Tuesday 30th October Coleshill Town v Brocton

Coleshill began full of confidence befitting their league status and recent heavy win, but Brocton were quick to close down and also to find space themselves. On just 3 minutes Dave Berks, giving himself a start in place of the injured Jon Wylde, hit a quick free kick into the path of the alert Andre Campbell, whose shot was smuggled out for a corner.

Campbell was the main early outlet as his pace took him past his marker regularly and he looked dangerous with early crosses.

It was from a Gary Fife corner on 14 minutes that Brocton took their lead when a perfectly placed ball at the far post was headed firmly down into the net by Richard Reeves. The home side pressed hard for an equaliser and they clearly were not too concerned at the slight setback at that point. Mike Shelper was called on to make a smart save in his box after a swift throw out from the home keeper was quickly knocked forward and good first touch and use of body prevented a defensive tackle before a shot could be fired off.

The resulting corner was latched on to by Richard Jones, who set Andre Campbell away on the right. He got beyond his marker once again and his cross could only be blocked for a corner. This time Dave Berks put in the corner and Steve Bennett picked up the attempted clearance and struck a powerful shot for the top left hand corner of the net. Andre Campbell looked to change the direction of the ball, but it flew straight into the net on 38 minutes.

Gary Fife almost finished the half on a real high as he tricked his way past his defender and into the box before pausing just too long and allowing his cross to be cut out.

Came out in the second half clearly determined to put things right, but it was Campbell once again who got beyond the defensive line with the Coleshill keeper reading the danger brilliantly and sprinting well out of his area to sweep away the danger.

The resulting throw into the box was allowed to bounce and Steve Bennett hooked in a shot just over the bar. Bennett was needed moments later in a defensive capacity as he put in a great saving tackle to stop a move through the heart of Brocton’s defence.

Coleshill piled on the pressure and it took all of Brocton’s defensive ingenuity to keep them at bay. A free kick just outside the box and centrally placed could have caused problems, but it sailed harmlessly over the bar. Then Brocton struck back again. A break into the left corner by Steve Bennett won a throw and Bennett got in a shot from the throw, which could only be parried. Dave Berks struck the rebound and it was blocked for a corner. The manager took the corner himself and once again cut out all of the defence to find Reeves powering in at the far post, giving the visitors a healthy 3—0 lead.

Once again Coleshill lifted their game and pressed hard, winning themselves a penalty as Kirk Lowe was adjudged to be at fault as his man went down just inside the box. This was Brocton’s night though and not to be outshone by the standard of his team mates’ performance, Mike Shelper flung himself to his right and held what was a well taken low hard penalty kick.

Andre Campbell gave way to Ben Harrison, Andy Harrison was replaced by Neil Rolston and finally Dave Berks left the field for James Dyke and it to the full credit of these lads that there was no appreciable drop in tempo or of ability. The visitors needed to hold on towards the end, but hold on they did.

Coleshill Town 0 v 3 Brocton

Until that point the visitors had looked the brighter side with Andre Campbell on the right flank drawing a series of fouls from his marker and clearly troubling him for pace. As early as the 5th minute Campbell had raced clear and put in a hard, low cross, but beat everybody including his fellow strikers.

Barnt Green’s lead, gained in the 10th minute, lasted only 5 as Richard Reeves sent a throw deep into the area, which could only be helped on by the defence, who found Gary Fife in space at the far edge of the box. He hit his shot hard and true and Brocton were level.

On 25 minutes, after Andy Harrison had battled through a series of tackles on the left and fed Steve Bennett, Brocton looked set to take the lead, but a brave dive at Bennett’s feet prevented the score. Another huge clearance followed and a shot on the half volley was deflected beyond Mike Shelper, but over the bar for a corner, which Brocton dealt with easily enough. In contrast Jon Wylde put a corner into Gary Fife’s path moments later and Fife struck a fierce shot low and hard, but fortunately for the home side, central and it too was dealt with easily enough.

In the second half Barnt Green continued to look threatening with their mixture of bright movement, good close control and use of the long ball into the channels. But it was Brocton who first came close to scoring with only a trio of superb saves and unbelievable off the line clearances which kept them in the game.

The first of these came as early as 4 minutes into the half when a free kick found its way through the defensive wall. To further confound the keeper, the ball took a deflection and although that reduced the pace, it took a fine late change of direction and excellent save to keep it out. Jonathan Wylde then popped up on the edge of the box and produced a full blooded drive which was headed right for the top left corner of the net. A full length dive from nowhere plucked the ball from the verge of the goal line to touch it out. On 19 minutes a throw was headed on and the downward volley from well inside the box was destined for the back of the net, the keeper beaten, but a fine clearance off the line put the ball out for a corner.

Barnt Green then broke through themselves with a gilt edged chance when Richard Jones, otherwise immaculate at right back, was finally left behind and the cross from the left was true. The ball was collected in the box with only Shelper to beat, but he spread himself and blocked a point blank shot.