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All square in year opener

Jaguar Coventry 2 Coalville Town 2

Coalville Town 2nd XI 4 Jaguar Coventry 2nd XI 2

Jaguar Coventry 3rd XI 1 Coalville Town 3rd XI 6 

Friendlies

Coalville warmed up for the restart of the Bodykraft East Midlands Premier Division with a hard fought draw at Jaguar Coventry.

The hosts, who play in Town's division and currently lie in third place in the table, started the stronger and it wasn't long before Liam McArthur and James Woodard at the heart of Coalville's defence were being tested.

A drag flick at a penalty corner soon brought a save out of Paul Marston in the Coalville goal, with the rebound being scrambled away by Woodard.

County Drains-sponsored Coalville eventually managed to shake some of the mid-season break rust off and began to play the ball around nicely. A burst of pace from Brian Robinson soon split the Jaguar defence, but his effort was blocked.

Coalville's Rich Wright takes on a Jaguar defender

Chris Vernon, returning from injury, then saw a strike at a penalty corner well saved by the Jaguar keeper. Coalville began to grow in confidence, with Sam Crowie settling well in the centre of midfield alongside skipper Phil Sign and Andy Newman gradually coming more into the game down the left.

But around 10 minutes before the break, Jaguar managed to catch Coalville on the hop to work the ball around Marston and into the Coalville goal for a 1-0 lead at the break. Town then nearly slipped further behind when a player flicked the ball towards goal, only for McArthur to clear off the line.

Town came out with new purpose from the restart, but not before Adam Johnson, who came on at half time in the Coalville goal, had been tested by a couple of efforts. Another drag flick at a penalty corner went narrowly wide, before Coalville managed to hit back.

Coalville's Chris Vernon steps up to flick the ball towards goal, which led to Andy Newman (far side) scoring.

Town won a penalty corner and the ball was played out to Vernon. He produced a flicked effort of his own which cannoned against the post, only for the rebound to fall to the stick of Newman who slotted home the equaliser.

Coalville then caught Jaguar out again. Sign played the ball in from the side into the path of Vernon who burst into the dee and beat a couple of defenders before blasting the ball - with only one hand on his stick - past the keeper and into the far corner of the goal. A 1-0 deficit turned into a 2-1 lead in a matter of a couple of minutes!

But Jaguar the began to apply pressure on Town, and Rich Wright and Mick Clarke were having to make some important tackles. Jaguar went within inches of equalising when another drag flick cannoned off the top of the Coalville post, hitting McArthur on the chest as it came down for the Town defender to clear his second off the line.

Jaguar then managed to carve Town open, and despite Johnson saving the initial effort, a Jaguar player was on hand to slot home into the goal to make it 2-2.

Town still had the final clear chance to win the game. Town won another penalty corner and Vernon stepped up and flicked another effort towards goal which beat the Jaguar keeper, but also came back off the top of the post.

Coalville get down to real business on Saturday when fellow strugglers, Leicester Westleigh, visit King Edward VII College. Last time the two sides met they shared 12 goals, with Town winning 8-4, so Coalville will be hoping for the same outcome in 2008.

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Town's second string started 2008 in ideal style, securing a 4-2 friendly win at King Edward VII College against fellow Bodykraft East Midlands Premier Division outfit Jaguar Coventry.

Scott Meadows and Mike Browbank both struck twice for Coalville in a convincing win that will hopefully stand Town in good stead for the second half of the season.

Meanwhile, the third string also beat their Jaguar Coventry counterparts with ease, winning by 6-1 at Coventry University. Chris Pearson hit a hat-trick, Carl Clay two and Dean Pallett with the other.