Coleshill Town 2 v 3 Alcester Town

[Alan Beckett]

Saturday 9th January 1971
Midland Combination Division Two
Coleshill Town 2 v 3 Alcester Town
Scorers:
Coleshill: Roy Phelps, Roy Sanders.
Alcester: Lakin, Williams 2.


Team: Peter Garnell GK, Keith Midgley, Oscar Deeming, Tony Seddon, Geoff Statham, Clive Lyons, Martin Curtis, Malcolm Stokes, Roy Sanders, Roy Phelps, Eddie Hanlon. Confirmed.


COLESHILL CHRONICLE WROTE
Coleshill Slump to Home Defeat
Coleshill Town's Midland Combination Second Division title slipped from their grasp on Saturday, when they crashed to a home defeat against Alcester Town. Coleshill thus sank to their sixth defeat and all hope of retaining the championship crown have diminished. All that is left to salvage are the trophies in which interest still remains in the Coleshill and Sutton Coldfield Charity cups and the Midland Combination Presidents Cup. Coleshill, who were minus Dave Back who has joined Solihull Town, Tim Rawlings, Colin Davis and Bradley, found themselves a goal down after 10 minutes, their defence was stretched wide open to give left half Lakin the "freedom of the parish" to pick his spot in the net behind Garnell. Coleshill continued to struggle and this came about through rank bad marking and the will to win the ball in the centre circle and they found Robinson, the Alcester inside man, a most elusive customer and it was amazing that his work did not bear fruit. Coleshill were lucky in si far as Alcester pushing hard with wind advantage did not take full use of their chances and it was against the run of play when Coleshill snatched the equaliser, Martin Curtis gained possession and lifted a perfect ball to Phelps to head past Chatterley. This was the signal for Coleshill to unleash their attacking power and this they did only to see fine drives from Sanders, Hanlon and Phelps taken care of with fine saves from Chatterly, with several narrow escapes being experienced with goal line clearances. Coleshill went into the lead after 38 minutes when skipper Oscar Deeming took a route march through the visitors defence and supplied a pass to Roy Sanders who blasted the ball past Chatterley. Coleshill's joy was short lived however for in the very next minute Alcester were back on level terms when Williams volleyed in a thirty yard shot that Garnell appeared to see a little late, he only patially saved and the strong wind kept the ball moving into the net. resuming after the break with the wind in their favour Coleshill carried high hopes but it was Alcester who played the tune od success with the Coleshill goal escaping when the ball was transferred across the goal like a "yo-yo" with nobody on hand to prod it past the helpless Garnell. Only Sanders offered any real difficulty to the visitors defence and it was a surprise shot by the centre forward that saw Chatterley execute a fine save. Coleshill were sadly lacking method and the spirit to lift themselves out of a deep rut and it came as no surprise when Alcester were allowed to take the winning goal. It came in the 75th minute when Clive Lyons put a pass "off cue" and Williams, delighted to receive such good luck promptly swept the ball into the net. Sanders, marked down as Coleshill's best "trier" put a delightful cross-goal pass over which Phelps just failed to reach while "timber" kept out good shots from both Sanders and Hanlon as Coleshill tried in vain to salvage a point.


P20 W9 D5 L6 F42 A29 Pts23 Pos 4/18