Coleshill Town 3–0 Rugby Town

The Colemen Make Extra Man Count Late as Rees Shines on Debut

Coleshill Town returned to Pack Meadow with a hard‑earned 3–0 victory over Rugby Town in a cagey affair that only truly opened up in the closing stages. Both sides approached the contest cautiously, leaving pockets of space but rarely overcommitting, yet it was Coleshill who carved out the clearer chances throughout.

The match’s turning point arrived on 20 minutes. Marvellous Onabirekhanlen burst beyond the Rugby back line and looked set to race through on goal when the visiting goalkeeper rushed out to intervene. Instead of clearing the danger, the keeper caught the Coleshill striker, sending him tumbling. The referee deemed it a denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity, awarding a free‑kick and producing a straight red card—sparking fierce protests from the Rugby players and travelling supporters.

With no substitute keeper available, Josh Thomas donned the gloves, but he was beaten immediately. Daniel Gyasi stepped up and curled a superb free‑kick just inside the far post, giving Coleshill a deserved 1–0 lead.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Rugby refused to fold. Coleshill struggled to make the extra man tell, and the visitors continued to press with admirable determination. The pattern continued into the second half, and just four minutes after the restart Gyasi was brought down inside the box. The referee pointed to the spot, but Gyasi’s penalty—driven straight down the middle—was comfortably saved by the stand‑in keeper, keeping Rugby firmly in the contest.

The tension finally eased on 62 minutes. Gyasi robbed possession high up the pitch and slipped a clever pass into the path of Theo Rowe, who showed composure to slide the ball through the keeper’s legs for 2–0. Yet Rugby responded instantly, striking the post less than a minute later to remind Coleshill that the game was far from settled.

The Colemen continued to create chances, and in the 83rd minute Rowe danced past two defenders before flashing a teasing ball across the six‑yard box. Two Coleshill players slid in but neither could apply the decisive touch as the opportunity drifted wide.

The third goal finally arrived as the match ticked into added time. Excellent work down the flank from Dan Brookes created space for a pinpoint cross to the back post, where new signing Mason Rees arrived to bundle the ball over the line. It was a fitting reward for a man‑of‑the‑match performance—Rees impressing throughout with his energy, ball‑winning, and intelligent support of both defence and attack.

Man of the match Harry Rees

Coleshill will take confidence from the result, even if the performance left room for improvement in exploiting the extra man. Attention now turns to Monday night’s Senior Walsall Cup tie at home to Stafford Rangers, kicking off at 19:45, as The Colemen look to build momentum.

Watch what harry had to say after the game.