Cobham started brightly and Harry Wright saw a shot from distance clear the bar and just a minute later Asa Phillips rose at the far post and his point blank header was parried by Ryan Knibbs in the Verwood goal and the rebound from Andre Munteanu was cleared off the line by Callum Best. Cobham hit the front in the 12th minute, Wright was played in by Mike Trim and he finished well last Knibbs and three minutes later they increased their lead, Trim again was the provider, Asa Phillips deftly heading Trim’s pass into the far corner of the net from 12 yards. It was a deserved lead and should probably have been more, a Joe Wood header clattering the post and a mixture of good defending and some abject finishing kept the game within Verwood’s reach, that being until the first minute of added on time in the first half when Trim was found by Phillips and the busy midfielder scored from 15 yards.
The game opened up immediately after the break and both sides were guilty of giving the ball away, sometimes, too easily, Amechi Eze-Sunday was just wide with an off out in the 47th minute as Cobham searched for a fourth and they had to wait until the 68th minute when Joe Wood’s effort on goal was parried by Knibbs into the path of Dan Brown who nudged the ball home. Eze-Sunday was just wide with a rasping drive in the 73rd minute and Lee Wilkins had an effort cleared off the line, again by Best in the 75th minute, then Munteanu had a sting drive saved by Knibbs in the 76th minute. Verwood were gifted a goal in the 77th minute, a long ball forward by Best caught Callum Perry in two minds, Beale clearly wanted the ball hooked out but he received a back pass and the ball bounced awkwardly for the young keeper, over his foot and in off the post to make the score 4-1. Cobham searched for a fifth but again, there was a scrappy end to the game and score at the final whistle was 4-1 in Cobham’s favour.
Not a classic but good to see Harry Wright get some valuable minutes and a fine performance from the ever dependable Harvey Elsom, earning him the man of the match.