COLESHILL TOWN 2-1 QUORN: REPORT & IMAGES...

Colemen Forced To Mine Deep To Dig Out A Victory v Quorn

Coleshill Town 2-1 Quorn

This encounter proved to be awkward for the Colemen, for their guests looked lively on offense during a difficult opening half for the hosts. Right-flanker Ryan Evans, busy forward Dom Brennan and tall ex-Leicester Road striker James Hicks all impressed at times, as Town struggled to find any real form. Indeed, only a scramble following a spill by visiting ‘keeper Russell Hoult and then a drive by Dan Tymon seriously threatened the Quorn goal before the break. The speedy Quorn outfit not only took the lead with a smart goal but also struck an upright through Hicks and Coleshill needed a parried save by Paul Hathaway to deny Brennan just before half-time.

WOW...

There was more urgency from Coleshill after the stoppage for hot tea and toast however and following shots by Tymon and Dean Rathbone, then  the withdrawal of both central striker Liam Molesworth and the injured left-back Jorna Moulton, plus two half-chances missed by Quorn, home forward Matt Gardner did what he does best and snaffled a brace of goals to turn the game situation upside-down. Replacement Ryan Edmunds was denied by Hoult too but a slightly nervous finish to the game for Coleshill ensued and led to some pressing by the guests but it was Reece Leek, he of the sleek and rapid rushes, who nearly added a late third for Town, only to be denied by Hoult’s save.

TOSSING AFTER SUNSET...

Quorn began in confident fashion and in truth, Coleshill didn’t, although Molesworth nudged a right-side centre past the near post early on and the same forward as well as Leek were unable to get in shots as the hosts pushed forward again. Quorn’s tall central defender Dan Chapman nodded right-flank free-kick only just too high but following Leek’s weak header from Rathbone’s free-kick for Town, the visitors grabbed a smart opening goal. Midfielder Callum Thompson slipped a pass into the right side of the penalty-box and Hicks fooled his markers by back-heeling the ball inside for the same Thompson to move onto and slip a calm, assured finish inside the near post. Impressive from Quorn…  

0-1: THOMPSON...

The referee had already signalled two foul throws against Coleshill, firstly when Moulton took his from the wrong place and secondly when Leek hadn’t taken the ball behind his skull before releasing it. Fair play to the official though, especially as so many foul throws are allowed to happen these days. A Leek shot was deflected as Town rallied, then suddenly the visitors broke clear with Hicks reaching the ball before the outrushing Hathaway but Hicks, although having been driven wide right still got in a shot which slapped unluckily against the outside of the near upright. 

THE YELLOW-FOOTED RATHBONE WOULD BE FRUSTRATED WITH HIS SHOOTING...

THE VOICE OF QUORN...

Hoult caught a looping Gardner header, a Gardner shot was blocked but then Drew Aiton’s ensuing delivery maybe ought to have been a shot rather than a feed and soon the lurking Gardner’s presence caused a clearance to fizz away from goal but Tymon’s instant 16 yard effort under pressure flew past the right angle of crossbar and post. Another miscued Gardner header preceded a caution for Hicks who still took a shot after being flagged offside (do teams only have one ball then these days? Surely not…) Really smart play by Brennan, who took Evans’ pass and fooled Moulton to go clear was denied well by the advancing Hathaway, before the half ended after a swivel by Gardner resulted in an 18 yard punt over the conifers.

HOULT: UNFORTUNATE WITH THE GOALS...

Certainly Rathbone and Tymon in particular had fought to create an offense for their team but in fairness, little had worked out, bar a few sprints from Leek and the odd threat from Aiton but credit should be given to Chapman in the Quorn defence too, alongside his very influential skipper Niall Mather. Visiting midfielder Leavi Oshungbure was so effective when he fastened onto the ball and Evans had been a lively customer for Moulton to mark. It was good to see another ex-Leicester Road player at Step 5 for Quorn, Amarvir Sandhu at left-back on this occasion and Nick Gould on the left side of midfield had impressed with his dead-ball deliveries a few times.

DAMAGED BULBS = BLACKENED CORNERS...

HICKS: LED THE QUORN ATTACK WELL ENOUGH...

