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17th February 2007

Promotion charge halted

 Sikh Union (Coventry) 2nd XI 6 Coalville Town 2nd XI 2

DTZ 2nd XI East Midlands Division One

An unaccustomed early start did Town no favours in this DTZ East Midlands Division One game, as Coalville were thumped by their bogey team in what can only be described as a bad tempered and bitterly contested match against a team of 11 players and an umpire.

  Always a difficult team to play at any time, Sikh Union started their usual tricks of petty fouls and general nasty antagonism right from the off, as first Stuart Jobburn, and then Carl Marshall and Phil Sign found themselves on the end of some nasty stick play which did not genuinely seek the ball. 

The early signs were that Town would play around these problems, and once the initial standoffs were quelled, started to play some good passing hockey. Niki Arnold and Phil Sign had early half chances to open the scoring but were denied by wayward shooting.

However, it wasn’t long before they went in front. With Tony Crowie and Sign beginning to get to grips with the midfield play and with James Woodard and Jobburn joining in, the first Town goal arrived after 10 minutes, when Sign slipped a delightful ball through to Woodard who coolly placed the ball past the home keeper. 

The signs looked good when, after a further six minutes, Arnold took another great through ball from Crowie and smashed home a superb reverse stick shot past a helpless keeper to make it 2-0.

At this point, Coalville seemed to be strolling and the odds on a high goal tally looked on the cards, however the nastiness of the home side started to creep in and play deteriorated with bad tackles, arguments, umpire appealing, all of which were condoned by the home official. 

Town lost concentration and conceded a simple goal following a break out by the home team, and then again 10 minutes later as the home side levelled the score following more poor defending. Town were now being dragged down into the Sikh Union pit and they started to let the problems get to them, and although the riot act was read to both captains just before half time, Town just couldn’t find their way back to their opening form of the first 15 minutes.

The second half saw a complete change as the home side started to dominate, and to their credit, they started to play good hockey as some of their ‘non regular’ players, who had apparently returned to the UK from India, came into the game, spraying passes around with some good individual skills.

 It took just six minutes for them to gain the lead following some good approach play, and try as they could, Town always seemed to get bogged down as they neared goal. 

 For the next 10 minutes or so, Town tried to get back in to the game, and again some half chances were wasted. However the early drive and enthusiasm had gone, probably compounded by the wariness of the opposition, but also knowing that any foot put wrong would almost certainly lead to a yellow card for an unwarranted situation. Arnold never gave up and with Sign and Crowie fighting an almost loan attacking game, the touches were there but finding a crowded dee , they never managed to get that break.   

The home side went 4-2 up after 17 minutes and increased that to 5-2 after 22 minutes, sweeping in a short corner move, but the damage had been done. 

For the last 10 minutes it was pride that kept Town going and in particular, skipper Crowie, who was outstanding in his role of playmaker and mediator, the latter stating just how bad this game was for his team. To add insult to injury, a defensive farce let in the home side for the final goal in the last minute. But Town can be proud in the way they played - it was just a pity that the opposition sought to make it a battle ground.