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21 February 2011 Only two weeks after the Cougars’ sensational away victory at a rain-sodden Willows, against a strong Unicorn side, the teams found themselves pitched against each other again. And the re-match did not disappoint the fans of both teams. In a backhanded compliment to the resurgent Cougars, Unicorn had drafted in a couple of Academy players for the game, but the Cougars were nevertheless more than a match for their hosts.
First Period
The Cougars got off to a blistering start, piling on the early pressure. Livingston Jnr was pulling the strings in midfield, with Archer and Ford dragging the Vikings’ defence all over the pitch. But it was Ben Mail who was the biggest threat. Only 3 minutes into the game he ran on to a slide rule pass from Livingston, and bore down on goal. As he rounded the keeper he was hauled down from behind. A certain penalty was denied by the referee, who suggested, somewhat bizarrely that Mail had dived. The travelling fans were outraged, but Mail and Livingston were undeterred. Only two minutes later the move was repeated, and this time Mail made no mistake, slotting his shot coolly into the bottom left hand corner. 1-0 to the Cougars. Two minutes later it was Archer who found Mail with the killer pass. The result was the same – Mail finished expertly to put the Cougars 2-0 ahead.
It wasn’t until 10 minutes in to the game that Unicorn had their first attempt at goal, when their Number 2 cut in from the left but shot wide. Within seconds, the Cougars were back on the attack. Livingston put Archer through down the inside right channel – he did all the hard work but couldn’t quite squeeze his shot in to the bottom corner after being pushed out wide by the keeper.
In the 12th minute, from a quick Cougar’s corner, Livingston found Lovatt on the edge of the box but his powerful right foot shot was well saved by the Vikings’ keeper. The Vikings broke quickly and their number 7 split the Cougar’s defence only for the Number 2 to blaze over when well-placed. The remaining few minutes of the period saw the Vikings pushing the Cougars back for the first time in the match, but Lovatt and Bundred held firm at the back and the Cougars went in to the break with a well-earned 2-0 lead.
Second Period
The Vikings got off to a fast start in the second period, piling pressure on to the Cougars’ rearguard. Howgate had come on for Bundred in the Cougars’ defence and was soon tested, as the Vikings pushed forward. A couple of goalmouth scrambles ensued but Howgate held firm with 3 separate crunching tackles. The Cougars pushed back up the pitch and Lovatt fired in a trademark long-range effort, but he couldn’t replicate last week’s incredible goal. A minute later Unicorn tested Stone in the Cougars’ goal for the first time, but he was more than a match for the tame shot from the Vikings’ forward. In no time at all, the ball was released up the pitch to Lovatt, who emerged Baresi-like from defence, and slid an inch-perfect pass through to Livingston. There was still work to be done, but Livingston literally skipped through the Viking Defence and finished coolly to make it 3-0.
Unicorn were stung into action and soon worked Stone in the Cougar goal who produced an outstanding save, pushing a shot that looked destined for the top left hand corner, around the post. At the other end of the pitch, Mail danced through the Viking defence to screams of "Great Feet Ben, Great Feet!", from the coach. But to no avail as the keeper saved well to deny Mail a well deserved hatrick. Archer too was dribbling round defenders almost at will but again was denied the goal his performance deserved, thus denying the crowd the sight of his as-yet unveiled new goal celebration that, according to my touch-line sources, he’d been practising all week.
But just as the Cougars were starting to look like world-beaters, a touch of complacency got the better of them and the Vikings caught them cold with two quick goals. First, their hard working number 8 squeezed in a shot to make it 3-1, then he turned provider with a strong run down the left before crossing for the number 2 to knock in the second from right in front of the goal.
Wilmslow were stung into attack, with Livingston turning provider again for Gozem, a second period substitute for Ford, who narrowly missed out on making it 4-2.
For the final few minutes of the period, Wilmslow were hanging on, as Unicorn pushed for an equalizer. With almost the last move of the period, they split the Cougars defence, leaving the big number 2 through on goal. He looked certain to score until Archer appeared out of nowhere to steal the ball with a finely-timed sliding tackle. The Cougars went into the break with their lead in tact…just! 3-2.
Third Period
Ford returned to the action at the start of the third period and soon made an impact with some sharp interplay with Lovatt down the right. Lovatt played a beautifully weighted pass to Livingston whose shot was well saved by the Viking keeper. The Cougars were back in the groove and built up the pressure on the Viking goal, with Ford and Lovatt both going close, before Unicorn broke up the pitch and a speculative shot by their talented number 7 sneaked in to the bottom corner of the goal to loud cheers from the home support.
It was 3-3 and the Cougars had let a 3 goal lead slip. The goal was followed by some sustained pressure from the Vikings, seeking to take the lead for the first time in the match. But the Cougars are made of sterner stuff these days, and marshalled by Lovatt and Bundred at the back, Wilmslow rode out the storm before launching a stunning spell of attacking football of their own, which saw both Archer and Ford hit the woodwork. Then Archer and Livingston combined well down the left before a last ditch tackle by the Vikings defender produced a corner. Livingston swung in a beautiful corner which Archer rose majestically to head into the goal (4-3). The much-practiced new goal celebration was forgotten in the euphoria, as young Archer reverted to his trademark knee slide. His team-mates didn’t care as they celebrated what they thought was the winner. But their joy was short-lived, as the Vikings romped right back up the pitch to score another equalizer, their forward scrambling the ball over the line after a great save by Stone (4-4).
The final few moments of the game were frantic, as both teams pushed for the winner, and both keepers made desperate saves. But it was the Cougars who snatched it at the death. Archer took a full-blooded defensive clearance right in the face, but still managed to stumble to his feet and make a great tackle to win the ball back and launch one last desperate attack. Ford crossed from the right, Mail poked the ball across the Viking goal, and Livingston appeared from nowhere to slam home the winner. 5-4. The visiting crowd went crazy!
Summary
This was the Cougars’ fifth victory in a row, and this time they’d really done it the hard way! Perhaps earlier in the season this is a match that might have slipped away, but the 2011 Cougars are a stronger and more determined bunch than before, and are really starting to fulfil their potential. They are an absolute joy to watch!
Source: Tom Howgate << to news index
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