Coventry United 4 v 3 Gresley

Saturday 16th November 2019
Midland League Premier Division
Butts Park Arena, Coventry
Admission: £7.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 326

With a Megabus coach ticket to Coventry booked for today, I had the choice of Midland League Premier Division fixtures at Coventry United or Coventry Sphinx, both attractive in their own ways. In the end, as seems to have been the norm in recent weeks, the weather made the decision for me, with prolonged heavy rain causing the Coventry Sphinx game to be called off early on, and although Butts Park Arena was notoriously prone to waterlogging, which caused a previous attempt to visit to be abandoned on the day, a 3G pitch installed earlier this year ensured there would be no issues with this game going ahead today.

The Butts Park Arena is located about ten minutes walk westwards from Coventry city centre, and boasts facilities facilities far superior to those usually encountered at Step 5. The ground is owned by Coventry Rugby Club, who play in the second tier of the Rugby Union pyramid, and it's facilities are also shared by Coventry Bears Rugby League Club, as well as Coventry United's women's team. To enter the ground, admission is paid at a wooden hut, with the ticket then shown at the adjacent turnstile, from where programmes can also be bought. The ground is dominated by a large and imposing all-seater stand stretching along almost the full length. Views are excellent, with no obstructing pillars, and the stand has an attractive colour-scheme, with hospitality blocks lined up along the top of the seating. A spacious bar area is open on the bottom floor of the stand, with cask ales from Purity Brewing Co. available, as is hot foot from a separate canteen, and quite an impressive range of club merchandise is sold from a table. Modern well designed flats behind the stand create an attractive backdrop. Behind the end closest to the entrance there is just hard standing, whilst behind the other there is a row of facilities that only open for Coventry RFC matches, including their club shop, a bar and a "permanent" marquee. A railway line curves closely behind this end, and indeed a couple of years ago I caught my first glimpse of this ground from the train as I made my way to Bedworth after Coventry United's game was postponed. Along the remaining length there is a fairly small, slightly raised covered area to stand in, with a bar window to one side, although this was not open today. There is a large expanse of gravel to stand on, with a few tables and seats attached also available. Coventry RFC have some ambitious plans to develop the ground, to reflect their rising status, and with Coventry United signing a 10 year deal to play their home fixtures there, it will be interesting to follow the club's and ground's progression. The 20 page programme was printed in full colour throughout, was well presented and contained all of the essentials as well as some interesting reading material.

Coventry United came into this game in seventh place, following seven wins and four draws from their opening 16 league games. They were only two points adrift of the top two, but have played at least two more games than all of the teams above them. Gresley have had a poor start to their season, picking up just five points from their opening 13 league games, with their solitary win coming a fortnight ago away from home.

On an overcast and chilly afternoon, the game was quite tight in the early stages, although on 11 minutes the home side had a big shout for a penalty when Christopher Camwell seemed to be bundles over in the penalty area, but the referee waved play on. But on 24 minutes it was the visitors who opened the scoring, Adam Skelton drilled the ball in from close to the byline and defender Lewis Ison tapped the ball into his own net from close range. That brought the game to life and on 32 minutes Coventry United equalised. Camwell picked the ball up and under no pressure but with not much else on, he fired the ball from 25 yards out past the keeper. Within a couple of minutes Gresley's Skelton struck a good free kick which forced a smart save from the keeper, but within a minute Coventry United went into the lead. Lewis Hudson crossed well from the left and Matthew Gardner headed past the keeper's dive. The home side went on to control the rest of the half, and came close to doubling their lead in added on time when Kyle Carey lobbed the ball over the keeper in no-mans land, but the ball went just wide.

Gresley started the second half well, and in an open game chances were being created at both ends, and it was Gresley who would score the next to level the scoreline on 57 minutes, Joe Haines came forward with the ball and with no one closing him down, struck the ball from outside the area into the top left corner. Coventry went back in front on 70 minutes, Camwell crossing from the left for Gardiner to head the ball home. Both sides continued to create chances for the remainder of the game, and the result really could have gone either way, until Coventry scored their fourth in the first minute of added on time. After a loose pass by a Gresley player was intercepted, Carey ran forward out wide before cutting inside and eventually firing the ball low past the keeper, brushing a defender's legs on its way. That wasn't completely the end of the action though, as there was still time for Gresley to pull a goal back in the third minute of added on time, when Alby Lansdowne headed the ball home from a corner, but there wasn't enough time for them to threaten grabbing a point.

So, a thoroughly entertaining game with plenty of attacking intent, although a draw would probably have been a fairer reflection of the game. But such tends to be a club's luck when they are as lowly as Gresley currently are.