Coleshill Town 4 v 0 Northfield Town Reserves

[Alan Beckett]

Saturday 19th September 1970
Midland Combination Division Two
Coleshill Town 4 v 0 Northfield Town Reserves
Scorers: Malcolm Stokes, Roy Sanders 2, Geoff Statham.


Team: Missing - Tony Seddon, Eddie Hanlon, Roy Phelps. Played - Peter Garnell GK, Keith Midgley, John Bache (Debut), Clive Lyons, Steve Ward, Martin Curtis, Butch Bradley (Geoff Statham), Malcolm Stokes, Oscar Deeming, Roy Sanders.



COLESHILL CHRONICLE WROTE
Injury Hit Town Keep Up With Leaders
Coleshill Town, at present in second position in the Midland Combination Second Division, had a good 4-0 win on Saturday despite fielding a weakened side. Hanlon, Davis and Phelps were all missing from the Town's line up, but the inclusion of Butch Bradley and new signing John Bache helped them gain two worth-while points which keep them in touch with leaders Mile Oak Rovers. Coleshill were so short of players that big Geoff Statham was selected as substitute and was the man who finally stole the limelight. Only seven minutes remained when Statham replaced Bradley and within two minutes his brilliant header put Town 3-0 Clear and it was his perfectly laid pass that allowed Sanders to add a fourth in the 88th minute. Coleshill opened well and the visitors keeper, Stokes, was called upon to handle cross-fire from both Sanders and Curtis and Steve Ward weighed in with a surprise run that again found keeper Stokes positioned to make an effective save. Coleshill's "new-look" outfit was moving well and was unlucky not to take the lead when Stokes broke clear but saw his acute angled cross-shot strike the far post with his "name-sake" well beaten. Little was seen of the Northfield attack and it was mainly Coleshill that called the tune. Deeming split the visitors defence wide open for Stokes to shoot a hard low shot into the safe keeping of the Northfield keeper. It was Sanders who bristled along the home left wing to deliver a perfect cross, the ball passed across the Northfield goal without finding further attention from a slow moving attack. Burnley, the Northfield forward was replaced by substitute Wattan in the 30th minute and soon after Coleshill swept into the lead. Oscar Deeming fired in a shot that struck the post and Stokes was on hand to hammer the rebound home. Northfield showed a lot more effort in the early stages of the second half and a lot more was seen of "new boy" Bache, the Dale Star, Sunday League defender. He gave a satisfactory display that could well see him command a regular place. Coleshill came back with a speed loaded combined attack through Lyons and Curtis which ended with Stokes heading over the bar and a few minutes later it was Stokes, when well placed, who shot wide. Coleshill made their outlook more healthier in the 71st minute when they extended their lead, Stokes forced his way through the Northfield pack to slip the ball on to Roy Sanders who cracked the ball hard and low into the Northfield rigging. Northfield hit back with a well organised attack and came close to success when Avery volleyed in a shot that Garnell turned with a fine save to safety off the near post. With seven minutes remaining Statham replaced Bradley and caused havoc in the Northfield rearguard when he headed a brilliant goal from Deeming's well placed free-kick and five minutes later he was in the thick of it again when laying on a delightful ball to Sanders who slammed if wide of the helpless keeper Stokes. All in all, this was a satisfactory display by the somewhat weakened Coleshill side who, with a little more bite up front could so easily have won by a larger margin.



P9 W4 D4 L1 F16 A8 Pts12 Pos 2/18