Reading YMCA crashed out of the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup after a 2-0 defeat by Senior Division rivals Cookham Dean.

YM manager Mark Lemm handed Rob Lee and Jamie Froude their first starts of the season whilst Dan Szutenberg was also involved in the squad for the first time after signing during the week.

The opening exchanges were even with both sides having decent spells of possession but the early signs were that both defences were going to be difficult to break down.  YM left back Chris Lemm was proving to be YM's best attacking weapon as his foraging runs frequently had Cookham on the backfoot and it was Lemm who set up the first real chance of the game when his through ball found Martin Abery in space.  With only the keeper to beat, Abery advanced forwards but his shot was well saved by the young Cookham keeper Clarke.

Cookham were restricted to a couple of half chances from the edge of the box whilst YM, despite edging possession, were similarly impotent in attack.

But it was YM who created the only other clear cut chance of the half when a deep Andy Bullett cross was misjudged by the Cookham defender allowing Johnny Adey to superbly bring the ball down on his chest before firing over.

The second half continued with defences well on top and the game had 0-0 stamped all over it until a long punt out from the keeper caught the YM defence square and striker James Gisbourne showed great pace to outstrip the YM rearguard and slot clinically past keeper Scott Hodgetts.

The goal left YM shellshocked and gave Cookham the confidence to apply some pressure to their opponents.  Shortly afterwards a deep free kick from the left found Gisbourne unmarked and he hit a vicious volley into the roof of the net with Hodgetts helpless.

With 20 minutes, YM pushed forwards in search of a lifeline and Adey and Lemm both penetrated the Cookham defence on several occasions but could not pick out a teamate, in large part, due to a fantastic effort from the back 3 of Scott Allen, Dave Saunders and Chris Ellis.

YM manager Lemm said "It thought it was a good game between 2 evenly matched sides.  Chances were hard to come by but we switched off defensively at a couple of crucial moments and Gisbourne made us pay with 2 excellent finishes.  Unfortunately, we were not as clinical at the other end when we got in good positions."


READING YMCA:HODGETTS, BULLETT, GREEN, FITZPATRICK, C LEMM, ADEY, WAGNER, FROUDE (replaced by SZUTENBERG 70mins), D TIPPER (replaced by EDMUNDS 60mins), LEE (replaced by JENNINGS 65mins), ABERY SUBSEDMUNDS, JENNINGS, SZUTENBERG.

LEMMY'S MOM - CHRIS LEMM

Reading YMCA Rapids made tough work out of a fixture that should have been dead and buried just after half time. The fixture list has thrown up Hurst Res twice in the first 3 weeks and both games have been tough encounters with plenty of chances. Boss Paul O Boyle welcomed back Steve Wood to left back and Tim Sidwell in the middle of the park. Dave Rolfe replaced Mark Ilsley at the back and Sean Kenny was pushed in to the holding midfield role.

The game got off to a lively start with both teams showing attacking promise. Dave Morrison and the ever lively Luke Kasonde were causing all sorts of problems with wingers Lewis Evans and Dan Sutton getting in to dangerous positions near the opposing goal without creating anything clear cut. Sidwell slotted a lengthy pass through for Sutton to latch on to and his cross created the first corner of the game. Sean Kenny delivered some vicious corners all afternoon and his first was a warning shot across Hurst bows as Rolfe went close with a header just over the bar. YM were dealt a blow when the influential Adam Cassidy was forced to withdraw, replaced by Ryan Tipper at centre half and the YM legend enjoyed a magnificent game blocking, tackling, heading and keeping the Hurst danger man quiet.

Hurst then took a surprise lead when Sidwell was caught in possession in the middle and allowed the nippy forward to ghost in to the box and slip home a cool finish underneath Rob Taylor. This spurred YM on and the equalizer came 5 minutes later when yet another Kenny corner was expertly finished by Kasonde at the far post. YM then took a deserved lead when Evans cut in from the left and unleashed an unstoppable screamer in the top corner to make it 2-1. YM then gifted Hurst a 2nd equalizer when poor marking and half clearance allowed a Hurst centre half to finish from close range at the far post. From then on it was all YM and Kasonde grabbed his second to make it 3-2 at half time.

The second half was one way traffic and the game should have been out of sight within 10 minutes when Kasonde missed 2 guilt edge chances, firing one straight at the impressive Hurst keeper and the second, taking too long on the ball. The chances kept coming from all angles when Sidwell crashed a header against the bar, Morrison dithered on the ball and Tim Morrison found the keeper in good form with his first touch. As the game wore on Hurst started to move forward sensing the missed chances could cost YM maximum points. The crucial moment came on 80 minutes when an overhit free kick ended up in the YM net but for the referee to blow for a foul on Taylor. Sidwell then burst forward after a neat one two and squared for Kasonde but with the ball slightly behind the YM hitman, the chance was gone.

It was down to Morrison to finally make the game safe in the closing minutes when a breakaway involving Evans, Kasonde and last seasons top scorer found the YM man bearing down on goal and a scrambled finish made sure the points were safe and the Rapids stay top of division 2.

YM RAPIDS: TAYLOR, LEACH, CASSIDY, ROLFE, WOOD, SUTTON, KENNY, SIDWELL, EVANS, MORRISON, KASONDE SUBS: R TIPPER (Replaced Cassidy 35) T MORRISON (Replaced Sutton 70) O BOYLE (Not Used)

BOILERS MOM: SEAN KENNY