COLESHILL TOWN 0-2 STOURPORT SWIFTS: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Delayed Stourport Deny Cold Coleshill

Coleshill Town 0 Stourport Swifts 2

This was a strange game, played in cold, bleak, really dark autumn conditions and with the M42 jammed at junction 6, it took me an hour to reach the ground from 12 miles away, and I’m sure the Stourport players were delayed even longer, for the kick-off was put back to 8pm and I saw the majority of the visiting players piling through the new turnstile block at about 7.48pm. The Swifts' warm-up period therefore involved walking onto the pitch, opening and flapping their wings, then stretching and jogging during the toss. I apologise for any identification errors in this report, for one of the team-sheet copies was so tough to read and I wondered about sending it to Bletchley Park for the names to be decoded. The video clips have come out very dark, too, for which I apologise also. Coleshill looked the more likely scorers before the break but both teams squandered possession like they were giving out ‘pennies for the Guy’ with gay abandon. Swifts looked the more accomplished outfit after the interval and I guess deserved their victory, although the first goal might well have come from a corner which should not have been awarded. Stourport central defender Jamie Willets crowned a fine performance with a goal and with Lewis Pountney ever-willing in attack, Ash Parsons-Smith tricky on the right and the excellent Calvin Dinsley dominating midfield like a British Tommy leading a raiding party on German World War One trenches, Town simply failed to cope for much of the time.

The home skipper has waited so long, he needs a pee...

Understandably, Stourport began a little sluggishly, attempting to stretch and strain their journeys from cramped legs, whereas Coleshill were champing at the bit and soon Matt Brown fired in a shot from 18 yards, which visiting falling ‘keeper Brendon Bunn blocked well with his legs. Mitch Piggon fed strike partner and vociferous chunky chap Shane Benjamin for a 20 yard shot from inside-left, under pressure, but the effort flew well wide. Both sides began to appear keen, if careless, but Bunn, iced by the cool evening, punched away a right-flank corner, then Town's lively midfielder Tom Weale took a left-flank flag-kick, the ball was headed back to him and the midfielder’s subsequent delivery drifted only just beyond the far angle of bar and post. Brown was unable to control a long pass at inside-left from a defensive colleague, which cost him a run at goal but after stretching, yawning and rubbing their eyes, Stourport were awarded a free-kick, 25 yards out and I think it was Karl Fellows who drove in a good shot-attempt, which home goalie Chris Jay flew right for and managed to beat away with extended wings.

A Swift prepares to attack a Jay...

Paul Hurrell headed clear a long Weale throw from the left but Jay was almost left in a jam when a headed back-pass threatened not to reach him but he sorted the issue, as Pountney lurked to pounce. Parsons-Smith soon began to look more dangerous on the Stourport right and Dinsley featured far more for the guests, then after a neat approach into the home penalty-area, the former swung a boot at an inviting ball but totally miscued. Town responded when Piggon headed on a deep right-wing centre and hard-working midfielder Jon Jones nodded the ball goalwards but not accurately. Suddenly though, the smaller Swift attacker John Griffin popped up on the left side of the penalty-box and ran across the goalkeeper but the move somehow fizzled out, like some of the fireworks being let off nearby in Coleshill itself. A wild shot at goal by home left-back Craig Milligan from 28 yards rose high into the evergreens behind the goal and the game then deteriorated into losses of possession by both teams, quick dashes, loose passes and poor communication between colleagues and by now Benjamin was becoming really annoyed with his own team-mates’ inability to assist him. 

Briscoe attempts to exonerate Pountney, as the Headmaster wags a finger...

Useful play by Parsons-Smith again led to a Griffin shot being blocked by the home defence in something of a melee, before Pountney lobbed a header from a corner for the goalie to catch as it came down, but barged the ‘keeper, leaving Jay grounded and not too pleased. Bunn saved a low Piggon drive, after an assist from Benjamin, probably to show the others how to do it, before, in an unexpected flurry of action, Brown saw one shot deflected for a corner by the brave Willets, after Milligan’s left-wing centre had been headed out by the Swifts’ defender. A second effort, a 16 yard volley following another Milligan delivery and another fine headed clearance from Willets, flew wide, with the visiting ‘keeper angry with his lack of defensive cover: truly a hot, cross Bunn. Soon, more decent approach play by Weale on the right, led to a low shot by Jones from 20 yards, which Bunn saved at the second attempt from the greasy surface. Piggon smashed a wild 23 yarder way off target, as the Colemen struggled for any consistency but when Parsons-Smith again delivered a centre from the right, a home defender despatched the ball over his own crossbar for a corner, which proved fruitless. 

Another melee ensued in the home penalty-box, as Stourport ended the half strongly and again Griffin saw a shot blocked, before the attack ended with a wild, high shot from skipper Michael Briscoe. Piggon charged after Milligan’s long booted clearance, like an angry boar in a forest, but Bunn was out quickly to kick the ball clear to great effect. The break was signalled by the tall referee, the time was around 8.55, my hands were rather cold and I wondered whether any goals would be scored at all.

