City: Mark Danks, Joshua Sarmento 2.
Colemen: Rob Evans, Reece Leek, Sam Ford.
Worcester: Matt Gwynne, Tyler Weir, Alexandru Albert, Mark Smith, Aaron Griffiths, Bradley Birch, Nathan Hayward, Jamie Smith, Mark Danks, Dave Reynolds, George Forsyth. Subs James Baldwin, Hamilton Chiwara, Joshua Sarmento.
Coleshill: Paul Hathaway, Joe Cole, Jorna Moulton, Dean Rathbone, Rob Evans, Luke Edwards, Ryan Edmunds, Joe Halsall, Matt Gardner (Sam Ford), Reece Leek, Liam Molesworth. Subs not used Brett Fellows, Jesse Race, James Medford, Dominic Cotter.
Top of the table Coleshill travelled to Worcester City who played their football three levels higher not too long ago and the two sides put on a fabulous exhibition of attacking football, a credit to the MFA Premier.
Coleshill’s tactics must have included “keep it tight in the opening period” but that went out of the window with less than a minute on the clock. As the Town defence casually passed the ball along the line Luke Edwards gifted the ball to Mark Danks who gratefully strode into the box and shot into the corner of the net despite keeper Paul Hathaway getting a hand to the ball. Ryan Edmunds hit the side netting and Reece leek had the ball in the net but was offside as Coleshill tried to get into the game. Paul Hathaway saved at the feet of Danks and then crashed a clearance against the same player but did well to recover and save the subsequent shot. It was the Hathaway/Danks show as the Town keeper punched a Danks shot out for a corner. Hathaway came out of his box only for Reynolds to get to the ball first but with defenders getting back on the line Reynolds’ shot hit the post. Town had the ball in the net again as Ryan Edmunds sent a pass the width of the pitch to Liam Molesworth who cut inside and hit a powerful shot in off the bar but the linesman flagged for a foul in the build-up which seemed really harsh. City keeper Gwynne dropped a corner in the swirling wind and then almost let a Reece Leek shot squirm under his body. Jorna Moulton had an on-target shot blocked and from that Worcester broke quickly, Danks finding Forsyth at the far post but his effort hit the side netting.
The action continued in the second half but now it was Coleshill who were getting the upper hand. Gwynne parried a Ryan Edmunds shot and Matt Gardner sent the rebound over the bar, then Gwynne saved an Edmunds shot with his feet and Gardner headed an Edmunds cross just wide of the post. Coleshill got a deserved equaliser on 67 minutes. Rob Evans broke up an attack, passed to Joe Cole and kept running. Cole’s ball in was inch perfect and Evans lashed the ball into the net on the volley. City substitute Sarmento showed a glimpse of what was to come as his pace took him into the box but Paul Hathaway stood up tall and saved the strikers shot. Town took the lead on 73minutes when a clever turn by Reece Leek wide left allowed him space to drive inside and hit a powerful low shot into the far corner of the net from just inside the box. It was all Coleshill at this point and it should have been three as Reece Leek fed Dean Rathbone who rounded the keeper but his shot was chested off the line by a defender. Within a minute it was 2-2 as a lightning move by City, including a couple of 1-2’s ended with Sarmento smashing the ball into the net from 15 yards. The game swung again and five minutes later Worcester regained the lead. Baldwin’s cross was met by the run of Sarmento who once again smacked a powerful shot into the net. Time was running out but Reece Leek hit a volley just wide of the post and then went even closer but hitting the post from a shot from the edge of the box. On 95 minutes Coleshill’s own little gem, Sam Ford, saved the day. Ford was in the squad mainly due to his four goal haul for the under 21’s three days previous and when Rob Evans’ long throw caused panic in the home box, Ford was quickest to react and stabbed the ball home for the equaliser.
Both managers will be disappointed that they didn’t push on when they were on top but on the other hand both would ultimately be happy with a point in the end.