A bizarre game in the Reading Jubilee Cup quarter-final saw unbeaten Reading YMCA Rapids beat Cookham 9-7.

The Rapids have a 100% record in 18 league and cup games this season and this game looked to be a formaility at half-time with the Rapids cruising at 6-1.  But Rapids relaxed after the break and Cookham showed tremendous spirit to make a game of and as well as scoring 6 second half goals they also missed several other one-on ones.

Rapids played some superb football in the opening period with top scorer setting the tone when he picked up a square ball from Dan Sutton before turning 4 Cookham players inside out and slotting past the keeper.  Morrison followed this up shortly afterwards when Steve Wood was brought down in the box and Morrison converted from the spot.

Tim Sidwell was prominent in midfield and it was his pinpoint pass that picked out wide man Chris Lemm on the left.  Lemm drove towards goal and dummied to come inside before going the other way and sweeping the ball into the roof of the net.

Cookham then pulled a goal back with their first attack of the game when the Rapids failed to clear a corner and a Cookham player squeezed the ball in at the near post.

The Rapids went straight back upfield and got a 4th when a Nader Edmunds through ball found Lemm clean through on goal where he neatly finished.

The goals continued to flow with Sidwell heading home a Steve Woodrow cross for goal number 5 and then Edmunds getting in on the act with a 25 yard thunderbolt.

Despite grabbing 3 early goals at the start of the half, the Rapids play completely disintegrated as the half progressed.  Morrison grabbed his hat-trick from a Sutton assist before Edmunds completed his hat-trick with 2 long range efforts.  But Cookham were now throwing men forwards and the goals started to come at regular intervals as a catalogue of individual errors from the Rapids made it easy for the wily old veteran side.

Ex Holyport star Aaron Lennon grabbed 5 goals whilst Doyle missed at least 3 one-on-one chances and had one cleared off the line with the game finishing at 9-7 and the embarrased Rapids trudging off knowing they will have to improce hugely to have any chance of overcoming Newbury Res next week in what will be their toughest match of the season.

Manager Paul O'Boyle said "We saw both sides of the Rapids here today - we were sublime in the 1st half but in the 2nd half we completely lost our discipline and were a shambles at the end.  We have to forget about the 2nd half now and get rid of any complacency because we are heading into the business end of the season and we will get caught out if we show that kind ot attitude again."
READING YMCA RAPIDS: TAYLOR, LEACH (replaced by R TIPPER 45mins), ROLFE, ILSLEY, WOOD, SUTTON, EDMUNDS (replaced by EVANS 55mins), SIDWELL, C LEMM (replaced by MASLEN 45mins), WOODROW, D MORRISON SUBS R TIPPER, EVANS, MASLEN.