Littleton 0 v 0 Coleshill Town - League Cup

First Team Match Reports 2017-2018

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Littleton 0 v 0 Coleshill Town - League Cup

Postby Alan Beckett » Sat Mar 17, 2018 10:56 am

Wednesday 14th March 2018
Polymac Midland Football League Cup Quarter Final
Littleton 0 v 0 Coleshill Town - 1-3 on Penalties
Scorers Of Penalties: Jordan Nadat, James Hicks, Paul Hathaway,
Attendance: 53.
Opposition Player Of The Match: Brenden Bunn (Littleton) Jordan Nadat (Coleshill)


Teams:
Littleton: Brendon Bunn, Shay Palmer, Mathew Edwards, Simon Fitter, Lewis Clarke, Dale Edwards (Mathew Chambers), Joe Adams, Steve Roche, Jamie Clarke (Jarrell Hylton, 73), Daniel Carter, Dale Edwards (Robbie Agar, 73). Unused subs: Kevin Ingram, George Westwood.


Coleshill: Paul Hathaway, Joe Cole, Anton Astley (Jordan Clement), Joe Halsall, Luke Edwards, Rob Evans, Joe Smith, James Hicks, Matt Gardner, Jordan Nadat, Gion Dainty. Subs not used Joshua Bates, James Medford


MATCH REPORT
By Colin Wheatley


CTFC proceed to the semi final of the league cup after a hard fought 0-0 draw with league one opposition Littleton ended in a penalty shoot out.

The travelling Coleshill fans were surprised but delighted to see former Town striker Jordan Nadat in the starting line up.

Watched by an estimated crowd of 60 on a cold but dry windy Wednesday evening in Worcestershire, Town started the encounter by dominating possession in the first quarter. Overall the first half was an evenly matched affair during which both teams struggled to create opportunities and there were few clear cut chances or shots on target. Both sides tried to play the passing game on a dry, grassy but uneven surface with both keepers doing well not to miss-time clearances. The home side blunted the Colemen’s attack by fielding five at the back and getting plenty of cover in central midfield and behind the ball. Coleshill tried to mix it up with some long balls but neither Nadat or Gardner could gain any advantage, and although Evans made some fine penetrating runs from his own half, the outcome was the same. Few attacks were made via the wings, the situation not helped by a camber in the last two yards of the pitch width. Those crosses made by Astley and the impressive Smith were adequately defended by two tall centre backs or the confident home side goalkeeper Bunn. Littleton’s best period came at the end of the half when Coleshill were forced to defend three late corners but the half ended 0-0.

In the second period, again Coleshill had the greater proportion of possession but still found chances few and far between. Both defences continued to dominate but in the last quarter runs from Smith produced good crosses that Hicks and then Halsall were unable to convert. A corner from the left by Smith struck the bar but went over. A low hard shot from the edge of the area from Nadat looked goal bound but it hit a Coleshill player and bounced away for a goal kick. Astley was substituted on 75 minutes by first team debutant Jordan Clement from the under 21’s. Joe impressed with some solid tackles, accurate passing and a couple of penetrating runs, one of which ended when he was upended in the box but the tackle judged fair by the referee. When the referee blew for full time, most spectators, home and away, agreed a draw was a fair result.

In the last round, the Colemen were definitely at the races when a flawless penalty shoot out saw them defeat Boldmere. With three of the usual penalty takers absent (Edmunds, Leek and Rathbone), the line up of Gardner, Nadat, Hicks, Hathaway and Halsall looked unfamiliar. Gardner’s kick was well saved by the Littleton keeper and the home side then took the lead with the reply, 0-1. Jordan Nadat equalised by sending the keeper the wrong way, then Hathaway made the first of three excellent saves to deny Littleton the tie. Hicks confidently made it 2-1 followed by Hathaway making a second great save low down to his left. The keeper then stayed in the frame to blast the away side further into the lead, then blocked the last Littleton kick hard to his right to give the Colemen a 3-1 victory and a place in the semi final.





Report taken from Worcester News

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/16 ... of_bother/

GOALKEEPER Paul Hathaway brought to an end Littleton’s plucky League Cup run by saving three out of four in a penalty shootout.
The custodian’s heroics ensured Midland Football League top-flight title chasers Coleshill Town progressed to the semi-finals 3-1 following a gritty 0-0 draw after 90 minutes at Five Acres.
Littleton had benefited from an early advantage in the battle from 12 yards with Brendon Bunn saving from Town’s Matt Gardner and Joe Adams lashing high into the net.

However, Hathaway saved soft efforts from Matt Chambers and Steve Roche either side of stopping dead Shay Palmer’s firmly-struck shot towards the bottom right corner. For good measure, he also blasted in Coleshill’s third spot-kick.
In the match itself, chances were few and far between. The visitors applied most of the pressure without testing Bunn.
Joe Smith hit the top of the crossbar directly from a corner with 20 minutes to go, while Joe Halsall somehow missed the target with a header from six yards late on.
The result meant Division One Littleton exited the competition despite remaining unbeaten against the current top three from the level above.
“That is pleasing but to come so close is disappointing," said Ton Boys boss John Edwards.

"We needed to take one of our chances in the first half. The wind picked up in the second and they pinned us back.
“I thought we were going to concede in the last five minutes. They whizzed balls across the box and put on a lot of pressure.
“I am proud of the lads, though. Coleshill have a very good side and they adapted in the second half, went more direct and played the conditions.
“We had to defend very well and I could have asked for no more. Penalties are always a lottery, we had a bit of luck earlier in the competition and these things tend to even themselves out.
“You cannot legislate for it. Their penalties were pretty confidently taken and to be honest, I had no complaints because they probably edged it over the 90 minutes."

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