Richardson Cup Round 1
Coppull United FC hosted near rivals CMB FC in the 1st round of the Richardson Cup with a view to putting last weeks disappointing defeat in the LFA Amateur Shield behind them and progress in the League Cup.
Coppull had a host of players unavailable for the game with Jimmy McIver, Ben Morris, Jay Briody, Jack Wright, Jordan Wilson and Martin Kershaw all unavailable for selection. The team consisted of Joe Leather in goal, a back 4 of Dylan Bennett, Dave Parker, Cam Murphy and Conor Whitaker. It was Adam Pickstock, Jordan Bentham and Nathan Bibby in central midfield and they were flanked by Alessio Degrassi on the right and Jimmy Hamer on the left. Up top was Nat Lindley. The youthful substitutes bench contained Cam Culshaw, Jack Ramshaw, Jonty Mattock, Louis Barrow and Callum Sheehan.
Coppull started the game very poorly and where second to the ball all over the pitch. CMB had a lot of time on the ball and kept it well without really threatening Leather in the Coppull goal. As the game went on Coppull grew into the game more and more with Pickstock winning a lot of second balls, they started to take the game to their opponents. Degrassi and Hamer had useful runs with the ball from wide positions and could have, and should have done better when well placed in the area. Lindley was occupying both centre halves really well and holding the ball up bringing others into the game and he was involved in the first goal of the game. A free-flowing move including some lovely one and two touch passing resulted in Bibby being played through to the left of the goal and his shot (cross) beat the CMB keeper at his near post. The best bit of play in the first half was enough to secure a first half lead to Coppull, 1 nil.
As the second half started it was obvious that Conor Whitaker who had taken a bad knock on his hip in the first half was struggling and as a result had to be replaced by Culshaw with Dylan Bennett moving across to left back. CMB equalised with a great cross from the substitute right back who found Scholes (Charlie not Paul) at the back post for a simple tap in. Coppull were undeterred and came back yet again. Mattock, Barrow and Ramshaw had all been introduced for fresh legs with Degrassi, Bibby and Bentham all leaving the field. Ramshaw was a constant threat down the right-hand side whilst Barrow and Mattock looked composed and moved the ball well in the Coppull midfield. It was Jonty Mattock who regained Coppull’s lead with another great goal. A left-wing corner for Coppull was cleared and it fell to skipper Dave Parker (who was immense throughout the game) and he played a measured ball to Jonty’s path who calmly chested the ball down before side footing the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper for his third goal of the season. Further efforts including a Parker header and a great 25-yard strike from Ramshaw tested the CMB keeper and could of put the game to bed. However, as is football these chances didn’t go in and CMB went down the other end of the field and equalised with a scrappy goal, which made it 2-2 and sent the game to penalties.
With some great penalties (and some not so great penalties) it was tied at 8-all and then Joe Leather came to the rescue to save from 12 yards. Cam Culshaw duly obliged in converting the winning spot-kick to send Coppull through to the quarter final stage of the competition.