Racing Club miss a glorious chance to lift Charity Cup

RACING Club Warwick were left to rue a host of missed chances after slipping to a cruel injury-time defeat in the final of the Coventry Charity Cup at the Ricoh Arena.

Striker Ricardo Richards was the main culprit, wasting a string of opportunities, the most clear-cut of which came in the 39th minute when he found himself clear through on goal.

However, the Coventry Alliance side will feel they were deserving of at least a draw after bossing the first half of an entertaining encounter which provided a host of goalmouth action for the 500-plus crowd.

And manager Lee Knight, in his final game as Racers boss, had few complaints after seeing Christ the King defender Andy Morris curl an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner in stoppage time.

“It was a goal fit to win any cup final,” said Knight.

“We could not get to grips with their 3-5-2 in the first half and although Ricardo had the best chance, they were the better team.

“We matched them up after the break and dominated for 30 minutes, but it’s the old adage that you need to score.

“If we’d have got the first goal they would have folded.

“But some of the last-ditch defending from both sides was fantastic.”

The Kings side looked out on the feet in the second period, with the superior fitness of the Racing Club side showing, but Knight felt the togetherness of the Coventry side shone through in the final ten minutes, laying the platform for a rally which produced the winning goal.

“They’re a good set of lads and it’s a well-run club,” he said.

“They’ve got a good structure and that’s the benchmark; local lads in a local team which is run properly.

“We’d only been together a year, but they’ve been together a long time and that told.”

Christ the King were first to settle, with Racers disrupted by the early loss of Danny Charlton to an ankle injury.

However, despite Jason Cherrington twice getting early sights of goal, it was Racers who had the better of the opportunities.

Aaron Nevin saw a header from a corner cleared off the line by a defender while Leon Blake dragged his shot wide after keeper Jack Wear was left stranded outside his box.

With Kings playmaker Sean Gormley afforded too much time in the centre of the park, chances started to come at the other end, with Mark Owen drifting a shot wide and then lashing wildly over from ten yards.

Racers keeper Tom Robinson then had to be quickly off his line to deny Owen after he had been released though the middle.

Richards had the clearest sight of goal after Robinson’s huge clearance had been glanced goalwards by a defender. However, with time and space to pick his spot, the ball appeared to get caught under his feet and Wear got something on his shot before Morris got back to clear off the line.

In the final action of the half, Gormley caused an anxious moment for Robinson with a 35-yard effort which grazed the bar.

Racers emerged for the second half with a change of formation and should have been ahead in the 58th minute.

Richards’ shot caused panic in the box and the supporting Reece Lynch appeared to have the easy task of slotting the loose ball into the net only for Wear to pull off a superb block with his leg.

Martin Crawford slid a shot narrowly wide of the far post with Wear beaten, while the Racers defence had to be alert to crowd out Cherrington after more good work by Gormley.

However, it was Racers who looked the more likely winners, with Richards using his strength to fashion a shot which was parried and then flashing his follow-up wide.

Kings were simply unable to cope with the power of Richards and he again found himself through on goal in the 87th minute, but with the angle narrowing, his shot was parried and then recovered by Wear.

And, with extra-time looming, a soft free-kick award on the edge of the Racing Club area allowed Morris to step up and show Richards just how it is done.