HIGHGATE UNITED 2-0 COLESHILL TOWN: FULL REPORT & IMAGES...

United Close ‘Gate On Colemen…

Highgate United 2-0 Coleshill Town

This turned into a very poor night for league leaders Coleshill, for not only were they deservedly beaten by a George Curry inspired Highgate at The Coppice but their fierce rivals at the top of the Midland Premier League, Bromsgrove Sporting, also hammered Loughborough University 6-0. A few half-chances were fashioned by the Colemen but little offense was offered by Town at all in truth and the strength, resolve and will to win of United was evident for all to see. Home skipper Aaron Brown’s presence as an attacker proved to be a real problem for Coleshill and aerially, Brown was often difficult to contain and of course it had to be his header from Rich Batchelor’s lobbed cross which opened the scoring after the interval. Replacement and ex-Bromsgrove forward Reece Hewitt combined with Brown to create the opening for the excellent Curry to seal the victory later in the half and the Colemen looked drained by that time.

THE COLEMEN START THE GAME...

The character of the game was certainly Batchelor, whose temper was frayed early on, following what Highgate thought was an incorrect decision concerning a throw-in. From thence, his voice could be heard like a Midland Victor Meldrew from the ‘One Foot In the Grave’ sit-com. He moaned about the opposition, the officials, ‘wrong’ passes made by his colleagues but he did come up with the quote of the season so far, after Curry had netted. By watching the goal on my video clip, his quip can be heard and it is a classic. I’ll quote him below, during the description of the goal… 

HIGHGATE MANAGER ASH PULISCIANO CALLS TO THE REFEREE:
"EXCUSE ME, MY GOOD MAN. ARE YOU SURE THAT THE THROW-IN SHOULD GO TO OUR RESPECTED OPPONENTS?"

BROWN GETS A TALKING-TO...

No rain fell until the final whistle at The Coppice which somehow always seems such a depressing place after dark, with those low floodlights making filming so damned tough and the huge trees surrounding the pitch off Tythe Barn Lane reminding one of a JRR Tolkien novel. The long walk from the clubhouse to the playing area is also forbidding but for the first time ever I conversed with the ‘Gate Secretary, Paul Davies, a Notts County fan he revealed (originally a Spurs supporter though) and I overheard his conversation with someone on his phone after the match, during which he sounded like he felt the other person would not believe the scoreline and revealing that he thought it had been the team’s best performance for some time. 

REFEREE: "LOOK, I'VE INJURED MY FINGER..."

No Marco Adaggio starting, no James Wilcock, or Reece Hewitt either but ‘Gate were physical and bright from the start, despite the deep danger presented by Town’s Reece Leek and his clean pace. Indeed, a few early moments of concern were weathered by ‘Gate, despite Brown’s bulk in attack for the hosts which resulted in hurried clearances at the other end too. A short corner routine involving Curry and the dependable Trev Edwards led to the right-back crossing from the right, Scott Turner nudged it on with a slight headed touch but Brown’s far post shot struck Town defender Liam Molesworth. A Dan Westwood lifted effort from 19 yards was clutched by the short-sleeved Town goalie Paul Hathaway, before Coleshill finally roused themselves. 

WE HAVEN'T HAD SPRING YET BUT ALREADY COLESHILL SEEM TO BE CELEBRATING FALL...

TREV EDWARDS (2) LOSES HIS COMPOSURE, FOR HE FEELS THAT GARDNER (9) HAS MILKED A SITUATION TO WIN A FREE-KICK...

A lethal right-footed left-side centre by Leek swerved unpleasantly towards the near post and with Matt Gardner lurking, the ball bounced off ‘Gate central defender Turner for the first of two unproductive corners, although one of them struck a defender before being bludgeoned to safety. Leek lost out in another attack, before the hosts countered with some neat passing involving Curry and Brown but Westwood’s 19 yard scooped shot was easily fielded by the alert Hathaway. Surely Hathaway would appreciate being managed by ex-Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare? Hmm…

ARGUING SEEMS TO BE ESSENTIAL BUT WHERE'S THE REF?

A Curry delivery (MADRAS hot) from the right appeared to strike Brown near the back post and James Molyneux saw his close range shot superbly parried by Hathaway, before Molesworth cleared the danger but a linesman’s flag was waving on a murky touchline anyway. Neat control by Gardner led to a turn and a 17 yard shot over the right angle of crossbar and upright, Molyneux was hurt and Hewitt replaced him for ‘Gate then busy Coleman Dean Tymon floundered forth and received a return pass from Gardner at 18 yards but Tymon’s clipped shot drifted past the right post. An overhead effort by Westwood lacked the pace and height to beat Hathaway, a low centre from the left by Westwood rolled dangerously across the Coleshill penalty-box and then, just before the break, the visitors nearly opened the scoring.

Batchelor headed away a deep Town free-kick and Edwards had dropped in to try to clear the ball too, leaving Leek unmarked 19 yards from goal but the striker’s volley fizzed just too high with home ‘keeper Brad Catlow flying with claws extended. And thus the half ended with Coleshill having disappointed and Highgate having impressed with their commitment and featuring the clever ball play of the hot Curry. ‘Gate appeared for half two, as did the officials but Town took a very long time to straggle back in dribs and drabs, delaying the second period. Maybe manager Cam Stuart had sent them on an orienteering exercise in the woods as a punishment for a weak opening half…

WHERE ARE THE MISSING COLEMEN?

BATCHELOR IS ABOUT TO START THE SECOND PERIOD...

