Cockfosters Football Club secured a hard-fought victory over Potton FC last night to book our place in the next round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Following Saturday’s dramatic 2-2 draw at Chalk Lane, the two sides met again in the replay, with Cockfosters knowing that Saturday’s fixture was one that should have been put to bed.
We had been in control for long periods and had created enough to secure our passage through. However, substitutions and a lapse in concentration allowed Potton back into the contest.
Despite the disappointment, there was incredible character in the group. With the clock ticking towards the final whistle, Antonio Michael produced a moment of magic in the 93rd minute to rescue a 2-2 draw and force the replay.
Last night’s replay at Potton started brightly for the hosts, who forced our goalkeeper into a number of early saves. Poor defending then cost us as Potton’s wide man was left unmarked at the back post to give the hosts the lead.
The game settled down as the first half progressed and an equaliser from Hassan Nalbant rattled the hosts and gave us momentum as we approached HT.
The response from Cockfosters after the interval was outstanding. We took the lead again through Tobi Coker and continued to dominate the game. Potton then equalised against the run of play. Antonio Michael, unplayable in the 2nd half continued to cause havoc and eventually reinstated our lead. With victory seemingly within touching distance, Potton found an equaliser deep into the final seconds to level at 3.3 and force the game to extra time.
But once again, the character and togetherness of this new Cockfosters side came to the fore as we continued to dominate the game, eventually securing the victory we deserved through a towering header from skipper JJ
Chairman’s View
Chairman Vas Chiotis is delighted with the progress of the club’s new project following a major rebuilding of the squad during the summer after the departure of the majority of last season’s players and the previous manager.
New manager Terry Spillane, alongside his coaching staff and assistants, has done an excellent job in building a new squad and establishing a positive environment.
The togetherness between the new players and those who showed their loyalty by remaining at the club has been a major positive.
Although the start to the campaign has been slower than we would have liked, it was always expected given the scale of the rebuild.
The quality of the players who have been integrated into the squad, combined with the style of football being implemented, has been exciting to watch.
There is plenty of work still to do, but the foundations are being laid.
We will continue to build, continue to work hard and continue to create moments that can bring success to Cockfosters Football Club this season