Long Eaton United 4 v 3 Coleshill Town

[Alan Beckett]

Saturday 5th September 2015
Midland Football League Premier
Long Eaton United 4 v 3 Coleshill Town
Scorers:
United: Aaron Cole, Brad Wells 2, Michael Armstrong pen.
Town: Demitrius Smikle, Luke Barlone, Simeon Cobourne.
Attendance: 124
Opposition Player Of The Match: Benjamin Watkis (Long Eaton) No one nominated by Long Eaton.

Teams:
United: Charlie Mansfield, Steve Kosmala, Aaron Cole, Yuyi Kabanje, Ross Parker, Joe Pheasant, Brad Wells, Michael Armstrong, Jermain Palmer, Ben Watkis, Paulo Piliero. Subs Scott James, Markel Bailey, Idris Kabongo, James Stack, Ben Growing.

Colemen: Paul Hathaway, Leon Weller, Will Worthington, Rob Evans, Luke Edwards, Giovanni Dainty (Simeon Cobourne),Tom Weale, Brendan Murphy (Chris Cowley), Luke Barlone, Demitrius Smikle (Ricky Cutting), Dean Rathbone. Subs not used Alex Baird, Chris Hughes.

SUNDAY MERCURY WROTE
United Go Clear After A Seven Goal Thriller
Long Eaton United moved four clear at the top of the Midland Premier Division after Brad Wells scored twice in an exciting 4-3 against Coleshill Town. The league leaders trailed to a Demetrius Smikle shot on 33 minutes but levelled with a spectacular 30 yard strike from Aaron Cole. Coleshill regained their lead on the hour mark with a Luke Barlone goal only to be pegged back by Wells capitalizing on slack defending in the visitors box. Mike Armstrong fired the hosts in front from the penalty spot and extended their lead through a Wells header. Simeon Cobourne netted late on but United held firm.

Match Report
Coleshill travelled to then league leaders Stourport Swifts on Monday and knocked them off top spot! They had a great chance to repeat the feat at new leaders Long Eaton but at 2-1 up and in complete control, they let the home team back into the game instead of closing the match out.

After a hectic start to the new season both teams looked jaded for most of the first hour which didn't make for much entertainment for the watching supporters. Coleshill started the better of the two sides with Rob Evans and Dean Rathbone forcing early corners. Ross Parker headed over the bar when well placed at the far post and Town keeper Paul Hathaway saved a Aaron Cole free kick at the foot of the post. Demitrius Smikle forced the home keeper Mansfield to tip a shot over the bar, Hathaway saved at the feet of giant centre forward Palmer, Luke Edwards headed a free kick over the bar and Luke Barlone sliced a Rathbone shot wide when well placed. Coleshill took the lead just after the half hour when Leon Weller won the ball just inside the United half and quickly fed Demitrius Smikle who turned and shot in the same movement to leave defender and goalkeeper flat footed and his effort squeezed into the corner of the net. Coleshill should have gone further ahead when a Gio Dainty header sent Smikle clear who then crossed for Barlone but his shot was saved by the keepers feet. On 41 minutes Town cleared a corner but the ball fell to Cole who hit an unstoppable shot from fully 35 yards that arrowed into the net for the equaliser. Just before the break Tom Weale got away from the home defence but saw his powerful effort palmed round the post by Mansfield.

Coleshill started the second half as they had finished the first, in ascendancy and took the lead on 58 minutes when Smikle, Weale and Rathbone all combined to force a corner. The flag kick was taken quickly and Smikle crossed to the near post where Barlone directed the ball into the far corner of the net. At this point it was hard to see anything other than a Coleshill win but on 67 minutes United were gifted the opportunity to get back into the game. A long through ball should so easily have been cleared but with Hathaway racing out of his goal Rob Evans hesitated, stood on the ball, and had it nicked from his feet. With Hathaway now scrambling back to his line Brad Wells picked his spot to level the scores once again. This incident lifted the home side and suddenly it was a totally different ball game. Cole's corner hit the roof of the net, Evans conceded a corner just as Wells prepared to shoot and Bailey shot over from a good position but on 72 minutes Bailey was back and this time his feet disappeared under Hathaway's challenge and the referee pointed to the spot. Armstrong took the spot kick and confidently found the net. Town Manager Paul Casey went for a positive double substitution as forwards Ricky Cutting and Simeon Cobourne took to the field but on 82 minutes the task of retrieving the game got harder. Bailey had time and space down the left and his pin point cross found the unmarked Wells at the far post who gleefully headed into the net. Edwards saw a header from a Weale free kick tipped round the post and Cutting's goalbound shot was blocked by Pheasant before Town pulled a goal back in injury time, Chris Cowley's cross finding Cobourne at the far post to volley into the roof of the net.

The league this season is much stronger than last, every game is a tough one, but Coleshill have a better squad and can still be among the front runners if they cut out the silly mistakes that are costing them dear!


Another View: Match report taken from Long Eaton United web site.
Long Eaton United 4-3 Coleshill Town

Long Eaton came back twice to level before running out and taking 3 points at home to Coleshill Town.

The Blues who went top of the Midland Football League Premier with their win at Brocton on Bank Holiday Monday retained their position beating a Coleshill side who have started the season with a wobble but are now looking a force. Last season when the Blues were at their height of the season they fell 4-0 at Grange Park to Colemen and manager Palmer would have been making sure that it wouldn't be a repeat this time round.

From the start the visitors looked good, pacey and not afraid to get forward in numbers. New keeper Mansfield in his first game since Low was sidelined did well to palm away a close range effort from Smikle after just 3 minutes. The corner came to nothing but it was the visitors who went close again 2 minutes later when Dainty fired over from outside the box.

With the pressure on the Blues they found some respite in the 10th minute having a good period of possesion but ultimately the passing was somewhat wayward in the final third to create anything up front.

As the Blues were getting a foothold a killer blow came in the 33rd minute as Smikle was allowed time and space to fire in a low drive from 25 yards that slipped in past Mandfield at his near post.
From then it was an end to end affair with similarities to cups ties going on in the FA Vase today.
United mounted an attack in the 40th minute which resulted in a clearence from the home side for a corner. The corner was nodded away at the 2nd attempt falling to Aaron Cole some 35 yards out. Having controlled the bal he hit a missle through everyone into the net, the keeper Hathaway having now chance.

The sides went in level at the break but the half could have had 3 or 4 more goals to either side.
Into the 2nd and United looked like they were on a mission, pressing the visitors back for long periods, but in the 50th minute the Colemen retook the lead, a break away down the left lead to a great ball in, Barlone nodding in at the front post past Mansfield. There was worry from the stands that the Blues would drop but it was completely the opposite, United charge forward in numbers cause the Hathawy to save 3 times in 5 minutes.

It was all square again in the 67th minute as Brad Wells capitilised on a defensive error after Watkis almost got through the defence, Wells look composed as he slotted the ball under Hathaway to his left, the keeper stood motionless.
The game had now firmly swung in the Blues favour and 10 minutes later it was United who edged in front for the first time, Coleshill were defending deep when a United attacker was brought down. Michael Armstong, prolific from the spot made now mistake firing well past the keeper.

Unted continued to dominate and with 10 minutes to go added another,good work down the left which included 7 players touching the ball ended in a great cross to the back post. Wells who found space headed the ball into the net.

Time was running out for the visitors but they still had time to make the game interesting in the 90th minute when sub Colbourne smashed the ball into the roof of the net from 8 yards.
United could have got a 5th very late on but the visitors keeper saved well.

Full Time United 4-3 Coleshill