Coates Reserves VS Rutland Rangers Reserves Match Report 27/10/07

Following the disappointing defeat to Wimblington A last week an away match at Rutland Reserves seemed the perfect place for the lads to state their promotion ambitions, against an unbeaten team who were already sitting top of a tightly contested League Table.

Rutland is a tough place to visit, and their team is well known around the leagues for its fluid passing game and strong defensive record, so the Reserves knew they were in for a tight game. With this in mind Kevin Gilbert, the tricky first team midfielder, and Chris Heron – the striker back from University – were both drafted into the squad for the game.

Just five seconds into the game however, player-manager Trevor Sercombe was forced into making a change as striker Lee Doyle went over on an ankle when challenging for the ball, giving Heron his first taste of football since injuring his ankle a month before.

And it was early substitute Heron who carved the game’s first serious chance, latching onto a through ball before finding the run of midfielder Craig Crofts, only for him to fire over when well placed.

Coates dominated the first twenty minutes and Rutland were subjected to wave after wave of constant pressure, but despite a couple of half chances and some long range efforts from Scott Dinger they never really looked like breaking the deadlock. Indeed, it took around 30minutes for Rutland to register their first serious chance after a tricky bouncing effort deceived Goalkeeper Alan Anker who spilled the ball into the path on the onrushing forward, only for the keeper to redeem himself by clawing the ball away just when in looked like the forward was about to tap home.

The second half continued in much the same fashion as the first, with Coates creating chance after chance squandered by wasteful finishing, most notably when Gilbert rounded the keeper only to shoot wide with the goal gaping. And with patience starting to wear thin Rutland’s attack, so quiet in the game so far, broke away leaving a simple tap-in for their delighted forward.

The shock of conceding served only to awaken Coates and they attacked with yet more vigour. Following a surging run Left-back Lewis Fletcher saw a fizzing effort palmed to safety and a shocking miss from Heron when through on goal was shortly punished further as Rutland again scored against the run of play to make it 2-0.








Coates’s character was now under question and the team could’ve easily begun to argue amongst themselves and crumble. The injustice of the score line seemed to rouse the side and the lads showed great character to grab a goal back almost immediately with after a good ball released Gilbert down the right hand side, after beating a couple of men he spotted the run of Heron who gratefully glanced home the cross to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

With the momentum now firmly with the away side several substitutions were made to try and swing the game in Coates’s favour. Thomas Lilley and Sean Dewdney were bought on as a new look 4-3-3 formation continued to press for an equaliser. It was another jinking run from Gilbert that provided it, as a Rutland defender found the only way to stop him was to tug on his XXL sized shorts, the referee duly gave a penalty which Gilbert himself tucked away under pressure to make it 2-2.

With just seconds left Gilbert could have won it for Coates, finding himself free in the area, but the ball just wouldn’t drop and so the final whistle went leaving this match, so important to both sides, as a draw. Coates will no doubt be frustrated at their inability to kill off the game, but will no doubt take heart from their second half comeback and the fact that they dominated the game against a side that will be amongst the best they face all year.