Double Vision

It was an impressive performance from Coates and his colleagues which, unfortunately, came in front of the lowest League gate of the season of 3,375. While the victory itself was memorable enough, for Coates it was a major milestone – his first goals in 20 months of competitive action. “I was happy to end 20 barren months,” explained Coates who had scored his last goal against Cardiff in March 1998. “I thought I did quite well over the 90 minutes against Halifax that day and the goals certainly rounded things off. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play or go out with my mates so I’m glad I made the right decision. “Saying that, I probably could have had two more that day because I missed the easier chances. But everyone played well and it must rank as one of our best performances at home this season. It was a shame there weren’t a few more there to see it but that’s probably Mike Lewis’s fault. “Now we’ve got to repeat that performance at Halifax tonight. It’s another big game and we’ve got to try and come away with something to keep the gap open. “It won’t be easy though. They’ll remember what we did to them down here and will be out to stick one on us this time,” added Coates who has added two more goals to his tally since his Halifax openers. The goals may not have flown in for the cultured left-footer at Barnet on Saturday, but his performance came close to matching that crackerjack display against Halifax back in November. “I hadn’t been happy with my last two or three performances before Barnet, because I was awful” added Coates. “But I was glad to get back on course last Saturday. “I thought the performance from the whole team was a big improvement from the games against Hull, Chester and Cheltenham. It couldn’t have been much worse.” Coates, like the rest of his Vetch Field colleagues, is confident of hanging on to their top-three spot. But if Swansea can go on and clinch the championship as a bonus, there will be nobody happier than Coates. After all, the local product has not exactly got a cupboard bursting with silverware to show for the decade he has spent at Vetch Field. “The last medal I won with Swansea was the MacWhirter National Youth League,” said Coates. “I had just stepped out of the trainee ranks when Swansea won the Autoglass Trophy and had to watch from the stand as the senior boys climbed the Wembley steps to collect their medals. “But nobody is even thinking about championship medals just yet. “If we finish second or third we’ll settle for that. “The title will be a bonus, but if we keep on winning and Rotherham slip up then who knows. Also, with Cardiff getting relegated, it could turn out to be a top season” Source: The South Wales Evening Post, 07/03/2000.