After the interval though there did appear to be an upsurge in Coleshill’s energy levels which, until Quorn missed a couple of opportunities, saw Town strike a few meaningful shots. A Tymon effort under pressure flew too high, a Leek shot was then blocked and Rathbone’s instant low drive passed wide of the left stick. Home defender Luke Edwards slipped a pass forward to match the clever run by Rathbone but Mather dealt with the situation effectively and the only real offense conjured up by the visitors had been a glancing header by Evans which hadn’t threatened Hathaway at all. Crucially the substitutions happened for Cam Stuart’s team at that point, with Ryan Edmunds and Gio Dainty entering the fray. Following a Gould free-kick which Chapman so nearly shovelled into goal at the right upright, then a superb pass left to right by Brennan which Evans couldn’t control on his chest and the chance went begging, Gardner struck to regain parity for the Colemen.

The sprightly Jo Cole fed the ball to Leek on the 18 yard line and his drive was parried to his left by Hoult but the lurker was there and Gardner’s low shot bounced off the recovering Hoult’s right glove before entering the net near the left post.

1-1...

In a Quorn response, Hicks flicked the ball on but Evans drove his shot from inside-right past the right angle of bar and post, although in all honesty it did seem that Coleshill had shrugged off some of their earlier ineptness, for a low Rathbone shot flew past the right upright and a fine rising Edmunds strike from 23 yards was palmed past his right post by Hoult. And then Sniffer Gardner scored again…

Jesse Race and Rathbone combined on the right, Garner read the resulting low centre more quickly than his marker and rammed the ball past the helpless Hoult from 5 yards. 

2-1...

Tymon was cautioned, Leek nearly got to a bouncing ball at the right upright, Sandhu was booked for a late challenge, Hoult spilled a cross then fell upon the loose ball and Liam Turner replaced Oshungbure for the guests. A debut for Town’s James Melford then happened, in place of Gardner but with Quorn battling to get forward, a Coleshill clearance was controlled on the half-way line by keen visiting right-back Rob Mulonga but his dalliance on the ball meant that he was mugged by Edmunds, who released Leek to kill the game… Only he didn’t because Hoult raced out to make a good save, just prior to the final whistle.

LEEK AUDITIONS FOR THE PART OF SLEEPING BEAUTY AT THE COLESHILL THEATRE... 

AN INJURY MEANS A CHANCE TO GOB SOME WATER...

Maybe Jordan Nadat’s pace and his total nuisance were missed by Town, maybe Quorn’s approach disrupted Coleshill’s game plan but it was interesting that the introductions of Edmunds, a goalscorer v Highgate last Monday and also Dainty coincided with the game changing. Aiton, Rathbone and Tymon worked so hard, despite the lack of rhythm and penetration managed by the forwards much of the time but when Leek is playing, the pace he exudes would frighten any defender.

HATHAWAY: SKIPPER OF THE COLEMEN...

MEDFORD: A DEBUT...

Fair play to Mather and Chapman who were really good in the Quorn defence and plaudits too to the attack-minded Sandhu for sticking well enough to his defensive role. Thompson’s goal was so well taken and his performance was steady but Brennan and Evans supported Hicks quite effectively in attack, with Gould usually hugging a touchline. 

PROGRAMME COVER...

No point for Quorn but another victory, the third league win at home by an odd goal in a week for Town has seen them remain at the top of their division… 

ALL THAT EFFORT BUT NOTHING TO SHOW...

No dropped drinks containers or empty chips cartons by the watching youths this week, although coach Chris Gibson knows about last week’s litter scatterers but as I left the car-park after the match, the four cars in front of me were limited to about 12 mph on Packington Lane… The reason? The youths present at Pack Meadow on this occasion had climbed aboard their bikes and were weaving to and fro, some without lights, in front of the queue of cars, arms waving, causing mayhem. Amusing? Stupid, dangerous and embarrassing more like…

Sad too…   

TEAMS:

COLESHILL TOWN:

PAUL HATHAWAY (CAPT), JESSE RACE, JORNA MOULTON, DAN TYMON, LUKE EDWARDS, JOE COLE, DREW AITON, DEAN RATHBONE, LIAM MOLESWORTH, REECE LEEK, MATT GARDNER.

SUBS:

GIO DAINTY, DOM COTTER, RYAN EDMUNDS, JOE HALSALL, JAMES MEDFORD.

QUORN:

RUSSELL HOULT, ROB MULONGA, AMARVIR SANDHU, LEAVI USHUNGBURE, DAN CHAPMAN, NIALL MATHER (CAPT), RYAN EVANS, CALLUM THOMPSON, DOM BRENNAN, JAMES HICKS, NICK GOULD.

SUBS:

LIAM TURNER, TROY OWEN, JOE LOVETT.