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20 January 2007

Town hit for six

Leicester Thursday 6 Coalville Town 1

DTZ East Midlands Premier Division

County Drains-sponsored Coalville Town suffered a crushing defeat by Leicestershire rivals Leicester Thursday in their latest DTZ East Midlands Premier Division clash.

The scoreline was a little harsh on Coalville, who at times played some decent hockey but paid the price for not converting their chances while the home side seemed to have the rub of the green, with practically every shot finding a way to goal.

Coalville started brightly, with Ollie Knight on the right flank causing problems and Niki Arnold's tenacity creating an early opening for Adam Barnett, which the Town forward pulled wide.

But Thursday always looked dangerous on the break, and took the lead when a penalty corner found its way to goal - although Town protested in vain that the effort was from outside the dee.

It soon became 2-0 when another swift counter allowed a forward to slot the ball home. Coalville fought back, though, knowing a goal would give them a foothold in the game.

Good work by Mark Newman and Liam McArthur soon set up a chance for Arnold, but the Town forward failed to hit the target. But Arnold's efforts were deserving of something, and a good pass from right by Brian Robinson soon set the Town forward away. He beat two defenders with his trickery before producing a reverse stick strike into the bottom corner of the goal to make it 2-1.

But seconds before half-time, Thursday regained their two-goal cushion when a penalty corner was passed around the dee for former Coalville player Phil Bowerman to slot home.

Town continued to battle in the second half, and should have made it 3-2 when Barnett had a clear chance on goal. With the keeper beaten, the Town forward had what looked like a simple task to slot home, but, at full stretch, he could only manage to slide the ball wide.

Thursday went down the other end and scored a fourth from another penalty corner to rub salt into the Coalville wounds, and just to prove that lady luck was on the home team's side, they got a fifth when three players managed to play their own game of 'volleys' around the Coalville goal before slotting home.

Town had a few more good efforts after this, with Mike Browbank's penalty corner strike going inches over the backboard, Arnold forcing a couple of reflex saves out of the Thursday keeper, and Mark Newman firing over when it looked easier to find the goal. Coalville also felt they should have been awarded a penalty stroke after an obvious foul in the dee, but the umpires waved the appeals away.

Thursday then added a sixth with a rocket of a strike at a penalty corner to make it a miserable day for Town. But they'll have to pick themselves up for this weekend's double-header. And things don't get any easier, with a trip to fourth-placed Northampton Lions on Saturday and then third-placed Warwick University visiting King Edward VII College on Sunday.