Coleshill Town 1 v 3 Oldbury United

[Alan Beckett]

Saturday 3rd February 1979
Midland Combination Division 1
Coleshill Town 1 v 3 Oldbury United
Scorers:
Coleshill: Myatt.
Oldbury: Unknown, Gibbons, Unknown.


Team: Brendon Casey, Myatt, Steve Whipps, Colin Dolphin, Bruce Griffin, John Allen.


CASTLE BROMWICH NEWS WROTE
Early Goals Hit Slow To Start Coleshill
Coleshill were back in action for the first Midlands Combination First Division game of the New Year and they included newcomers Casey in midfield and Myatt in attack. Oldbury began aggressively displaying some positive moves befitting a team in the top six and Coleshill found themselves forced to defend in depth. After 7 minutes Oldbury took the lead when the home rearguard stood flat-footed as a short free kick to the near post was headed home. Coleshill replied with a good through ball to Griffin but visiting keeper Hickin narrowed the angle expertly and punched away the fiercely struck shot. Oldbury went further ahead in the 11th minute when ex-Coleshill player Gibbons forced home from the left. At this stage Coleshill began to come more into the picture as an attacking force and following successive corners Myatt reduced the deficit, scrambling the ball into the net during a goalmouth melee. Holland augmented Coleshill’s attack to send over a dangerous cross and after 38 minutes Myatt brought another save from Hickin. Near half time Casey set up a chance for Griffin, but Oldbury’s defence covered the danger well and cleared their lines. Early in the second half Whipps almost forced the equaliser as he harried a defender into a mistake, but he just failed to reach the mid-placed back pass as the ball rolled out for a corner. After 60 minutes Coleshill deserved to draw level. A fine move from defence by Dolphin gave Myatt room to square a pass to Allen, who unfortunately placed his shot the wrong side of the post. Coleshill continued to peg Oldbury back until the 86th minute, when they conceded a third goal. In the next minute Coleshill’s appeals for a penalty, when Whipps was brought down, were waved aside and then Casey in one final effort shot narrowly wide. Apart from the hesitant start to the match Coleshill’s players showed plenty of determination and with a little more confidence to accept responsibility for converting half chances they should pick up the points to avoid seeking re-election.




P18 W1 D3 L14 F13 A34 Pts5 Pos20/20