Match Report - COOKLEY SPORTS RESERVES - 06 Apr 2025

The lads took on Cookley Sports Reserves this morning for the second week running. After last weeks disappointing 4-1 defeat to a CSR team that had the referee in their pocket it was clear the lads would need to raise their performance this week.

Roebuck made a fantastic start to the match scoring 2 early goals. Jamie Hyde struck first on 2 minutes latching on to a miss placed header from a CSR defender and neatly lobbed the keeper on the edge of the 18 yard box. Ryan McCullagh bagged the second goal on 8 minutes scoring direct from the a corner kick.

Cookley pulled on back to make it 2-1 on 13 minutes but it didn’t stop The Bucks control of the match and on 21 minutes Chris Hunt restored the 2 goal advantage for Roebuck. With Cookley 2nd best they resorted to multiple late and over aggressive challenges matched by intimidation tactics towards the referee. With seconds ticking towards half time the referee managed to miss the blow struck to the face of Michael Woodall but managed to see Mikey’s retaliation which resorted to Roebuck going down to 10 men.

The second half was backs to the wall but the remaining 10 put in a great effort to secure a point. CSR found an equaliser on the 66 minute from the spot but struggled to break down the Roebuck defence whilst continuing with aggressive and over the top challenges. Late on one of the most embarrassing things I have witnessed this season was CSR players and staff pleading for the ref to show a red card to a Roebuck player who was off the pitch for kicking a second ball on the field whilst the ball was dead and not in position for the restart.

At the end of the game it was a point to be proud of and a good shift from the lads after having another game ruined by a refereeing performance.