Coleshill Town 3 v 2 Long Eaton United

[Alan Beckett]

Monday 19th August 2024
Northern Premier League Midland Division
Coleshill Town 3 v 2 Long Eaton United
Scorers:
Coleshill: Ben Billingham 2, Sam Fitzgerald.
Long Eaton: Evan Garnett 2.
Attendance: 165.
Supporters Club Man Of The Match: Ben Billingham.


Teams:
Coleshill: Ben Newey, Dan Brookes, Gianluca Bucci, Sam Fitzgerald (Gio Dainty), Taylor Carter-Byrne, Alex Tomkinson, Nathan Kabeya, Sam Tye, Joe Palmer (Lamin Ceesay), Ben Billingham, Ben Usher-Shipway. Subs not used: Freddie Cockerell, Niall Rowe, Bassit Mandey.


Long Eaton: Lewis King, Jayden Cotterill (Ethan Hulley), Ryan Campbell-Gordon, Danny Gordon, Ryley D'Sena, Jamie Hanson (Aaron Cole), Archie White, Andrew Wright (Connor Pace), Evan Garnett, Liam Loughlan, James Taylor. Subs not used: Oliver Mercer, Ben Allsop, Connor Pace.


MATCH REPORT

A very entertaining game between two good teams with some fabulous goals.
The visitors started the game impressively and kept the ball very well but it was Coleshill who had the best chance as Ben Billingham stretched to meet a Nathan Kabeya cross but put the ball over the bar. Coleshill did take the lead on 14 minutes through Billingham. A pass from Dan Brookes found Billingham wide right, his clever turn got him past his marker and into the box and he casually stoked the ball past the keeper and into the net. Long Eaton hit back with efforts from Loughlan and White. The Colemen almost made it 2-0 when Billingham made a great cross and the onrushing Palmer was just inches away from a tap in. The visitors did equalise on 34 minutes with a lovely worked goal and a fine finish from centre forward Garnett, and they almost took the lead but for a fine save from Town keeper Ben Newey from a Hanson effort. However, on the stroke of half time Coleshill inched in front with a fabulous goal from Sam Fitzgerald. A left footed volley from just outside the box that went in the very top corner of the net giving the keeper no chance. Half time and Coleshill in front, Just!

United started the second half on the front foot resulting in a fine Dan Brookes clearance and a fine catch of a dangerous cross by Ben Newey but just before the hour mark the Colemen went two goals up with Ben Billingham's second of the match. Taylor Byrne headed on a long Ben Usher-Shipway throw in and Billingham coming in at the far post swept the ball home. At this point the Referee was making some strange decisions with Palmer, Bucci and Usher-Shipway ending up in his book. Joe Palmer has worked his socks off this season but hasn't had the luck in front of goal and was once again denied his first of the season when the visitors keeper King did marvelous to keep out his effort that would have killed the game. United narrowed the gap on 79 minutes with another fine goal. Garnett being put through by White and cleverly stroked the ball under the diving Newey and into the net, 3-2 game on. It could have gone either way from this point, Taylor Byrne and Nathan Kabeya had efforts blocked and Joe Palmer was denied yet again as his effort was cleared off the line. At the other end Ben Newey made a fabulous save from a D'Sena header but the score remained 3-2 with Coleshill gaining a hard earned three points.

Next up a short trip to Walsall Wood on Saturday.