September 15, 2008 FOSKETT GOAL SENDS CITY CRASHING IN LOCAL COVENTRY CLASH  Newly promoted Midlands Combination league side Coventry Copsewood claimed the local bragging rights after they inflicted defeat on mighty rivals Coventry City Ladies at Allard Way on Sunday, Nicola Foskett's 72nd minute goal, rolled home from 8 yards out was enough to give grass roots family football club Coventry Copsewood Ladies their first three points of the season in their opening league Combination encounter.In a typically tight battling local derby contest Copsewood's good first half display found them with their backs too the walls during the second half as City rattled the woodwork on numerous occasions before and after Foskett's goal paved the way for a nervous nail biting ending.
Since the Copsewood's humble begins during its roller coaster years as works outfit Coventry Marconi in year 2000, The team has come along the way under Conneely guidance, and as he sets about leading the club into their ninth league season its perhaps rather ironic that Conneely fell in love with the Job, he only originally agreed to take on for a few months nine years later Conneely is now part and parcel of the Allard Way furniture, but it wasn't so long ago that his Women's side was looked down upon and shunned by their male counterparts but attitudes has change not least since Conneely became a member of the clubs committee.Having single handily masterminded the rise and profile of Copsewood Ladies together with his teenage sons Joe and Ryan who have helped out over the past years with Coaching training and match-day duties football at Copsewood certainly is a family affair.Originally, the early years were spent trying to build a powerhouse side and progress from the lower reaches of the West Midlands regional Ladies League through the women's football pyramid.Since the acquisition of current Club Skipper 20 year-old Leanne McKenna the jigsaw pieces need for Copsewood's upsurge have fallen into place as Manager Mick Conneely builds and crafts together a playing squad capable of achieving bigger accolades on the Women's Football circuit, which has be moulded around the Club Captain who is a true leader battler in every sense of the world and gives 110 percent when ever she pulls on the colours of Copsewood Ladies but unlike for many Female Footballers McKenna football pedigree is well documented in the Coventry Area, tough tackling McKenna wasn't around to remember her Granddad George Curtis's 14 year football adventures in the 1960's under then Sky Blues bosses Jimmy Hill and Noel Cantwell at Highfield Road on the professional football circuit, but maybe she has heard just once or two stores that have influence her along the way but one things for sure Macca has inherited some of Granddads football qualities that can be attributed to Copsewood's rise on the Women's football scene.
As Copsewood Season and Midlands Combination Challenge gathers momentum the club have been boosted by the kind and generous sponsorship once again of Melonie Smith who have sponsored Two new playing strips and track-suits for the side this season.Then acquisition of Nicola Foskett who missed three seasons with a knee injury and similarly processes these same Unique football qualities as her team-mate McKenna was another milestone in the clubs history. For many years Copsewood lived in the shadow of their bigger city rivals with Conneely often left to salvage and pick-up the players that Coventry City had cast off but asked many of the girls who have pasted through the ranks of the Sky Blues to give you their options and differences about the two Clubs, and you won't find anyone who is not enjoying or loving their Football more at the smaller grass roots family orientated Midlands Club and there's not one player within the Copsewood ranks who would say their game has not improved under Conneely's guidance least of all former England Under 17's international Amanda Whalley who is now enjoying her football more since moving across the City some eighteen months ago, Pride, Playing from the heart and a great team spirit are just some of the sides attributes.Conneely came so close to Clinching promotion from the West Midlands Southern League during the 2003/2004 season but on a fateful day in Redditch his dreams of promotion were washed away with then rain that engulfed the important game with Champions Headless Cross Ladies but ask Conneely what's difference today from that all those years back, and undoubtedly he will tell you the team lacked ambition, had no leaders, very little Quality and had few true characters but having achieved one of the biggest results in the clubs history Conneely jokingly told the Midlands Press, "he may just well consider resigning on Monday Morning following the result" after achieving what must rank as a Massive Result but that achievement is made so much sweeter given the fact that many of the his players have come through the Coventry City Ladies players exit door.
Many who witnessed the scenes of Jubilation at Allard Way in front of a crowd exceeding over 100 spectators both in the stands and watching from the Club house balcony, can be forgiven for thinking Copsewood have won anything more that just three league points, but with those points comes, local pride, never has the clinching of Three Points been met so early on in the season with such scenes of euphoria, As for Conneely's winning Philosophy for success well that can be define as team spirit and without doubt there perhaps isn't any other team in the Country or even the world which can boost such a fantastic team spirit.Whatever the season holds for Conneely and his Copsewood Ladies side, they cannot have wished for a better start or boost too their season other than beating their major Coventry City rivals and while the praise for the teams success invariably goes too the Manager Conneely he is more than happy to dedicate some of the teams success to " long serving players like Marsha Towey, Melissa Danks and Kayleigh Brookes who have come the distance with him through the early years" Conneely now hopes "The clubs success will capture the imagine and attention of Girls in the Coventry Area and outlying districts who want to play for a fantastically talent side" but as the gap in Coventry Ladies football closes perhaps it's an ironic thought to think, on the day Coventry City were beaten by a former bunch of their own players who have breathed and found new football life under Conneely and the Colours of Coventry Copsewood Ladies Football Club but as the club embarks on its highest ever position within the women's football pyramid it promising to be a long hard and enjoyable season but with the crowd chanting after the final whistle who needs "Mourinho when's their Conneelyho" any budding Musicians out their in Coventry may just have been given a great idea for a local record.
Photo - Copses Manager Mick Conneely (White T-Shirt) shakes hands City ladies Joint Manager Paul Cudby Photo Glenn Lawrence
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