COVENTRY UNITED 1-2 RUGBY TOWN: INDEPENDENT REPORT & IMAGES...

David Slings Cagemen Out Of FA Cup

Coventry United 1-2 Rugby Town

The first soccer game to be played by Coventry United at the Butts Park Arena, a rugby stadium, just had to be against a team called, er, Rugby Town, as reflected by the report below… You really couldn’t invent that scenario but this cup-tie was eminently watchable, for apart from Town striker David Kolodynski’s brace of goals, a fine exhibition of goalkeeping by Rugby’s Niall Cooper, plus thunder and lightning over the Arena, there was also a dismissal, for almost immediately following Kolodynski’s opening goal just after the quarter-hour, visiting midfielder Josh Thornton slid into United’s Aaron Wint and was sin-binned, exiled, dismissed from the encounter, leaving Town stretched for the remainder of the tie. That they survived for so long and actually netted again just after the interval and only conceded late on was a credit to their defensive efforts, commanded by skipper Mason Rowley and featuring of course Cooper. 

RUGBY SILENT...

...COVENTRY TOO...

The concession admission price was £6 to watch two Step 5 teams battling in the FA Cup… Hmm. 

"£6 FOR CONCESSIONS? GLAD I SIGNED ON TO PLAY..."

The final minutes saw home skipper Chris Cox, who had been pushed forward from defence to midfield, score that consolatory goal, as well as go close with a very late header. He generally added some bite and swagger to the Coventry midfield which had too often flattered to deceive, despite the lively rushes of Lewis Rankin and the regular involvement of Tommy Glasscoe. No haka had been performed before the game, but instead a minute’s silence was held in memory of a young, recently deceased United player, as rain teemed down around the centre-circle. 

COX & DANCE PREPARE TO TOSS...

The opening stages of the game were interesting for Town moved the ball more confidently, whereas United seemed a little hesitant and the only goal chances arrived from a 25 yard free-kick by Liam Holt, the number 8 for the guests, which was deflected to home goalie Rich Morris and a poked effort from the 22 for the hosts by Craig Reid which bounced well off target. The goal by the wily Kolodynski was a shock for the Cagemen, coming moments after a fine sliding challenge by Coventry full-back Brad Jones had prevented Town’s skipper and flanker James Dance from getting in a shot from the right side of the penalty-box. A free-kick was launched up and under towards the penalty-area for a knock-on and it appeared that Cox’s head glanced the ball on, for if it had been an attacker then the lurking Mason Rowley would have been offside as the ball bounced off his shins towards the left upright where Kolodynski was quicker to react than Jones and he made the conversion for 0-1.  

DANCE MOVES...

ON THE BUTTS IN THE ARENA...

SNIPER KOLODYNSKI HAS OPENED THE SCORING...

...THEN WALKS THE WALK...

Thornton’s unwise challenge on Wint which nearly saw both ball and player find touch, led to a maul and a ruck, as, like Barbarians, the players piled in. As if they were aping rugger buggers the soccer players ravaged each other, collapsing the scrum right in front of the two dugouts and eventually the referee consulted a touch judge then discharged Thornton from the tie and cautioned United’s Jamie Coleman, whose loose-head reaction had aggravated the officials. Another Holt free-kick was stunted by the ending Coventry defensive wall, whereby Harry Holloway drove a 25 yard rebound just off target with Morris looking anxiously at the swerving attempt. Home striker and bruising forward Mitch Piggon was then sent rushing into the left side of the 18 yard box by Glasscoe’s forward pass but Cooper’s speed was superior as he raced from his goal-line to get a right hand to the ball as Piggon fell. Things had calmed down somewhat by this time but both teams were soon grateful to their ‘keepers for denying opposing players goals. 

THE QUICKSTEP WITH JAMIE COLEMAN...

EXILE FOR THORNTON...

MUSTARD CARD FOR COLEMAN...

