Coventrians Prove Stumbling Block For Would-Be Champions
Coventrians 1-1 Alcester Town
There was quite a powerful wind at the Coventry Colliery ground, where Coventrians now play their games. It howled round my camera and caused some real sound problems on the video clips, for which I truly apologise. In truth, Alcester failed to impress, despite a few offensive sorties near the start of the match and then late on, but as soon as Cov’s left-flanker Lewis Chester began to race rapidly along his left-wing, something seemed to happen to the visitors and doubt seemed to creep into their play. The Romans’ right-sided defender Lewis Cosgrove certainly was threatened and he was finally cautioned for his third foul, as Cov probed along that touchline. Cosgrove was withdrawn at the interval, possibly to prevent a second booking. Nathan McGarrity had given Cov the lead during the opening period, when the wind was mostly against Alcester but had it not been for a double-save by Roman goalie Luis Sone from home skipper Liam Connolly and then McGarrity, Town might have been in deeper faeces.
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| DID THE COIN BLOW OFF TOO? |
Overall in this match, there were few goalscoring opportunities, as defences and the wind commanded for the most part, so much so that neither Sone, nor Cov’s James Connolly were seriously troubled. Due to the weather conditions, perhaps, Alcester squandered possession so many times and even controlling midfielder Terrance Morton saw a number of passes intercepted. Striker Dan Carter was starved of support and supply, although after half-time, substitute Callum Burston-Keeley certainly livened things up for the Romans and his corner brought a late equaliser for Lewis Marston, whose contribution was fervent. Marston worked noticeably hard in attack and also laboured in defence, finally being cautioned for a haul back on the elusive and speedy Chester.
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| GIBSON TRIES TO STAND ON THE BALL... |
However, in fairness, a neutral observer should not concentrate upon Alcester’s below par showing but on the Coventrians’ eagerness, resilience and simple refusal to be beaten, as their defenders, Blake Arthur and Ally Hassan from wide and central defender Arron Cheshire, plus the supportive Jamie Tiff and Keiron Butler, performed stubbornly and constantly blocked out their guests, especially after the break. Cheshire was like a warrior from ancient Briton, denying the Romans access to his mud hut and in fact, the Coventrians’ defensive wall was comparable to Hadrian’s on the day…
The only real attempt at goal by Alcester in the opening half was a tricky run by Morton but that ended with a low left-booter which drifted about 18 yards wide. Otherwise, Ollie Gibson was unable to connect with a couple of left-side crosses, one of them a fine delivery by Josh Cullen. However, at the other end, Danny Janes, the Town skipper and constant verbal therapist, kept his team in the game with several good interceptions and tackles. Before the interval though, Chester had fired two low shots for Sone to field and an over-shoulder effort at the left upright, from Hassan’s centre which rolled wide of the far stick. Arthur drove in a free-kick which Sone collected on the bounce but it was his left-side corner, I believe which curled past a crowd in the 6 yard box and forced Cullen to hack the ball away from the far post.
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| COSGROVE IS BOOKED... |
McGarrity was one of those annoying forwards to mark, constantly pulling wide and he had already shot wide from 25 yards, before he scored the opening goal. Following a free-kick from deep, Butler, under pressure, managed to shove the ball across the face of goal, left to right and as Cullen hesitated, McGarrity reacted and from a narrow angle, shot back across goal and just inside the left upright. The forward then looked certain to add another goal after Sone had denied Liam Connolly from Chester’s assist but McGarrity’s rebound connection wasn’t the best and the cool Sone kept his concentration to drop upon the low shot.
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| GOALSCORER McGARRITY GETS INTO A BIT OF AN ARGUMENT WITH A COUPLE OF SPECTATORS... |
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| ...BUT NOW HE CELEBRATES... |
The Romans had dug deep to stay in the contest but Coventrians were belligerent and although they were forced back by the wind and Alcester’s more incisive play after a dressing-room ‘chat’, their resolve was laudable.
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| LOOKS LIKE BURSTON-KEELEY, RIGHT, HAS LOST HIS SKATEBOARD... |
Cov really only had one opportunity during the second 45, when McGarrity and Chester broke forward but Sone was not troubled, yet Burston-Keeley’s quickness really injected Alcester, although to be fair James Connolly wasn’t put under any constant pressure. Burston-Keeley shot low at the ‘keeper, Roman defender Nathan Clarke nudged a Burston-Keeley free-kick wide of the left post, Cullen drove a shot from inside-left against the gloveman’s legs from Callum Debar’s cross and Gibson shot wide with little venom. However, Marston, who did shoot well over the crossbar on one occasion, managed a late, scrappy equaliser, when Burston-Keeley’s left-flank corner swerved inside the 6 yard box and Marston greedily threw himself at it and bundled it into the net from a yard or two. Hassan then refused to give up the ball and there was a loose maul near the left upright…
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| MARSTON, LEFT, REFUSES TO GO TO THE REFEREE TO BE CAUTIONED... |
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| ...BUT THEN SCORES... |
Hassan had been involved in a decent tussle with Debar, who only succeeded in getting past the Cov left-back later in the game, yet during the first period, Debar only really reached anywhere near the right byeline on one occasion. Craig Gasiewski and Cosgrove had been sacrificed at half-time by Alcester, for the introduction of Burston-Keeley and Aaron Xavier but not that much changed. A challenge on Carter offered Town one free-kick shot which Burston-Keeley lashed into a defensive wall but when Carter had been fouled, he had been so close to winning a penalty…
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| CHESHIRE, LEFT: LIKE A WARRIOR FROM ANCIENT TIMES... |
Arthur’s set-pieces had been good for Cov, Cheshire had remained the defensive pivot but Liam Connolly was a presence, although Aaron Donaldson had popped up on many occasions to affect the game and one piece of control on his heel belied the level he was playing at… I was impressed too by the style of home midfielder Lucinee Donzo, especially when in passing mode. He had time on the ball and at this level, time on the ball is at a premium. Tiff, Butler and Donaldson fought to the end and Alcester were probably pleased to gain a point by the closure of the proceedings. One more point, against Enville on Saturday, who were ravaged 0-6 on their own patch by the Romans on Easter Monday, will ensure a title win for Alcester.
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| JANES, RIGHT: KEPT CALM... |
But it still remains to be seen whether Continental Star or Coventry Plumbing can achieve second place in the table, should the Romans clinch top spot.
And they play each other twice during the coming week…
TEAMS:
COVENTRIANS:
JAMES CONNOLLY, BLAKE ARTHUR, ALLY HASSAN, ARRON CHESHIRE, KEIRON BUTLER, JAMIE TIFF, LIAM CONNOLLY (CAPT), LUCINEE DONZO, NATHAN McGARRITY, AARON DONALDSON, LEWIS CHESTER.
SUBS:
RICKY HILL, LEE WILKINS, JOSH DIXON.
ALCESTER TOWN:
LUIS SONE, DANNY JANES (CAPT), LEWIS COSGROVE, TERRANCE MORTON, LEWIS CLARKE, JOSH CULLEN, CALLUM DEBAR, CRAIG GASIEWSKI, DAN CARTER, LEWIS MARSTON, OLLIE GIBSON.
SUBS:
AARON XAVIER, MATT MAGEE, DAN CULLEN, KEIRON DOWNEY, CALLUM BURSTON-KEELEY.
