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Vernon treble helps Town fight back

Players 3 Coalville Town 3

BodyKraft East Midlands Premier Division

Coalville fought back from a goal behind three times to pick up a point against Players in Nottingham.

County Drains-sponsored Town were desperate to put last weekend's disappointing defeat against Leicester Westleigh behind them, and produced an altogether more pleasing display on the water-based astroturf at Beeston.

The opening exchanges saw both sides testing each other out. Town's defence of Rich Wright, James Woodard, Liam McArthur and Mick Clarke were working the ball around together, while Phil Sign and Sam Crowie were working hard in the centre of the park.

Town soon created an opening but Chris Vernon failed to hit the target. Players are an experienced side with a tricky centre forward, and he soon went close but fortunately Woodard got back to clear his effort off the line.

But eventually Coalville cracked. A free hit was awarded on the edge of the dee and the ball was drilled into the area. Town keeper Paul Marston was then caught napping, taking a chance on letting the ball go only for a forward to get the slightest of nicks on the ball before it went to the goal to make it 1-0 and a soft goal to concede.

Town, as they often do, hit straight back. Crowie combined neatly with Andy Newman and slipped the ball through for Vernon who fired home the equaliser.

But again, Town weren't level for long. Another long ball up the middle of the park allowed the Players forward to elude McArthur and round Marston and flick home to restore the home sides lead.

Town sought another equaliser, and Vernon went close with a penalty corner strike which brought a good save out of the Players keeper. Town kept plugging away, with Ryan Mason seeing a reverse stick shot go wide and Mark Newman seeing another effort blocked on the line by a home defender.

Coalville's pressure eventually told with a superbly worked goal. Adam Barnett was instrumental on the right, picking the ball up inside his own half and swapping passes with skipper Sign and then with Vernon. Barnett then got into the area and squared the ball for Vernon to guide the ball home into an almost open goal.

Town went in at the break all square, and were confident they were capable of going on to win the game. The game began to open up in the second half, and Players soon went close from a penalty corner, but Marston this time turned the flicked effort wide.

But Coalville were now creating more. Mason got into the area and unleashed another trade mark reverse stick effort which brought out a fine save from the Players keeper, and Vernon hit another rocket which the same keeper somehow managed to keep out.

The game was becoming so open that Coalville were always susceptible to the quick counter, and they soon lost Woodard to a temporary suspension following a desperate stick tackle on the edge of the area. Town reorganised and held out for the five minute period, with Mike Browbank seeing one shot flash just wide during the spell Town were a man short.

But Players were again knocking on the door, and eventually found a way through when the ball was played back from the baseline, bobbled out to the edge of the area where a home player cracked a well struck shot low into the far corner of the goal to make it 3-2.

Coalville reshuffled again and went to just three players in defence for the final 10 minutes. But it paid off when Andy Newman picked the ball up on the left, got into the dee and managed to dribble round the keeper and scramble the ball across goal for Vernon to smash home his hat-trick goal to make it 3-3.

Chances continued to come as both sides went searching a winner. First Town keeper Marston made a good diving save with his stick to turn a well struck shot wide. Then Town had a golden opportunity to win the game. Vernon was set clear on goal by good work from Mason and Browbank. You'd have backed Town's in form striker to have bagged his fourth of the game, but the Players keeper stayed big and won the ball with his stick as Vernon tried to take it round him.

So both sides had to settle for a point from an exciting game. Town move back above local rivals Leicester Westleigh on goal difference, and face a real crunch game on Saturday when they host bottom but one Northampton Lions - a game from which Coalville desperately need to pick up their first home win of the season.