Coleshill Town 0 v 1 Evesham United

[Alan Beckett]

PRE SEASON
CASTLE BROMWICH NEWS WROTE
10 DAYS TO THE BIG KICK OFF
There is just over one week to go before the start of the 1978-79 soccer season and once again the “News” will be presenting a full coverage of local football. Coleshill Town begin the new Midland Football Combination programme with a Home game against Evesham United on Saturday, August 19th and on the following Tuesday they visit Boldmere St Michaels. These are two tough opening games for Coleshill, who are looking to prove their First Division status, following the last two seasons when they have been engaged in re-election battles. Coleshill have received a byes in the First round of the Combination Challenge Cup and Presidents Cup.

CASTLE BROMWICH NEWS ALSO WROTE
TOWN’S SIX GOAL SALVO
In their pre-season friendly with Mid Wales League side Carno at Pack Meadow, Coleshill gave an encouraging performance to win 6-0. While Manager Mervyn Parsons was quick to appreciate that Carno were not up to the strength of Midland Combination football, he was still pleased with Coleshill’s promising display. He said “We emerged well from this game - far better than in our other pre-season matches – and the lads can now go into our opening game against Evesham knowing they can hit the goal trail.” Certainly Micky Gibbons showed the way, scoring a hat-trick against Carno and the other scorers were Eddie Hanlon, Malcolm Hanlon and Johnny Allen.

CASTLE BROMWICH NEWS ALSO WROTE
PARSONS IS NEW COLESHILL BOSS
Coleshill Town begin the 1978-79 season in the First Division of the Midland Combination with plenty of determination and there is a wave of new confidence in the camp, that suggests that they can attain their highest position since they were elected in 1974. There has been a back room shake up at Pack Meadow during the close season, with Mervyn Parsons taking over as Manager and Ron James as Secretary. Parsons, a former player at Coleshill and Paget Rangers, has for the last two years been highly successful as Manager of Whitesmore Old Boys in the Mercian A.F.A. The Whitesmore side, despite winning the Division One Championship were not elected to the Premier Division and this set back prompted Parsons and several of his young players to join Coleshill. While eight members of the Coleshill First team from last season have re-signed, the staff has been augmented by four players who have had experience in the Southern League and with the influx from Whitesmore there is an abundance of potential at Pack Meadow.
The full squad of players include the following:-
Goalkeepers: Ian Burness, Paul Foster.
Defenders: Bob Bennett, Paul Heringham, Eddie Hanlon, Colin Dolphin, Sid Ward, John Newey, Alan Phillips, Stan Chadwick, Colin Sarson.
Midfield: John Allen, Malcolm Hanlon, Chris Eustace, Kevin Hollingsworth, Gary Moseley, Steve Whipps.
Forwards: Bruce Griffin, Bob Whillock, Michael Gibbons, Lee McIntosh, Keith Martin, Jimmy Hall.
Mervyn Parsons expects the squad, a mix of youth and experience, to enjoy the season together and is hoping particularly for the likes of Michael Gibbons and Steve Whipps to establish themselves among the best players in the Midland Combination. Parsons said: If all members of the club, both behind the scenes, in training and on the pitch, give 100% effort then Coleshill Town will definitely start to go places.”

FIRST GAME OF THE 1978-79 SEASON
Saturday 19th August 1978
Midland Combination Division 1
Coleshill Town 0 v 1 Evesham United
Scorer: Butters.


Team: Ian Burness GK, Lee McIntosh, Michael Gibbons, Steve Whipps, Johnny Allen, Colin Dolphin (? Wright), Jimmy Hall. Confirmed.

CASTLE BROMWICH NEWS WROTE
TOWN’S SECOND HALF PRESSURE UNREWARDED
Coleshill gave an encouraging display in their opening Midland Combination clash with Evesham, but despite strong second half pressure they were unrewarded and had to concede both points. Evesham showed the way in the opening stages with both Langford and Stevens going close to scoring but Coleshill replied with a right wing attack and following a cross from McIntosh the visiting keeper did well to save at the feet of Steve Whipps. Moving confidently forward Evesham’s Morris was to the fore with two good shots which were saved by Burness. Whipps countered for Coleshill to cross accurately for Gibbons to head narrowly wide and the same player also headed over from Allen’s corner. In the 39th minute Evesham took the lead when Butters hammered home a loose ball from close range and near the interval Coleshill had to defend in depth. In contrast, the second half belonged to Coleshill and keeper Burness was a mere spectator, touching the ball twice throughout the 45 minutes. McIntosh and Gibbons proved lively raiders for Coleshill down the flanks and both Hall and Gibbons were just off target with goal bound shots. Colin Dolphin was injured in the 75th minute and was replaced by Wright, who with virtually his first kick of the ball hit the post. Seconds later he was unlucky to have another great shot saved by the cross bar. McIntosh put Evesham’s defence under pressure and a poor back pass had them in all sorts of trouble, but Whipps was just seconds too late to tap the ball home. Evesham were sorely tested and Coleshill throwing everything into attack just failed to score through Allen and Wright and the visitors goal bore a charmed life.


P1 W0 D0 L1 F0 A1 Pts0 Pos?/20