwyn included Sam Perrin, Darryl Smith and Reggie Ross in their line up who have all represented their first team. 'Fosters had Evans Omondi (at left-back) who had played for the first team at Stotfold last midweek, sixteen year old Liam Gautier in goal who was proudly making his senior debut for the club and Patrick Szymon at right-back who stood out at a really good player for me - One who I think could play at a higher level of football in England. 'Fosters first team manager Dean Barker was present at the game and told by Szymon has recently joined the club. He hails from Belgium and at present doesn't speak alot of English. He is 23 years of age and has played for Anderlecht Juniors and KFC Oosterzonen Oosterwijk in his home country. He is number 2 for Fosters in the highlights below. Vince Rispoli was also in the Cockfoster's side playing against one of his old clubs. 

So the question many local football fans have been asking is - Cockfosters Reserves can win at Chalk Lane but can they do it on a wet, cold and horrible evening in Welwyn Garden City? I obviously say this with tongue in cheek and with a nod to the Premier League question (Can *insert team name or specific player* do it on a cold night at Stoke City?) that is banded about all the time but the answer is YES as Cockfosters were the better side and deserved their win.

The first talking point of the game came when 'Foster's Shane Reid was through on goal and Sam Perrin put in a tackle which the visiting officials, players and fans called for a foul and a possible red-card? The incident is from 1m 15s on the highlights with a slow-mottion replay for you to make your own decision.

The away side looked good with Szymon involved in some good forward play on the right hand side - they took the lead when his cross into the box was picked up by Shane Reid who crossed into the box for Paul Banks to score.

The Citizens came back into the game and scored to make it 1-1 when Smith went past two defenders and deftly chipped an inviting ball into the box for Perrin to tap home.

The second half saw Panny Boxer slide home at the back post from a great cross by ex Hoddesdon Town and Sun Sports player Gary Simmonds to make it 1-2 and then Banks scored again to make it 1-3 after some more great play in holding the ball up by Reid.

FINAL SCORE - WELWYN GARDEN CITY RES 1 COCKFOSTERS RES 3 

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS