COLESHILL TOWN 3-2 HIGHGATE UNITED: MATCH REPORT...

Colemen Hold Off Subversive, In the Pink, ‘Gate…

Coleshill Town 3-2 Highgate United…

And so Thin Lizzy belted out ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ before the teams emerged, the Gatemen wearing pink uniforms but the Colemen not wearing black, crucially. There were some other good names on view, reflecting the occupations and heritage of the U.K., including a Hawker, a Turner and a Gardner, as well as a Ford, a Pegg, a Welsh Leek and even a Curry and critically, a King…

NADAT, 9, DESTINED NOT TO SCORE ON THE NIGHT...

It was a shame we didn’t get to see home substitute Jesse Race, who must surely be the son of Melchester Rovers’ Roy? Now that would’ve been good… 

‘Gate managed to look slick for the opening period of this encounter, yet somehow succumbed in the first period to a Town counter-attack goal by Ryan Edmunds then a magnificent strike from Dean Rathbone (not rag and bone, another old occupation…) and finally a rather soft penalty call (netted by Rathbone) from the referee who, let’s just say, was not the most popular act on a TV talent show in the eyes of the Highgate manager; the rather quiet and gently spoken Ash Pulisciano… Fair play to United though, after the interval, they fought back to 3-2 with goals by Connor Mooney and Marco Adaggio but try as they did, no parity would be achieved and in fact, Reece Leek nearly added a late fourth goal for the resilient Colemen.

GOALSCORER RYAN EDMUNDS...

The game was a real credit to the Midland Premier Division and of course, not being played on grass meant that the passing was generally more accurate and dribbling was more acceptable without the lumps and bumps, divots and dips which plague so many non-league surfaces. And so Coleshill held onto their lead until the end, despite a palpable tension pervading Pack Meadow and as I ploughed through the car-park mud to reach my vehicle (arriving before 7pm is never a good idea, as parents of kids using the all-weather surface occupy all the decent spaces until then) I thought about how you needed to BE Thin Lizzy to squeeze between the manoeuvring cars and avoid a splattering. So, watch out for twenty-one Thin Lizzy song titles in the match report below…

Sorry but it’s what I do… 

A couple of early attacks by the hosts ended with a Jorna Moulton cross being fired into the side-netting and United ‘keeper Brad Catlow racing out to reach a pass before the speedy Jordan ‘Sanchez’ Nadat could capitalise but then Highgate began to shove the ball about with Josh ‘Magwitch’ Hawker, typically, at the hub of most of the stuff. Lei Brown’s ambitious 23 yard effort rolled a long way wide, a header by Aaron Brown from a left-side centre by James Wilcock drifted wide of the left upright, before a pass by Lei Brown found Mooney, left side of the 6 yard box and following a skilful turn, his low drive was saved well by home glovemen and skipper Paul Hathaway, who had hurled himself to the ground. Mooney clipped an angled effort from the left just too high but then Ash Pulisciano responded with the ‘bellow of the day’ when one of his players was seemingly leaned over twice by a home defender but no foul had been forthcoming: 

“He’s not a f*****’ climbing frame…” 

I liked that one…

Adaggio fed Wilcock on the right but his delivery flew behind the goal-frame and from the above action, it was clear that Coleshill had been pushed back a little by their visitors’ smart passing approach. And so the Colemen attacked and scored a goal… Rathbone passed neatly to the dangerous Reece Leek at inside-left and although his low drive was saved by Catlow, the ball bounced out as far as Edmunds, 16 yards out and his cute rebound shot with the outside of his right boot arrowed sweetly into the bottom right corner of the net.

COLESHILL CELEBRATE...

The response from Highgate was actually short lived, for Rathbone would intervene with a showstopper all of his own. Lei Brown totally miscued after a good pass by Nathan Pulisciano had set him up but following a left-side throw, Rathbone took possession and from 23 yards out, inside-left channel, the elegant midfielder absolutely smashed a right-foot shot high and beyond the stunned Catlow and the ball smacked the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net. A wonderful goal, just wonderful and quite ‘Hollywood’…    

Rathbone, still in heaven after his marvellous goal then ballooned a 30 yard free-kick way too high but soon, Leek was on the rampage for Town, moving inside and firing a low 25 yard shot which was saved diving right by Catlow and the ‘keeper excelled himself by rising to thwart Nadat’s rebound too with a fine block. ‘Gate were clearly disgruntled by events going against them and all they managed on offense from then until the interval was an Aaron Brown effort from inside-right which took a deflection past the left upright and a chance for Lei Brown, whose attempt to shoot ended in another miscue, although given the opportunity again, he might have attempted to head the ball instead.

PENALTY? REALLY? YEP...

3-0 TO TOWN...

Another low Leek shot was deflected for a right-flank corner, before Catlow raced to the edge of his 18 yard box to deal with a high, bouncing ball and was so aware of his position so near the front edge of the penalty-box that his hesitation caused him to miss the ball completely. Joe Halsall fastened onto the loose ball and as Catlow tried to address the situation, Hawker actually tackled the Coleshill midfielder but the referee had clearly decided that Catlow’s physical presence had baulked Halsall and duly awarded the hosts a penalty. Rathbone fired a fine penalty into the bottom right corner of the net and Highgate’s players must have thought that pink was the unkindest colour to wear of all…

HIGHGATE GETTING USED TO KICKING OFF...

The half ended with a superb and rapid run by Leek, who cut inside and drifted past four ‘Gate defenders and yet with only the goalkeeper to beat, he pulled his right-foot shot wide of the left stick. ‘Gate trooped from the field to no doubt drink the half-time ‘Whiskey In the Jar’, before I thought I was in the ‘Toughest Street In Town’ when I saw the local youths had chucked their chips and drinks containers down on the hard standing area nearby. Ash Pulisciano, his team confined and shackled 3-0 down, needed a ‘Jailbreak’… He probably told Hawker and company to ‘Do Anything You Want To’ and ‘Don’t Believe A Word’ the referee tells you, whilst the home fans celebrated their half-time cocoa by ‘Dancing In the Moonlight’.

NATHAN PULISCIANO (3) WONDERS WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN TO HIS BROTHER...

However, ‘Gate have a ‘Bad Reputation’ when ‘The Sun Goes Down’ and despite the fact that Lei Brown was correctly not awarded an early second period penalty, United would soon have their hosts in a ‘Cold Sweat’. Ashley Pulisciano then spoke out of turn, the nearby linesman attracted the referee’s attention and the Highgate manager was suddenly ‘Waiting For An Alibi’ as the main official accused him, reprimanded him and probably cautioned him, although I was too far away to see whether a card was shown. The ‘Little Darling’ would surely not have verbally abused the referee? He is simply an ‘Angel From the Coast’, don’tcha know…

THE REF HAS CONFERRED WITH A LINESMAN & APPROACHES ASHLEY...
I WOULDN'T, IF I WERE YOU, REF...

Any old how, Rathbone fed the hard working Edmunds on the right and his low shot was well saved by Catlow but soon, after  Catlow got into difficulties whilst attempting to kick the ball clear from outside his 18 yard box, Hathaway was pleased to catch a header from the towering Aaron Brown. Wilcock was withdrawn by the guests, making way for Corey Currithers and he was soon involved in the beginnings of a fightback by the ‘Gate. Hawker accurately fed Currithers on the right, who in turn slipped the ball inside for Aaron Brown to shoot from 19 yards and although Hathaway got down to his right to save the awkward effort, Mooney was on hand to convert the rebound from near the left upright.

ASH TAKES THE REF'S COMMENTS & NO DOUBT IGNORES THEM...

Josh Magwitch Hawker, ’The Rocker’ had begun to turn defeat into a possible contest again and if ‘Sarah’ had been there, she would have sung to the Gatemen, “I’m ‘Still In Love With You’… (Who’s Sarah? No idea but I needed to get a Sarah into the match report…) Incredibly, Magwitch struck again, receiving a pass from Currithers, he slipped a fine pass forward for Adaggio to latch onto and his scooped effort from 16 yards took an age to drop but when it did so, it fell into the back of the Coleshill net. ‘Fighting My Way Back’ was Ash Pulisciano’s subsequent thought bubble which appeared above his sizzling head…

CAUTION FOR HALSALL...

