Coleshill Town 1 v 4 Atherstone Town

First Team Match Reports 2005-2006

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Coleshill Town 1 v 4 Atherstone Town

Postby Alan Beckett » Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:18 pm

Saturday 11th March 2006
Midland Combination Premier Division
Coleshill Town 1 v 4 Atherstone Town
Scorer: Kevin Wagstaff.

Coleshill lost to the league leaders by the same 4-1 scoreline as in the first game, but whereas the match at Sheepy Road flattered the Adders, in this game Town were lucky to concede just the four! After a shaky first half Chris Butler was the hero in the second with several fine saves despite being barracked throughout by the travelling support.

Coleshill were without several experienced players in Jamie Shipway, Shaun Kidson, Alan Wright and David Brush, and when they lost 38 year old influential midfield player Carl Smith at half time, the very, very young Coleshill team were overrun by an impressive Adders outfit heading for the Alliance.

Town could not have got off to a better start infront of a bumper 160 crowd and on a pitch that had remarkably recovered from severe waterlogging. James Dance cut inside and was sythed to the floor in the first minute. Kevin Wagstaff took over dead ball kicking from the absent David Brush and confidently found the top corner with the keeper routed to the spot. Coleshill played well for the first 30 minutes or so but were the main instigators in their own down fall. Just before the half hour mark, defence and keeper hesitated when there was plenty of time to clear, Chris Long nipped in and blocked Chris Butler's clearance and the ball spun up and into an empty net. 10 minutes later and the Adders took the lead when Butler called for a cross which he had no chance of reaching and Tod Perry rose the highest to head home.

The second half saw the visitors take control as manager Mick Beadle shuffled his pack trying to find someone to take a grip of the centre of the park. Coleshill's back three defended manfully, man of the match could have come from any of those three but was finally given to Des Wilkes. The young forward line of Danny Carter and debutant Shane Higgins worked tirelessly but were given little change by a solid Adders back four. It was in midfield that Coleshill were found wanting as the visitors dictated play. Chris Butler made a great save and Des Wilkes cleared off the line before Atherstone made the game safe when Roy Dunckley hit a bouncing ball first time into the net from fully 25 yards on 67 minutes. Shane Higgins hit a sweet shot that was tipped over the bar by Williams, then Butler saved at the other end from a free kick before Dunckley became provider for Chris Partridge to score No4 on 73 minutes. Still 15 to play and Atherstone on a high, it could have been worse. Butler saved at the feet of Gaunt and Partridge slipped at the vital moment to keep the scoreline respectable.

Coleshill's last game saw them outclass Cadbury Athletic but they were second best to a hard working, skillful and professional Atherstone side who provide the bench mark for what you need to get out of this division.

Team:- Chris Butler, Simon Bradbury, Ryan Gardner, Des Wilkes, James Dance, Rob Ellis (Dan Greaves), Carl Smith (Danny Glasgow), Josh McPherson, Danny Carter, Shane Higgins (Myrone Levy), Kevin Wagstaff. Sub not used Sam Chatwin.

AND NOW A MATCH REPORT FROM THE VISITORS POINT OF VIEW

Atherstone Town turned on the style with Chris Long putting in his best ever performance in an Atherstone shirt in his eighteen months with the club.

Coleshill Town 1 - 4 Atherstone Town
Wagstaff 2,
Long 27,
Perry 37,
Dunkley 67,
Partridge 73,

Attendance 160
Steven J Mobley Reporting from Coleshill

Adders - Williams, Long, Smith (Beale 46), Grassby, Everitt, Perry, Brown (Gaunt 71), Manunebo (Lamb 76), Partridge, Dunkley, Sheedy (Capt) Subs (Unused) Green, Blake

Coleshill - Butler, Bradbury, Gardiner, Mcpherson, Wilkes (Capt), Ellis, Dance, Smith, Carter, Higgins, Wagstaff Subs Chatwyn, Greaves, Glasgow, Tout ?,

Chris Long put in his best ever performance in an Atherstone Town shirt as he helped the Adders to a resounding four-one win at Coleshill, But Long wasn't the only star of the show with a second half performance that was simply outstanding, and if there were any scouts from fellow Midland Combination Premier Division teams watching, they must have gone away thinking that they have their work cut out to stop the Ginnelly title steam train running away with League.

Atherstone Town Assistant Manager Martin Ascroft who was involved in a nasty car crash in Coventry on Thursday night, was not put of by the incident and bravely took his place in the dugout next to Manager Jimmy Ginnelly and New first team coach Dave Bennett. Chris Partridge who had been on the bench against Massey Fergusson last week returned to the starting line up and added some freshness to the team. The Adders didn't however start to brightly when they conceaded a free kick after only two minutes on the edge of their own area, Kevin Wagstaff cooly placed a truly delightfully taken free kick around the wall and into the top left hand corner.

The Town edged their way back into the game and had a few chances to take the lead before Chris Long levelled the scores on twenty seven minutes after some neat work by Rob Sheedy on the edge of the area, Sheedy's flick on saw the speedy Chris Long race clear into the eighteen yard box, and as a Coleshill defender got a touch to clear it Long managed to get a touch which spirraled up into the air and into the net. The Town were finding their feet and Todd Perry scored a trademark header from close range when Dordon's Most famous resident Matt Brown took and placed a neat corner into the six yard area, Perry jumped above his marker to head home number eleven, one better than his total for the whole of last season.

With Stefan Beale replacing Lee Smith at half time, the Adders faithfull emerged from the warmth of the Coleshill clubhouse to cheer their illustrious heroes on in the hope that there would be more goals ahead in the second half. The half time subsdetution of Stefan Beale seemed to spark the Adders into life with Manunebo, Sheedy and Long controlling the centre of the park, Grassby, Everitt and Perry in the backline hardly had much to cope with in the second half, this only seemed to help the Adders Midfield and forward line as they advanced forward towards the Coleshill Area with confidence, Grassby had some neat touches in defence, Everitt was his usual commanding and reliable self and Perry was convincingly strong. Manunebo coped with everything that came his way and swept up everything, Brown was advancing down the left wing, Chris Long just didn't seem to stop running, and Stefan Beale never gave in down the right wing. Partridge and Dunkley seemed to link up well many times and it was inevatable that it wouldn't be long before these two would get on the scoresheet.

On Sixty seven Minutes Dunkley got number fifty-seven of the season when he latched onto a through ball from midfield, as Dunkley met the ball he was three yards from Chris Partridge and as the ball came through to Dunkley, Partridge seemed to shout 'hit it first time Dunks' as the forward hit the ball the shot gave Butler in the Coleshill goal no chance. And Partridge would not be disapointed as the skilfull forward shot from close range soon after Dunkley's goal, Butler got a touch but Partridge's skill and quick thinking was to fast for Butler as Partridge scored from five yards out to score his twenty-sixth league goal and number thirty four for the season. The Adders could easily have had double their total if it wasn't for Chris Butler having an impressive display in the Coleshill goal simply managing to keep the score down with some splendid saves. The Adders go into four cup semi-finals in the next twelve days starting with a midweek Floodlit cup semi final at Sheepy Road on Tuesday against Tividale, the game was originaly planned to be played at Tividale, but Tividale have asked for the tie to be played at Sheepy Road, the game on Tuesday night kicks off at 7.45pm.

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