Saturday 16th April 2011 Brocton 4 Coventry Copsewood 3

This game had all the ingredients of a classic with Copsewood still in with a good shout of second place in the league and with Brocton in a fine run of form with three consecutive wins under their belts. The match did not disappoint. The visitors had the lions share of both possession and pressure in the first half an hour, although Brocton did come up with the best two shots on goal in that time. The first was saved brilliantly with a fingertip round the post by Scott furlong from Richard Miller shot across him and the second when Gary Fife produced a shot under pressure and going just wide.
It was Copsewood who made the break through on 27 minutes as man of the match Curtis Jackson turned Andy Chandler and put in a low cross. Ross Wimbush squeezed the ball home at the second attempt.
Injuries to both Rob Winstanley and youngster Jordan Bloor brought on Sam Bell and Alex Barnfather and immediately Brocton took the game to their opposition with a fiery head height cross through the box from Jack Hall. Richard Jones was on hand to cut out the Copsewood reply as the visitors broke forward and Jones was allowed time and space to progress through to the last third as half time approached. He hit a thunderous shot which Furlong could only parry and as the keeper tried to recover, expecting a shot from Richard Miller, Gary Fife drove it home to bring the badgers back into contention.
The second half began perfectly for the visitors as Jackson once again showed his skill in Brocton’s box and finished in style. Brocton’s second equaliser of the game came just 8 minutes later as Alex Barnfather cut infield from the right and lifted the ball over a retreating back line. Fife reached it first and lobbed an advancing Furlong.
Briefly on top and with a free kick far to the left, Miller got to the ball first and lifted it to the far post where Skinner headed strongly but, under pressure, could not find the target.
A long throw then brought a volley which Adam Whitehouse beat away and the Brocton break found Dan Lomas in the middle and able to run the ball out of defence. He passed into Fife’s dart forward and Fife put Brocton in the lead.
Then a hotly disputed off side led to a red card for Copsewood, but their ten men fought magnificently to once more bring the match level as this time Jackson beat both Skinner and Chandler before shooting across Whitehouse and in.
A fine looking goal then by Skinner was ruled out by the linesman and protests brought a red card for the Brocton man before the crowd were left breathless as Miller finished off a brilliant run from Sam Bell, taken further by Alex Barnfather and then that Miller finish.

Brocton: Adam Whitehouse, Richard Jones, Jordan Bloor, Matt Skinner, Andy Chandler, Dan Lomas, Rob Winstanley, Jack Hall, Ben Harrison, Richard Miller, Gary Fife.

Used substitutes: Sam Bell, Alex Barnfather.