FINAL COMMENT BEFORE SEASON OPENER

[Alan Beckett]

FINAL COMMENT BEFORE SEASON OPENER


Manager Paul Casey Comments as Coleshill build up to Saturday's season opener



I would like to thank Sutton United ,Ellis & Ibstock Town, Racing Warwick, St Andrews, Lichfield City and Thurnby Nirvana Fc for playing us preseason. aAll games were fantastic preparations for our long season ahead. All of the teams we played gave us tough tests although some results don’t really tell a true story of how the games went over 90 minutes .
We have played 6 matches winning 5 and losing our final game to Thurnby Nirvana FC on Saturday in blistering heat going down 4-2 in which I would have no problem saying we were well beatan but on another day we should of been 8 up before they scored the 2nd after 50 minutes .
On Saturday I made changes which actually effected the result in favour of a great Thurnby team but more disappointingly we had 7 players unavailable, 4 of them strikers, that would get in most teams at step 5 anywhere in the West Midland,s but still had enough chances in 50 minutes to win 3 games on any other Saturday. Thurnby, Ellis Town and St Andrews are 3 of the best teams I have seen and in my opinion will have a massive say in winning their league this year if they keep everyone of their players free of injury .
Lichfield, Racing and Sutton are clubs more local to myself that have improved so much over the last few seasons, a lot like Coleshil Town, and their managers are building great teams of youngsters for the future and that can be shown no more than Racing Warwick beating Bedworth on Saturday.
All 6 teams I really do believe will be fighting for trophies this season in there leagues and wish them good luck unless our paths cross in the FA Vase !!
What I have learned over preseason about my team will help me over the coming months as we get lads back off holiday and plan for several of my squad to go away in August when we play 8 matches but that’s Non League Football for you.
The difference between the Midland Alliance teams and the Eastern Midland Counties League is depths of squads in my opinion, as Ellis Town , St Andrews and Thurnby`s squads and management team are all qualified to take their step 6 teams and beat anything in our league if you are not at your strongest as Thurnby have done over the last 2 weeks. The way these teams play the game as well means I will be doing my best to organise friendlies again next season and even this season, when the weather turns for the worst. It was a pleasure to see the way these coaches get there teams to play which is very brave at times but proof it can be done, but at a cost, sometimes, to the result of the match .
My team have now proved to me that we are now a match for anyone at step 5 or 6 and we do need the depth to beat the best teams and you cannot expect to win games with 7 players from a 20 man squad not available.
But that’s preseason in non league football for you and hopefully the start of an exciting campaign.

Cheers

Paul Casey