Coventry 1 vs 2 Old Stamfield

Old Stamfield travelled to Butts Park Arena on 11 December 2025 for their league away fixture against Coventry, kicking off at 8:00pm under the watchful eye of referee John Brooks. In front of a crowd of 19,213, Old Stamfield secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory in a match that saw both Coventry reduced to 9 following red cards to Simons and Romero.

Old Stamfield lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, deploying Alex Dos Santos in goal. The back four consisted of Romeh Serratton at right back, Taiwo Ejuke and Eduardo Fuenzalida as central defenders, and Florian Sarosi on the left. In midfield, Ben Spencer and Dominic Wilkinson operated as the two holding central midfielders, tasked with both defensive cover and initiating attacks. Ahead of them, the attacking trio featured Sam Jones on the right, Fredrik Wirz centrally as the attacking midfielder, and William Wilngrove on the left, all supporting lone striker Hugo Lamy. The substitutes bench included Anders Larsson, Emyll Leclerc, Alex Gatuso, Antoine Todibo, and Freddie Marshall.

The match began with high intensity, but it was Coventry who suffered an early blow when Simon was shown a straight red card for serious foul following a VAR review in the 33rd minute for a poor tackle on Fuenzalida, reducing them to ten men well before half-time. Old Stamfield looked to capitalise on the numerical advantage, but the first half ended goalless, with both sides cautious and the referee John Brooks managing the game expertly.

Just before the break, Old Stamfield made a tactical substitution, replacing central midfielder Ben Spencer with Anders Larsson to inject fresh energy into the midfield. The second half saw Old Stamfield take control, and their efforts were rewarded in the 56th minute when Larsson scored his first goal for the club. Fredrik Wirz provided a precise short pass inside the box, allowing Larsson to finish confidently with his left foot.

Tragedy struck almost immediately after, however, as Larsson was forced off due to injury in the 57th minute, with Emyll Leclerc coming on to replace him. Old Stamfield did not let this setback slow them down, and in the 66th minute, they doubled their lead. Right back Romeh Serratton delivered a well-placed cross into the box, which striker Hugo Lamy met with a close-range header to make it 2-0.

The game grew increasingly physical as the minutes passed. Taiwo Ejuke picked up a yellow card in the 78th minute, while William Wilngrove was booked in the 82nd minute for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Coventry managed to pull a goal back just a minute later, capitalising on a frantic goalmouth scramble to score from close range with their right foot, setting up a tense finale.

Old Stamfield’s resilience was tested further when Emyll Leclerc had to be substituted due to injury in the 85th minute, with Alex Gatuso coming on. Tactical changes followed in the closing stages, with Antoine Todibo replacing Fredrik Wirz and Freddie Marshall coming on for William Wilngrove, both in the 88th minute, as Old Stamfield sought to shore up their defence and see out the victory.

The match’s intensity peaked in stoppage time when Coventry saw Romero sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 93rd minute for kicking out at Ejuke, reducing them to nine men. Old Stamfield’s Dominic Wilkinson was cautioned for timewasting in the 96th minute, followed by a similar booking for goalkeeper Alex Dos Santos at 102 minutes, reflecting the heated nature of the contest.

Despite Coventry’s late pressure, Old Stamfield held firm to claim a vital 2-1 win on the road. The disciplined defensive display, combined with clinical finishing from Larsson and Lamy, proved decisive in a fiercely contested encounter at Butts Park Arena.