Very little offense would emanate from the Coleshill players however and Highgate must have sensed that they could win the game, using the height of Brown, the nuisance of Westwood and in a strong midfield behind the weaving Curry, featuring the complaining Batchelor and the clean-up man, Corey Currithers, who did the mopping up operations so often and so well, and covered for Nathan Pulisciano and Edwards when the full-backs sallied forth. A Hewitt centre from the left was glanced on by Westwood’s forehead but Hathaway clutched the looped effort, a deep Curry free-kick was headed past the left stick by Brown but there was no real response from the Colemen and soon they were a goal adrift. Brown hauled himself past a couple of defenders as he cut inside from the left but he was then openly shoved by Rob Evans, close to the edge of the 18 yard box, even though the referee placed the free-kick a little further away.

CURRY, RIGHT: HOT HANDS...

Curry’s delivery towards the far upright was nodded clear by Town but Batchelor dropped to 18 yards to retrieve the ball and instantly hooked it back into the mix, where Brown easily outjumped Evans to lob a close range header over Hathaway, who reached upwards but couldn’t grab the goalbound effort.

1-0...

SCORER BROWN BOWS TO THE AUDIENCE...

A smart Curry pass fed Brown to the right byeline but his low cross evaded Westwood at the near post, Coleshill had trouble defending a left-side corner by Curry, before the keen Ryan Edmunds shot poorly a long way wide of the left upright, as Town heads appeared to drop further. Brown was cautioned I believe and Batchelor completely lost any remnants of cool he still harboured in an ‘it’s not fair’ type of reaction, before Edmunds careered into Edwards and was booked, leaving the right-back howling in pain, which is likely to earn him a part in the Norton Village pantomime in Worcester next January (ask my daughter Lucy for details, Trev…)

EVANS (4) SEES NO EVIL...

A foul by a Coleman was allowed to pass by an advantage seeking referee but when the ball was released, Coleshill were the recipients of a misplaced pass and so the official decided to award the original free-kick to the hosts instead. An incensed Coleman complained that to allow advantage and then revert to the free-kick after “…a shit pass…” wasn’t right… I liked that… And around the 79th minute mark, Highgate struck again and Batchelor’s comment on the goal was soon to be enjoyed…

Hewitt intercepted a Town pass inside his own half at inside-left and he shovelled it forward to Brown but two Coleshill players slid in for the interception, missed the ball, slammed into each other and were left grounded and probably in pain. Brown looked at them incredulously, like he’d been watching two incompetent ice-skaters collide at Solihull Ice Rink and thus turned on the ball, before spotting the switched-on Curry making a run just left of centre and Brown’s pass was accurate, so that Curry moved into the penalty-box and stretched to nudge a low shot, under pressure, past the advancing Hathaway and we all watched as the ball rolled and bobbled into the net off the base of the right upright… 

2-0 NOW...

'GATE NOW KNOW THAT 3 POINTS ARE IN THE BAG...

Batchelor interjected in joy about the two Town players on the ground: 

“They tackled each other, the c****…” 

Brilliant… 

Demetrius Smikle appeared for Town, left-back Joe Cole was cautioned for a rough foul, Brown smacked the resulting free-kick high into the next field, Edwards made a long run with the ball and nearly fed Brown, then after Coleshill skipper Joe Halsall was also cautioned for a clumping foul on Curry, Curry’s next pass released Brown to the right byeline but his delivery was just too high. Finally, finally, Coleshill produced some offense and Turner denied Molesworth at the left post following a free-kick, deflecting the ball for a corner which Catlow caught smartly. Subsequently though, no more offense was created by either team, although Wilcock and Adaggio appeared for the hosts for the final minutes, as did Josh Bates for Town.     

SOME OF THE GLOOM AT THE COPPICE...

All in all, it was a disappointing evening for Coleshill, despite the work ethics of Tymon, Halsall and Edmunds, who despite their efforts were unable to create the chances that Joe Smith, Gardner and Leek so craved, especially as the game wore on. Evans and central defender Ryan Wynter were hard pressed to subdue Brown and Westwood and full-backs Molesworth and Joe Cole were threatened not only by the supporting ‘Gate full-backs but also by the movement of the United strikers into offensive channels. The clever positions taken up by Curry in particular sometimes led to some disarray in the Town defence as a whole too.

Bromsgrove’s victory took them back to the top of the pile with 76 points from 33 games, a game in hand over Coleshill, who have 75 points from their 34 matches. The two teams clash at Coleshill next Monday in such an important encounter…

I was intrigued to see Westwood playing for ‘Gate, after his heroics for Wolverhampton Sporting Community a while back. I chatted to him at Sporting Khalsa, for I had seen Cornish striker Jack Bowyer score his third hat-trick in three games for Sticker FC whilst on holiday, a feat previously achieved by Westwood and the two players had apparently been in contact.

I wondered how Hewitt felt too, having helped to defeat Bromsgrove’s biggest rivals and yet having recently departed from that club. Mixed emotions, I would guess…

TEAMS:

HIGHGATE UNITED:

BRAD CATLOW, TREV EDWARDS, NATHAN PULISCIANO, RICH BRYAN, SCOTT TURNER, AARON BROWN (CAPT), COREY CURRITHERS, GEORGE CURRY, DAN WESTWOOD, JAMES MOLYNEUX, RICH BATCHELOR.

SUBS:

MARCO ADAGGIO, JAMES WILCOCK, STEVE LESLIE, REECE HEWITT, BRAD HAYWARD.

COLESHILL TOWN:

PAUL HATHAWAY, LIAM MOLESWORTH, JOE COLE, ROB EVANS, RYAN WYNTER, DAN THYMON, RYAN EDMUNDS, JOE HALSALL (CAPT), MATT GARDNER, REECE LEEK, JOE SMITH.

SUBS:

JOSH BATES, JORDAN CLEMENTS, DEMETRIUS SMIKLE, DOM COTTER.