In between two saves by Morris, a low parry at his left near post from an angled effort by Reuben Wiggins-Thomas, following Mason Rowley’s GaryOwen header and then a tip over his crossbar from a second Holloway 25 yarder, as a result of awful cover by Coventry on their defensive right, had allowed Jamie Hall and Wiggins-Thomas to advance unencumbered. United had finally managed to make inroads towards the visiting goal, resulting in tries… Cutting in from the left, Rankin curled a right-booter off defender Kyle Rowley’s foot and Cooper leapt left to turn the ball superbly onto the far upright, before both Cox and Piggon failed to get a touch to Rankin’s subsequent corner.

WINT IS WARNED...

COACHES ARE ENGROSSED...

Another set-piece by Rankin led to Cox’s soaring header offering Piggon a chance as he held off Mason Rowley but his close range effort struck Cooper’s lower limbs and the big striker’s rebound effort was a grubber past the left upright. A hopeful slide by Piggon’s right foot failed to connect with another Rankin corner but his left boot was probably wondering why it hadn’t been called into action instead. The really decent home left-back Lewis Hudson shot weakly for the Cagemen, Reid’s volley from inside-right flew well wide and a Hudson cross caused Cooper some anguish as it dropped past the right stick, but frustration was written all over Cox’s face as no-side was whistled for. Piggon looked annoyed but in truth, Town had looked somehow more confident and compact, as well as possessing the poacher in attack, Kolodynski. Dance had been cautioned before the break, deservedly, but the Rugby fans near me had been really annoyed by the referee’s decisions and the abuse bellowed was really vicious, although the main protagonist was actually using his mobile phone whilst watching snatches of the match…

THE REF CASTS A SHADOW UPON THE BALL...

PIGGON DOESN'T APPEAR TO LIKE THE ADVICE OFFERED...

The noisy Town fans, some of whom, like a few home fans too, had disappeared and reappeared a few times during the half to acquire more beer and then release it again by peeing in the smartly appointed toilets, vacated their seats once more in the improved weather conditions and strolled with their next pints of beer to positions behind the goal their team would attack during the second period. A chap took a selfie of himself with his hot-dog resting on his shoulder and a couple of guys vaped continually in the grandstand. Ironically they sat beneath a sign which instructed people not to smoke. No criticism, just describing the scene… 

UNDER 14s SKIPPER GIFT MUSSA PUTS A THUMB UP, KNOWING THAT THE MOWDOG IS LIKELY TO BE ABOUT...

The second period began with Coventry on top really and Cooper did rather well to parry away a 16 yard shot by Reid, following Piggon’s industry, before Hudson was cautioned and Mason Rowley’s brilliant defensive header cleared the danger from Piggon’s right-side centre. Kolodynski then appeared on the blindside and rifled his team two goals to the good and United had a mountain to climb. It was strange that Cox had inadvertently assisted for the first Town goal and it was his foul which allowed Holt to badger the United defence with a free-kick delivery from the inside-left channel. It flew towards the right side of goal and Kolodynski’s instincts were quick again, leaving Coleman in his wake to knock the ball off Morris’ clutches and into goal from 6 yards.

0-2...

...& A BRACE FOR KOLODYNSKI...

Left-side central defender for United, Kyle Barnett was cautioned then replaced by Ryan Quinn and Dance was replaced for Town by the busy and ebullient Ben Ashby, before Reid set up Wint for a shot on the left side of the penalty-box but the angled effort was wasteful and far too high. Cox was then the beneficiary of a headed Rugby drop-out clearance; he chested the ball down and struck a powerful 22 yard half-volley, rather like a drop-kick, which was brilliantly turned over his crossbar by Cooper. Rankin’s next free-kick was met by a huge jump from Cox, not ‘lifted’ like in a rugby line-out but just because he owns a prodigious leap and Cooper was forced to plunge left to smuggle the ball past his left post, before Wint was removed from the action  and Jeff Woodward appeared, allowing Cox to drift into a more attacking position.  Strangely it was Town who went close to adding a third goal however, for Wiggins-Thomas offloaded a neat pass into the inside-right slot and Kolodynski, seeing ‘hat-trick’ written in headlines in newspapers looked set to score. His low shot was blocked by Morris’ legs and with the gloveman grounded, Kolo’ poked the rebound against the foot of the left upright and the pill rolled across the goalmouth…

VERY LOOSE SCRUM...

