Bromsgrove Sporting 2 Coleshill Town 3 (AET)
FA Cup preliminary round replay
SPORTING exited the FA Cup after a valiant attempt when losing by the odd goal in five in their preliminary round replay at the Victoria Ground on Tuesday, writes David Stephens.
The game started at a furious pace and had a real cup-tie feel about it with both teams going at each other from the start. Coleshill had the first shot on target when winger Ryan Nash cut in from his customary right wing role and hit a tremendous left-foot shot that had Jake Bedford in the Bromsgrove goal at full stretch to push around the post for a corner.
The game had become a midfield battle as the half progressed with neither team giving an inch. Sporting were battling well against their higher league opponents, with Ryan Mahon probing consistently.
Coleshill took the lead in the 36th. minute when Shane Benjamin bundled the ball home after Bedford had pushed his initial shot on to the post, and Nash on the right was again the tormentor.
The goal obviously unsettled Sporting as they did not seem capable of stringing any passes together as they were doing before and started to rely on the long ball, which the Coleshill defence coped admirably with.
The coaching team at Bromsgrove did some great work at half time as the Rouslers came out after the break with more belief and, after Craig Jones had seen his header hit the outside of the far post and a superb volley from Jozsef Jakab was expertly tipped over the bar by Chris Jay, Sporting finally got their reward in the 67th minute when the industrious Mahon was on hand to bundle the ball home at the second attempt.
Coleshill came straight back and how Bedford saved Benjamin’s close range effort only he will know. Simeon Cobourne nearly put Coleshill ahead again in the last minute of normal time but his header lacked power and was easily saved by Bedford.
Substitute Chris Lloyd had the first chance in extra time when his left foot-shot forced Bedford into a save at the expense of a corner.
Sporting regained the lead in the tie in the fourth minute of extra time when a move starting from their own penalty area found substitute Robbie Ager on the right wing and his long diagonal ball found Luke Shearer on the far side of the penalty area, who in turn found Chrisi Conway, who had come on at the start of the extra period, who turned and fired a shot that gave keeper Jay no chance.
Sporting held out until the last minute of the first half, when a mix-up in the box allowed Cobourne to easily score past Bedford from ten yards.
Bedford, who had an outstanding game, came to Sporting’s rescue a minute later when he saved twice before the defence could clear.
The game was still end to end, as Aaron Williams got in a shot after being set up by Shearer that went just too high over Jay’s bar.
Then it was Coleshill’s turn when Daniel Douglas ghosted in unmarked from a corner and headed wide when it seemed easier to score.
Coleshill scored the all-important goal four minutes from the end when Benjamin and Cobourne set up left winger Dean Rathbone to fire into the net as his shot from the left hand side nestled into the far corner of the net.
Conway had the last chance of the game, but he snatched a shot wide after being set up by Simon Fitter and Dave Almond.
Sporting left the field to a rousing ovation from all in the crowd after giving it their all. Coleshill had been involved in a great cup tie, with Sporting’s players giving it their all. It was a fantastic advert for the new Midland Football League.
SATURDAY’S initial tie at Midland Football League Premier Division outfit Coleshill had ended in a 2-2 draw.
Coleshill took the lead in the 11th minute when the ball found their captain Shane Benjamin on the edge of the area and his fierce shot gave Jake Bedford in the Bromsgrove goal no chance.
Sporting equalised when captain for the day Simon Fitter picked out Gary Hay with a great ball from the right and the striker headed powerfully into the net.
Sporting took the lead early in the second half when they forced a corner and Danny Ludlow found himself in space and fired home into the far corner.
However, Coleshill equalised in the 76th minute when Nash’s cross-shot again was quite expertly saved by Bedford, only for Dean Rathbone to nod home the rebound.
SPORTING are in FA Vase action at Stourport Swifts on Saturday.
