Coleshill 1 Burton 4

A lovely little ground and a nice club in Warwickshire greet us this evening. "How many coaches are you bringing?" asks the bloke on the gate. I presume he's not referring to our training staff and they are expecting a big crowd of travelling Burton support. Whoops. I mumble something incoherent and make my way over to the club house. They have put an extra outdoor bar area up next to the club and large burger van in addition to the usual tea bar. Oh dear. I'm feeling sorry for them already.

It's quite to shock to think that, for Coleshill, Burton are a "big" club now. And yet this is not far off the level of football I have been used to watching as a Burton fan over the years. Coleshill really shows Gresley up for the dump it is and they were destined "To the Conference & Beyond" according to a sign on their shed (clubhouse) not many years ago.
I lose my programme in the bar - when I go back for it I'm told that an old bloke picked it up thinking it was his. I chat to a local who is at his first Coleshill game. "What time will all of your supporters turn up?" he says. "They must be stuck in traffic". I wander off to mingle with a few Brewers fans behind the goal (few being the very operative word) and it is very much like the old days - nostalgic nonsense and only a cursory glance towards the football. The young female referee is admired by one chap (I won't mention names obviously) but I comment that she looks like a small boy. With long hair. And breasts. Well, sort of...
The game? Well Burton played a second string of sorts with only Greg Pearson from Sunday's starting line-up. Serge Makofo partners up front. Keith Gilroy makes a welcome comeback on the left and Aaron Webster is at left back. Stride and the other Aaron (Brown) are in the centre back positions and the young lad Guyett at right back. Goodfellow, Maghoma and Penn with Kevin Poole in goal make up the 11 starters.

Burton are not really giving it 100% and Coleshill are defending stoically. Gilroy shows a few moments of class and we dominate int he midfield without really producing much. Pearson is brought down in the box by the goalkeeper - clear red and penalty but we ask the ref to only give him a yellow and she obliges. Person gets his first of three from the spot and the second is similar when Russ Penn is brought down int he box by a defender.

Pearson completes his hat-trick in the second half with a placed shot. James Knowles make an appearance and there is also a short run out for Gary Rowett who jokes with us that "it's all going to kick off when I get on there" during his warm-up. Colehill get a deserved consolation goal as they don't let up second half but Aaron Webster charges into the box from deep, exchanges passes with Serge Makofo and scores number 4.

A reasonably entertaining evening. Coleshill can be very proud, both as a group of hard working players and as an excellent and welcoming club. It's a real shame more didn't make the short trip and I wish them every success for the future.