Coventry Colliery Sports Ground, Bennetts Road, Coventry, CV7 8HY
22nd January 2022, 2:00 pm Kick-Off
Today I have decided to visit the City of Lady Godiva to see a match, as I have planned to visit my brother this evening who lives in the nearby town of Kenilworth. There are 2 teams who have been on my radar recently, AFC Coventry Rangers and Coventrians.
AFC are the runaway leaders of the MFL Div 3 but I have decided not to watch them as they are playing against Sutton United who I saw recently before Christmas. So Coventrians FC it is, a new team and a new ground to investigate.
My train journey to Coventry goes without a hitch and I have enough time to have a look in some shops for some 2nd hand camera gear and then I find a cafe where they do some reasonably priced meals, not far from Coventry Market. After a decent meal of lamb chops, chips and peas I make my way to the bus stop and catch the No.16 for the 15 minute journey to the district of Keresley, which lies north-west of the city centre.
When I get to my stop, I'm a bit bewildered by the amount of people getting off the bus. I'm wondering if they are going to the match as well but I soon find out that they are shift workers in the nearby Prologis Park facility across the road. It's an area where there are mainly huge warehouses for companies like Halfords and also some manufacturing takes place here too.
I walk a few yards up the road and find the entrance, in between an area of new house building that is taking place at the side of this sports ground.
There is a table at the end of a short drive where 2 friendly club officials/volunteers are standing taking the entrance fees. It's only £2 and they warn me to take care and not go stepping in to the muddy bits on this well used track to the nearby club house. When I step inside I see that this building also houses the changing rooms. I walk straight on in to the small but homely bar area and on the far wall are cabinets full of trophies with plenty of team photos and pictures of individual players adorning the walls.
I'm greeted by the club secretary Jane Connolly and I find out that there are club badges for sale (£3). She also very helpfully writes out a copy of the Coventrians team sheet for me as there are no programmes issued.
I make my way to the waiting pitch just before kick-off and there are only a few spectators here today. Jane had told me their attendances usually suffer a bit when Coventry City are at home, which they are today (v QPR).
There is no hard standing around the pitch which has a rail surrounding 3 sides, apart from the opposite end, which is bordered by an area of scrub land and woodland. There is plenty of space to the west and north of this pitch for other football pitches, where I presume the junior and maybe the ladies teams play.
Coventrians are in their usual strip of blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and socks while the village team of visiting Enville Athletic are in their change strip of all red.
For the first 10-15 minutes, it's the mid-table visitors who are mainly on top, going close with a shot after 4 minutes and then one of their players takes a tumble after a challenge on the edge of the penalty area but no action is taken by the Ref.
Coventrians then proceed to dominate the rest of the first half and take the lead when the ball drops nicely for their No.9, Jacob Dumbleton, from a Enville defender's header, to fire home in to the net after 21 minutes.
(Dumbleton on the right taking the congratulations of his team mates)
10 minutes later and from a long throw in from the right, Coventrians No.7 Reid Kearns, neatly glances in a header for goal number two (as shown below).
With Enville still reeling from this blow they concede another goal when the ball is played down the middle for Dumbleton to hit a shot to the left of the Enville keeper.
This is still the score when the sides go off for the half-time break.
Coventrians will be looking to add to their tally and improve their goal difference while Enville will be looking to somehow get back in to this game.
Coventrians FC were formed in 2007 and were associated with the rugby team of the same name but made the split from their ball carrying cousins later on. They currently lie in 3rd place in the Div 3 table and had a great 4-0 away win at close rivals AFC Solihull last Saturday. Their ground is I guess on or close to the actual former Coventry Colliery, which was part of the North Warwickshire coal field.
After a much needed warming cup of tea I take my place for the second half.
Enville are stepping up the pace now and one of their players fails to take advantage of the Coventrians keeper being out of his area and hits his shot way over the bar.
Although Enville are having more of the play in this half it's still Coventrians who pose the greater goal threat.
Their No.11, Joel Heeley hits a shot on the turn that rattles the underside of the bar but does not cross the line when it comes down.
I am also impressed by the home sides No.14 Kai Gibbs, who shows some good skill with his mazy runs (as shown below) troubling the Enville defence.
Enville have a good shot on goal in the 70th minute but it's straight at keeper, James Connolly, then 9 minutes later their No.6, Ryan Goodman hits a shot from the left of the goal only to see it deflected just wide.
It's Coventrians who have the last say in this match when Dumbleton completes his hat-trick when he hits in a shot from a rebound that comes out to him, in the 3rd minute of stoppage time.
So Coventrians move on to the same points tally with Sutton United who lost 1-3 at AFC Coventry Rangers but stay 2nd due to a better goal difference.
I have enjoyed my visit to this friendly club, even on this cold grey day and I hope that they can secure 2nd spot by the end of this season.
Match Attendance: Approx 15-20
Entrance Fee: £2
Match Programme: none available
Match Entertainment: 7.5/10
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