McDonald the last-gasp hero for Cogenhoe as they secure dramatic FA Cup success

Cogenhoe United produced a stunning late fightback to secure their place in the preliminary round of the Emirates FA Cup.
By Jon Dunham
Published 2nd Sep 2020, 09:27 BST
Updated 2nd Sep 2020, 09:29 BST
Cogenhoe were winners in the FA CupCogenhoe were winners in the FA Cup
Cogenhoe were winners in the FA Cup

The non-League season started with the extra preliminary round ties on Tuesday night and it proved to be an evening to remember for the Cooks.

Trailing 1-0 in stoppage-time at Kirkley & Pakefield, Cogenhoe looked to have earned a penalty shoot-out when Rico Alexander grabbed the equaliser.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But, in the eighth minute of injury-time, Aynsley McDonald became the FA Cup hero as he fired home the winner to seal a famous victory, £1,125 in prize money and a home tie with Bury Town in the preliminary round on September 12.

There was no such joy for ON Chenecks, however, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat at Long Melford.

Chenecks looked to be on course after goals from Lewis Irwin and Ben Lewington gave them a 2-1 lead but, despite the hosts being reduced to 10 men, they fought back and grabbed their winner with just four minutes to go.

The United Counties League Premier Division season gets under way on Saturday with Cogenhoe hosting Leicester Nirvana and Chenecks travelling to Rothwell Corinthians.

In Division One, Bugbrooke start with a trip to St Andrews and Sileby Rangers are on home soil against Bourne Town.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.