After the break, a Griffin header was caught under his crossbar by Jay and Pountney so nearly fed Griffin for a shot at goal, only for the home defence to snuff out the opportunity at 18 yards. The surprise was that Swifts opened the scoring, not Coleshill but it stemmed from a strange incident. A right-side corner by Swifts landed on Briscoe’s instep, 15 yards from goal but the ball appeared to strike Pountney, although it was tough to see, yet to the dismay of the home defence, the referee awarded a left-flank corner to the guests. How kind. The flag-kick caused mayhem, as Town’s Leon Weller flicked it on, Briscoe headed it forwards again and Willets headed it downwards towards Griffin, almost on the goal-line but the ball rebounded to Willets and he whipped a great finish into the top left corner of the net. 

0-1 and Willets has netted for the Swifts...

Jones was replaced by Ryan Nash for the hosts and his speed on the right would surely be useful… A poor kick-out by Jay offered a deep cross opportunity from the Stourport right and there was Pountney, alone, but he failed to keep his 12 yard header down and the ball cleared the crossbar. Piggon was replaced by Dean Rathbone, who at least injected some energy into the home offense but he could only ram a 25 yarder well off target for his first major contribution. The strangely quiet Brown then burst onto the scene for Town and he set up skipper Danny Tymon but the midfielder’s rising effort from 22 yards cleared the crossbar, although not by much. The referee then went through a particularly tough period and he was already unpopular with the home players after the disputed corner, which had led to Swifts’ goal. He allowed a few rather ill-judged advantages to run, which came to nought due to the generally inaccurate passing on the night, then visiting wide player James Lennon was fouled, an advantage was played, Lennon, in turn, fouled an opponent, play went on again and only when the move broke down did the official caution Lennon, which actually seemed rather harsh, considering that other similar fouls had escaped card-punishment and Tymon, in particular, had certainly been fortunate to avoid a booking.

Rathbone fed Nash for a shot from an angle on the right but the ball flew well wide of the near post, but if the truth be told, Swifts were the more likely scorers, as their passing had settled and they were breaking with some guile on occasions, mainly through Dinsley and Parsons-Smith. A deep free-kick from Stourport was met by the leaning, stretching Willets and his header bounced off the top of the Town crossbar, although the home defenders were certain that Willets had been pushing. As if he would… James Williams was then replaced by the speedy Simeon Colbourne for Town but it was Stourport who found the net and it was a sudden break, courtesy of Bunn’s long clearance, which found Parsons-Smith right of centre. He ran on and angled a shot with the outside of his right foot, which Jay swooped for but could only help on its way to nestle in the left corner of the net and really, the contest was over. Nestle, past Jay? Hmm. Luke Morris then replaced the already cautioned Lennon for the visitors, probably to protect him.

0-2 and the tricky Parsons-Smith has scored this time...

Dinsley ran strongly but his low 22 yard shot was saved, before Griffin’s pass to the right was misjudged by Nash and Parsons-Smith was away, only for Jay to race left and get a hand to the winger’s lifted shot from wide but the Swift player could only lift a cross over the goal-frame from the second phase of attack. With Town waiting to go home, Griffin kept the ball in on the Stourport right, his cross went past the game Pountney but the tall forward chased the ball to the left flank, where he fed a pass inside for Morris, who in turn made ground and drove a 20 yard shot towards the right upright, only for the soaring Jay to turn the ball aside superbly. As Swifts ran out the clock, home skipper Tymon did receive a booking, through the frustration of attempting to dispossess the time-wasting Swifts and finally, the official signalled home-time, at around 9.55pm. 

Detention over, the lads leave the pitch...

I couldn’t help admiring Stourport’s endeavour, considering their traumatic journey to the Coleshill countryside and Willets and Dinsley stood out, in particular. I thought it was odd that a Jay was in direct opposition to the Swifts, yet the guests behaved more like jay-relatives magpies, which stole the points from a shocked Pack Meadow, as the Colemen faded from the game like migrating birds from the autumn Midlands…

Teams:  

Coleshill:  Chris Jay, Leon Weller, Craig Milligan; James Williams, Luke Edwards, Danny Tymon (Capt); Matt Brown, Tom Weale, Shane Benjamin, Jon Jones, Mitch Piggon. 

Subs: Oli Casey, Daryl Jones, Dean Rathbone, Ryan Nash, Simeon Colbourne.

Stourport:  Brendon Bunn, Paul Hurrell, Jamie Hyde; Michael Briscoe (Capt), Jamie Willets, Karl Fellows; Calvin Dinsley, Ash Parsons-Smith, Lewis Pountney, John Griffin, James Lennon.

Subs: Luke Morris, Kevin Spencer.