CCK emphatically won for the first time this season by beating Mile Oak Reserves 4-0. A fantastic team performance in the Wentworth Cup was rewarded with a feast of goals, as CCK announced themselves as a team to be feared.
The travelling Badgers faithful were in full voice ahead of the big cup clash against a team, well-backed by the bookmakers. The players responded well to their underdog status as they came out with determination and purpose. They dominated possession with neat passing moves in opposition territory. It didn't take long for the deadlock to be broken. A corner from Dave Jones was met by a glancing Ivan Sambles header, which beat the keeper and crossed the line. A defender cleared the ball, but it was clear to the match officials that Sambles had scored, and TV replays back up their judgement. The midfield quartet of Dan Harnden, Tim Rose, Mike Morrison, and Ivan Sambles were proving too good for Mile Oak, who seemed to be chasing shadows. Dave Jones was finding an abundance of space between the Mile Oak defence and midfield, and he linked up well with lone striker Josh Van Nes, who was a constant thorn in the paw for the opposing defence. Mile Oak applied some pressure in an attempt to get back into the game, and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty. A powerful header was goal-bound, before an outstretched arm from Ivan Sambles deflected the ball away from goal. Despite Mile Oak protestation, the unsighted referee was unmoved and Sambles escaped punishment. CCK were put under more pressure as a result of their opposition's response to the injustice they had experienced. However, they weathered the storm with fantastic defensive resilience. Dave Sewell and Jacob Fortescue showed great strength in the central areas, while Ben Eneke and Brett Joyce were halting any threat from the wide areas. A long range effort was the only attempt that threatened Paul Muzzall's goal. However, as has been the case so far this season, Muzzall was more than equal to the shot. CCK then regained control of the game as their passing game returned. Another set piece saw Jacob Fortescue head the ball narrowly wide of the goal. While shots from Dave Jones, and Josh Van Nes forced saves from the young Mile Oak keeper. The half time whistle blew with CCK in the ascendency, and orange Mile Oak shirts left the pitch bemused at how difficult they were finding supposedly inferior opposition.
When play finally resumed after a slight delay in proceedings, CCK regained the momentum. They won their individual battles all over the pitch, and continued to play attractive to the eye football. Any period of Mile Oak pressure was comfortably dealt with by CCK's dominant defence. The Mile Oak defence were finding CCK considerably more difficult to contain. Their deficit was increased when a goalkeeping error allowed Josh Van Nes to double The Badgers lead. Mike Morrison played the ball through, and Van Nes chased it down. The keeper ran out of his area and in an attempt to clear smashed the ball against Van Nes, who kept his cool, and slotted the ball past the embarrased keeper. The pressure on the Mile Oak increased as heads started to drop and CCK continued to pass the ball around the pitch with consumate ease. The Badgers then extended the lead. Dave Jones long range shot was blocked by a defender, only for the ball to squirm into the path of Mike Morrison. Morrison brought the ball under his spell with a good first touch, and then unleashed a powerful drive into the bottom corner of the net. Soon afterwards Mark Edwards was introduced in place of Ivan Sambles. Edwards made an immediate impact running at defenders with pace and confidence. A double substitution soon followed with Ben Eneke and Josh Van Nes making way for Josh Dalby and Pete Coggan. Moments later the cherry was neatly placed on CCK's previously iced cake. Mark Edwards ran at the Mile Oak defence and then shifted the ball to Dave Jones. The attacking midfielder then wrong-footed his marker before striking from distance. The keepers outstretched arms couldn't prevent the ball hitting the net, and the victory became a rout. More opportunities presented themselves, as Pete Coggan's fresh legs caused Mile Oak added problems. The final whistle came as welcome relief for The Oranges, who had clearly endured a torrid afternoon. CCK on the other hand had created great memories for their supporters who revelled in CCK's first victory of the season.
Tim Rose was delighted with his sides performance when he spoke with the media after the game, "All over the pitch we were outstanding today, I couldn't ask for a better performance. We now need to build on this result and play like this week in week out." Man of the Match Mike Morrison was particularly pleased to have grabbed his first goal of the season, "It's great to get off the mark for the season. What's even better is the fact that the side scored so many goals today. We have been struggling to score over the past few games, and today we were irresistable going forward." Club Captain Dave Sewell was clearly pleased to be on the winning team for the first time this season when he spoke to reporters, "Winning a game against such strong opposition really boosts the sides confidence. We all enjoyed playing such good football and the boys are all buzzing in the changing rooms." CCK will be looking to another victory when they face a cup trip to Polgate next week.
