Brereton Social 0 v 3 Coleshill Town

[Alan Beckett]

MONDAY 1st JANUARY 2007
MIDLAND COMBINATION PREMIER DIVISION
BRERETON SOCIAL 0 v 3 COLESHILL TOWN
Scorers: Simon Volante, Josh McPherson, Joe Clarke.

Nobody looks forward to a league fixture on New Year's Day especially in driving rain and on a glue pot pitch but now the game is over it became a very important three points in the bag. Leaders Highgate had their game called off so Coleshill jumped one place in the league table above them to second. Coventry Sphinx did play and won at Nuneaton Griff, so they take over top spot (the sixth team to do so this season). Both the above mentioned teams have games in hand but the more games they have postponed the harder their run in is going to be. Coleshill on the other hand have gone through their bad patch and with injuries and suspensions easing off, and the prospect of a couple of new faces, they are determined to take the championship race to the wire.

Manager Mick Beadle was down to the bare bones for this game and called in two fresh faces from the reserves to make up the bench, as well as giving Joe Clark his debut. Both Simon Hudson and Liam Foxall got to play a part in the game and didn't look out of place. Attacking options were limited with both Michael Campbell and Raddy Richards suspended and then the no show of Shay Morgan left a front pair of Carlos McIntosh and David Brush. Matty Tomlinson also made his first full start as Beadle chose a 4-4-2 formation. The game was in doubt but the referee stated that as long as there was no more rain the game could go ahead. As it was the rain started just before half time and never let up and every time the Referee put his whistle to his mouth the bench thought it was to call a halt to the proceedings. The game finally ended with a 3-0 victory but the home team had played their part in a tough match in difficult conditions. I wouldn't envy the Brereton groundsman trying to repair the pitch for the next game as, by the end, it resembled a battlefield.

Coleshill had the advantage of the slope and the wind at their backs in the first half and made the most of the conditions to go in 2-0 at half time. After only five minutes Carlos McIntosh's pace took him away from a flat back line and his cross fell to the feet of David Brush. The normally dependable Brush fluffed his shot but Simon Volante was on hand to shoot home at the second attempt after his first effort was blocked on the line. Town sustained the pressure as the home team struggled to contain the pace of McIntosh, James Dance and debutant Joe Clark, and the pressure paid off on 17mins as a half clearance fell to McIntosh on the edge of the box and the striker shot low and hard across the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Brush and Clark had chances to increase the lead but Coleshill had to be on their guard as Brereton hit back and two Ward tackles and a Josh McPherson header kept the home side out.

The conditions worsened in the second half and with Coleshill unable to use their passing game it was Brereton who looked the more likely to score the next goal. Social did have the ball in the net but the official on the far side got a decision correct for a change and gave off side, and Chris Butler made a great save after a fluffed clearance. Coleshill could not keep the ball but a bit of magic from Clark finally killed the game. Clark picked the ball up wide left, probably the driest part of the pitch, and ran at the defence. Last season's star Youth team player easily went passed two defenders before picking his spot, beating the keeper and finding the back of the net. The only thing left was to make sure the game went the distance and when the Referee blew his whistle on 90 minutes it was to a huge sigh of relief.

Team:- Chris Butler, Rob Ellis, Mark Ward (Simon Hudson), Josh Gunter, Matt Tomlinson (Carl Smith), Joe Clark (Liam Foxall), Simon Volante, Josh McPherson, David Brush, Carlos McIntosh, James Dance.