CAUTION FOR BARNETT...

Josh Ruff, who I recall playing so well for Nuneaton Griff, replaced Wiggins-Thomas and then set up Ashby for a wasted shot, Holt was finally cautioned and after Rob Prinzel had replaced Jones for the hosts, Kolodynski left the field to applause from his adoring fans and substitute Chad Birch was sent in. In the final five minutes of this encounter, United pushed and pushed, there were breakdowns, there were charge-downs, the Town back row needed tight heads, defending as a pack, with Brad Harris and Mason Rowley the props and the midfielders forming the second row of defence…

THE HERO LEAVES THE GAME FOR A CUP OF TEA AND AN ICED BUN...

Neat Coventry play involving Glasscoe, Piggon and especially Reid, who slipped Cox into the 18 yard box, cleverly led to the skipper rounding Cooper and toe-ending the ball into the net and suddenly, the Cagemen were growling. 

1-2...

COX (4) HAS DONE WHAT HIS FORWARDS HAVE FAILED TO DO...

NEAT POSE TOO...

Crosses were delivered, Rugby boots became hookers of clearances, balls were charged down and punted away, dummies were not bought and Cooper secured the locks on his goal-frame. Harris defended a Reid header, Hudson fed Quinn to the left byeline but Piggon was unable to connect with the low feed, as Coventry went for a pushover try, then Hudson passed to Quinn who cut in from the left, peeled off a couple of reeling, wheeling defenders but wasted his shot too high. Then as the clock edged towards the end of added time, a Rankin flag-kick from the right was met by another enormous Cox leap but his fine header flew just a few centimetres over the visitors’ crossbar. 

There was joy at the final whistle for ten-man Rugby and success for their harassed defence which had really been scrutinised in the second period. Cooper had made saves, the Rowleys had been strong alongside Harris, and Hall had been able to bring the ball clear when necessary. Holt had been laid back and unflappable in the Town midfield, Holloway was a livewire but Kolodynski was the ace in the Rugby pack. Coventry’s Coleman enjoyed a good amount of time on the ball for the hosts, Rankin was clever on occasions but his set-pieces were so good too; Hudson impressed from an attacking left-back position but in truth, Piggon and Reid took quite a while to combine with real intent. Glasscoe never stopped running and wanting possession in midfield but on the day, the difference was Kolodynski. 

PROGRAMME COVER...

Whenever I see him play, he seems to be the difference… Yet Chris Cox was the standout player for a number of reasons: he scored, he was denied by Copper twice and sent that late header just too high, as well as being inadvertently involved in both Rugby goals. A skipper’s performance from him and of that there was no doubt…

I went home to take a selfie of a roast chicken dinner on my shoulder, attempt to shake the remnants of vaping from my nostrils and avoid swearing at Aston Villa’s weak performance against Hull. Despite that, I refused to go to the toilet until I had washed up at half-time…  

TEAMS:

COVENTRY UNITED:  

RICH MORRIS, BRAD JONES, LEWIS HUDSON, CHRIS COX (CAPT), KYLE BARNETT, JAMIE COLEMAN, LEWIS RANKIN, AARON WINT, MITCH PIGGON, CRAIG REID, TOMMY GLASSCOE.

SUBS:

JEFF WOODWARD, ROB MALHOTRA, ROB PRINZEL, BEN VALLANCE, RYAN QUINN, GIFT MUSSA (14 YEARS OLD…)

RUGBY TOWN:

NIALL COOPER, KYLE ROWLEY, JAMIE HALL, BRAD HARRIS, MASON ROWLEY (CAPT), JOSH THORNTON, JAMES DANCE, LIAM HOLT, DAVID KOLODYNSKI, RUBEN WIGGINS-THOMAS, HARRY HOLLOWAY.

SUBS:

JOSH RUFF, BEN ASHBY, CHAD BIRCH, AIDEN PRINT, SHAUN CASTLETON.