Coleshill Town 1 v 1 Racing Club Warwick - Birmingham Junior Cup

[Alan Beckett]

Saturday 4th December 1971
Birmingham Junior Cup Round 3 - Abandoned after 107 mins (bad light)
Coleshill Town 1 v 1 Racing Club Warwick - May be their Reserves
Scorers:
Town: Roy Phelps.
Racing: Talbot.


Team: Peter Garnell GK, Geoff Statham, Les Owen, Clive Lyons, Roger Coxall, Oscar Deeming, Scott Coleman, Roy Phelps, Phil Dunn (Eddie Hanlon), David Wheeler, (no Hannan)


CASTLE BROMWICH NEWS WROTE
Bad Light Stops Play – Coleshill Will Have To Fight Again.
This highly entertaining match was called to a halt in the semi-darkness of extra time, and the two sides will meet again to see who goes through to the next round. Coleshill created the chances and should have won easily, but the ball never ran kindly for them in front of goal. After weathering a series of blistering opening attacks from Racing Club, they played themselves into the game and a good finisher would have seen them through. Town began well and almost had a goal in the first minute. Roy Phelps bored his way through the middle and his shot was heading for the net, beating Hyland who had left his line. But Delholm raced back and steered the ball for a corner, Coleman’s well flighted flag kick was scrambled away. Then it was Racing Club’s turn to attack and they went ahead after eight minutes. Pete Garnell, back in goal for the first time since September, handled with all his old assurance, but was helpless when Talbot was left unmarked to convert a fine cross from Tedds. Racing were straight back on the attack, with Cooper heading just wide, while Owen and Deeming did sterling work in defence, Coleshill missed the steadying influence of Hannan in the back four. Still the Warwick side attacked, Rose and Phillips driving them forward from midfield, and Coleshill were penned in their own half for fully 20 minutes. But slowly Town recovered and their fight back was inspired principally by Phelps, who had to do much of the grafting on his own. Coleshill almost equalised when Coleman hooked the ball over the advancing Hyland, who could only watch as the ball grazed the post and went wide. It was the industrious Phelps who put the sides on level terms. When Racing only half-cleared a free kick, the ball was pumped back into the middle and Phelps slotted the ball home well. Coleshill finished the first half on top, Racing looking decidedly ragged as Dunn shot just wide. After the interval, Racing threw everything into attack, but Statham proved sound for Town. Coleshill squandered another chance to go ahead when Wheeler shot wide after good work by Coleman and Phelps. Dunn was replaced by Eddie Hanlon, but Coleshill were unable to grab the vital goal. Both sides had chances in extra time, but the referee ended the match in the gloom, two minutes into the second half.