Mile Oak Rovers 1 v 3 Coleshill Town

[Alan Beckett]

Saturday 21st November 1970
Midland Combination Division Two
Mile Oak Rovers 1 v 3 Coleshill Town
Scorers:
Rovers: Cure pen.
Town: Roy Phelps 2, Colin Davis.


Team: Peter Garnell GK, Steve Ward, Martin Curtis, Clive Lyons, Roy Phelps, Colin Davis, Geoff Statham, Oscar Deeming, Tim Rawlings, Malcolm Stokes, Eddie Hanlon. Confirmed.


CASTLE BROMWICH NEWS WROTE
Ill Tempered Encounter
Midland Combination Division Two Champions Coleshill Town gained two valuable points in their bid to retain the title when they defeated current leaders Mile Oak Rovers 3-1, in a brawling local derby match, Roy Phelps was Town's hero, scoring twice and paving the way for Colin Davis to add their third goal. For Rovers, this bruising encounter produced only their second league defeat of the season. They could have hoped for a better result, after drawing with Coleshill at the start of the season, but Town proved to be the stronger side and deserved the success.

In an ill tempered game, Coleshill produced the better flashes of football and sent Mile Oak Rovers crashing to defeat at Price Avenue on Saturday. The match promised to be the highlight of the Midland Combination Division Two fixtures, but both sides were allowed to fight their way through 90 minutes of brawling. Coleshill took the lead in the second minute, cashing in on bad defensive play by Rovers. A weakly hit Goddard goal kick put Earp under pressure and he was forced to concede a corner. From Curtis's flag kick, Phelps towered above the home defence to head a good goal. For the first 15 minutes it was all Coleshill, and a snap shot by Davis was brilliantely saved by Goddard, who was then laid out in a collision with Phelps. Coleshill's second goal came from a neat move started in midfield by skillful Curtis. He chipped a peach of a ball into the path of Phelps, who made no mistake with a first time shot. Lloyd, Williams and Mortimer, for Rovers, all gave away free kicks and Lloyd and Curtis were both spoken to by the referee following a "flare up". In a rare Mile Oak attack, Garnell touched the ball for the first time when he stole the ball from Hickey's boot, while his opposite number, Goddord was lying injured at the other end. Rovers started the second half with the wind, sun and slope in their favour, but Coleshill were the first to impress and they went further ahead. Phelps finished a strong run with a fierce shot, and Goddard could only palm the ball out to Davis, who fired home. Coleshill's Statham was booked when he upended Barlow. It was amazing that Statham's name was the first name in the book, for some of the tackles were indeed ugly. Rovers substituted Wakelim for Hickey but the move failed to inspire a lifeless attack to greater heights. After Lloyd was involved in another incident, Phelps took on the whole of the defence, but his shot was well saved by the keeper. Just as the game was threatened to boil over, Deeming handled in the box and Cure made no mistake with the spot kick. In the closing seconds a Rawlings free kick put Phelps clear and with the home defence waiting for offside, the striker blazed the ball wildly over.



P18 W8 D5 L5 F37 A25 Pts21 Pos 4/18