When Magwitch was badly fouled by Halsall, who received a caution, his own 25 yard free-kick was no more than a few centimetres over the goal-frame and with his team struggling a little, home manager Cam Stuart decided to freshen things up with a couple of substitutions; Matt Gardner for Nadat and Liam Molesworth for Rathbone. A chipped effort by Edmunds drifted wide as the hosts attempted to regain some composure but really, Aaron Brown’s close-range glancing header from a fine Hawker corner needed to go in if the visitors were going to perform an unlikely miracle. Aaron Brown went into attack after the clever George Curry had replaced Adaggio for the guests but Brown was soon booked for arguing about a possible penalty award which did not go his team’s way.

TREV EDWARDS: GRITTY IN PINK...

The resurgence of Highgate was soon halted by a messy last quarter of an hour during which stoppages, time-wasting and complaints affected the tide of United’s responses, then a bad injury to the solid and trusty Highgate right-back Trevor Edwards in a flying challenge with home left-back Moulton, left Edwards writhing in agony. I believe a badly cut leg was received and Moulton was cautioned, a decision which again irritated the visiting contingent. Duane Courtney replaced the ailing Edwards and although an off balance Curry shot too high for the guests and Aaron Brown followed a wild left-foot shot with a downward header from Magwitch’s astute free-kick, Hathaway held the ball on his goal-line and displayed further assured handling until the end.

THE PINK GATEMEN, STILL BATTLING FOR AN EQUALISER...

In the untidy and scrappy closing minutes, one moment shone like an ‘Emerald’ when the ever dangerous Leek won the ball and got away from Pulisciano at inside-right, before firing a rising drive from 17 yards which was superbly tipped over his goal-frame by the leaping Catlow. Coleshill managed the final minutes then, taking the ball into corners and riding out the game to cling onto three valuable points, despite having defenders unavailable on the night. 

TREV EDWARDS WRITHES...

YOU REALLY CAN FEEL THE HURT, JUST LOOKING...

Rathbone, Halsall and Drew Aiton ran the Town midfield well enough and central defenders Luke Edwards and the belligerent but ever so effective Rob Evans stuck to their tasks effectively, with Moulton all action and Joe Pegg, once CoalVILLE, now ColeSHILL, making big contributions. Nadat was quick but wasn’t able to get his goal and Leek was really useful, going close with the good efforts described above. Edmunds needed watching throughout and took his goal so well… 

Scott Turner was immense in defence for United, partnered strongly by Rich Bryan and the two full-backs, Trev Edwards and Nathan Pulisciano were unhurried and good soldiers for their troop. It seemed that Curry was missed from the start though, for his skills on the ball and his eye for a pass or shot would surely have been beneficial to his team through ninety minutes. Aaron Brown and the inimitable Hawker worked so hard but the Gatemen fell just short, for despite Mooney’s odd threats, neither Lei Brown nor Adaggio were able to prise good chances from Colemen Luke Edwards and Evans…

As I walked towards the mud, the Coventry United manager looked in thoughtful mood and I swear I could hear Ash Pulisciano singing a sad, remorseful ‘Cowboy Song’ in the Highgate dressing-room and I thought about ‘Running Back’ to check…

But I didn’t.

TEAMS: 

COLESHILL TOWN:

PAUL HATHAWAY (CAPT), JOE PEGG, JORNA MOULTON, ROB EVANS, LUKE EDWARDS, DREW AITON, RYAN EDMUNDS, JOE HALSALL, JORDAN NADAT, REECE LEEK, DEAN RATHBONE.

SUBS:

MATT GARDNER, LIAM MOLESWORTH, SAM FORD, JAMES MEDFORD, JESSE RACE.

HIGHGATE UNTED:

BRAD CATLOW, TREV EDWARDS, NATHAN PULISCIANO, RICH BRYAN,  SCOTT TURNER, AARON BROWN (CAPT), JOSH HAWKER, JAMES WILCOCK, MARCO ADAGGIO, CONNOR MOONEY, LEI BROWN.

SUBS:

DUANE COURTNEY, GEORGE CURRY, COREY CURRITHERS, SCOTT RICKARDS, KARL KING.