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21 October 2006

Leaders demolish Town

Derwent 8 Coalville Town 1

DTZ East Midlands Premier Division

Coalville we're taught a hockey lesson by table-toppers Derwent in their latest DTZ East Midlands Premier Division clash.

Town came into the game in the bottom three and were facing a side who had already scored 18 goals in three games. The long journey up to Wirksworth is never the easiest, and Coalville have a poor record over the years playing there.

It seemed that record was going to be continued when inside 10 minutes the home side passed the ball through the Town defence and around keeper Paul Marston to take the lead.

This lead was soon doubled, although Coalville did show some fight. Chris Vernon soon saw a shot bring out a decent save from the Derwent keeper, while Ryan Mason also went close.

Town did strike next. A Vernon penalty corner effort was turned home at the far post by captain Brian Robinson and Coalville had renewed hope. More chances came Coalville's way, with Adam Barnett wildly hitting the sideboards when he should really have pulled the ball back, and Mason again seeing a good effort blocked.

Derwent's speed on the break was causing problems, though, and shortly before the interval a third goal came and Town went in at the interval 3-1 down despite having more efforts on goal.

Town were not out of it at half-time, but things soon started to go wrong. Five minutes after the restart Derwent added a fourth, and a fifth came a few minutes after that from a well worked penalty corner.

Coalville were now conceding possession with worrying regularity, and Derwent stormed forward to add a sixth. Mason was possibly Coalville's main bright spark, although both Mick Clarke and Ollie Knight promoted from the seconds put in decent displays, but Mason continued to plough a lone furrow up front, threatening to open up the Derwent defence but always finding one man to many to beat.

Vernon then picked up a second yellow card in as many weeks for kicking the ball away, but Town stood firm during this period. Derwent then also saw a player yellow carded for backchatting the umpire, but that didn't stop the home side adding a seventh.

An eighth goal a couple of minutes before the end compiled Coalville's misery. Town need to start picking up points quickly, otherwise they could find themselves fighting a relegation scrap. Third-placed Northampton Saints visit King Edward VII College this weekend.