Proud Coalville boss Adam Stevens left to wo

Posted Sunday, November 06, 2022 by PA

Coalville Town manager Adam Stevens was left with a mixture of pride and also agony over an opportunity missed after seeing his non-league side knocked out of the FA Cup by Charlton.

League One Charlton ran out 4-1 winners in the end but Coalville, who ply their trade in the Southern Central Premier League, could have made threatened an upset when they had an opportunity to push for an equaliser with 10 minutes to go.

Having trailed 2-0 at half-time, the part-timers had reduced the arrears through Ashley Chambers’ deft finish and were threatening a leveller when they won a free-kick deep in the Charlton half.

Instead of taking his chances with a cross into the area, substitute Tendai Chitiza tried to pick out a team-mate on the edge of the area.

The ball was lost, Charlton counter-attacked from the resultant throw-in and Jack Payne made it 3-1 with a shot on the turn for his second goal of the game to end any doubt over the result.

Stevens said: “We had a chance to get the ball into the box from the free-kick and we did something totally alien to what we normally do.

“I’ve never seen Tendai take one like that in my life. I was fuming on the touchline, bellowing, but maybe that’s the difference in speed of thought and decision-making between our level and Charlton’s.

“Maybe the emotion got the better of them and they wanted to get a Roy of the Rovers goal, but we had started to gain a bit of ascendancy at that point.

“It’s been a fantastic run. It had to come to an end at some time and to have so many of our fans behind the goal and then for the Charlton fans to clap us off at the end will stand out.

“Our club was only formed in the 90s. Charlton were a Premier League club at that time, so for us to come here and have this moment is massive.”

Payne’s two goals, the first an unmarked header after 24 minutes, another free header for Jayden Stockley from a Payne corner in first-half injury time and a rasping late drive from substitute Chuks Aneke sent Charlton through, but the memories will belong to Coalville.

However, while Coalville now prepare for the visit of Stratford Town next Saturday, Charlton can look forward to a cup run of their own.

Relieved manager Ben Garner said: “I was really pleased with my players today in terms of the respect they showed to Coalville with their performance and the way they greeted the Coalville players and congratulated them at the end of the game.”