Coleshill Town 1 v 0 Nuneaton Griff

First Team Match Reports 2002-2003

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Coleshill Town 1 v 0 Nuneaton Griff

Postby Alan Beckett » Sun Dec 29, 2002 1:06 pm

SATURDAY 21st DECEMBER
MIDLAND COMBINATION PREMIER DIVISION
COLESHILL TOWN 1 v 0 NUNEATON GRIFF

Scorer: Lee McCarthy.

Coleshill fielded the same team that defeated Handrahan Timbers last week and got the same result. Manager Tony Gormley made only one change bringing influential midfielder Lee McCarthy onto the subs bench after missing last week’s game due to work commitments, at his own expense. This was another hard fought win but Coleshill were thankful that young goalkeeper Daniel Smith was in such fine form, as three times he came out on top in one on one situations. Nuneaton themselves have gone through a change of management and have struggled at times this season but the former champions battled gamely and could consider themselves unfortunate not to have scored at least once.

Coleshill were immediately in their stride and should have been 2-0 up after only five minutes. Last week’s scorer Steve Fulford nearly repeated the feat as he beat goalkeeper and defender to the ball to toe poke towards goal but this time his effort rebounded from the foot of the post. Strike partner Peter Hall had a shot well saved as he was put clear from a Christian Crisp pass. Coleshill pinned Griff deep into their own half and forced the visitors into some desperate defending but they looked dangerous on the break and were slowly starting to get into the game as the half hour mark passed. On 31minutes Daniel Smith made the first of his important saves as he stood up to the onrushing forward and saved at his feet. Nuneaton broke quickly from a Coleshill corner and as Smith came rushing out a Griff forward rounded the keeper but with the angle now too tight he squared for his team mate who’s shot went wide with the goal begging.

The second half saw Griff have more possession and were causing Coleshill plenty of problems as Town struggled to keep up the first half tempo. After only three minutes Smith was called upon to make the second of his one on one saves as the defence were caught square again. The game was becoming scrappy as the sides battled for supremacy and several players found themselves in the Referee’s notebook as things threatened to spill over. On the hour mark Griff opened up the home defence with some neat passing but as the forward shaped to shoot Daniel Smith bravely dived at his feet to save the day. Chances were plenty at both ends with both keepers giving impressive displays, but the Griff stopper was powerless as a Pete Hall shot from distance cannoned off the bar. The niggly fouls continued and on 78minutes the referee took action as a Griff forward protested too long and too loud and was shown the red card. This foolish act tipped the balance in Coleshill’s favour and they pushed forward in search of a winner. A period of pressure on the visitor’s goal resulted in a corner on 82 minutes. As the ball swung in and several players attacked the ball the referee gave a penalty for a push in the back. Regular penalty taker Matty Devine had left the field at this point, so up stepped Mitchell Thompson to take the spot kick. The Griff keeper guessed right and parried Thompson’s well struck effort, the rebound booted clear, but before the visitors cheers had died down Coleshill returned the ball into the danger area and Carl Smith cleverly laid the ball into the path of Lee McCarthy whose snap shot evaded the keeper and snuck into the net. Griff tried to hit back and again there were several angry exchanges all over the pitch but Coleshill held firm to record their second 1-0 win in eight days.

Team. Daniel Smith, Lee O’Brien (Chris Harvey), Frank Woodburn, Allan Thomas (Lee McCarthy), Matty Devine (Lee Dempster), Simon Bradbury, Carl Smith, Christian Crisp, Peter Hall, Steve Fulford, Mitchell Thompson.

M.O.M. Daniel Smith.

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