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Westleigh walloped as Town hit extravagant eight

Leicester Westleigh 4 Coalville Town 8 

Bodykraft East Midlands Premier Division

Coalville inflicted Leicester Westleigh's first league defeat for more than a year in a bizarre game at St Margaret's Pastures that Coalville eventually won 8-4!

There was no hint of the avalanche of goals that came later in the opening 15 minutes as Westleigh started the brighter and County Drains-sponsored Coalville struggled to string passes together. The home side twice went close, blazing over the bar from close range when it seemed easier to hit the target.

Eventually, Westleigh's superior play in the opening exchanges brought them a goal they deserved from a well-worked penalty corner routine - but in so doing they awoke Town from their slumber.

Within five minutes Town had levelled the game when a neat pass from Mark Newman allowed Brian Robinson to slot home the leveller. Town then went in front when Chris Vernon burst into the dee and was deliberately upended by a Westleigh defender resulting in a penalty stroke. Skipper Phil Sign stepped up and despatched the stroke into the top corner to make it 2-1.

Coalville then added a third with a lovely flowing move between Sign and Vernon which resulted in Vernon blasting the ball home into the bottom corner.

That was half time, and both sides knew the next goal would be crucial. Almost from the restart Coalville further extended their lead when Vernon laid the ball into the path of Ryan Mason, and he produced a trademark reverse stick that flew into the top corner of the goal to make it 4-1.

But Coalville then took their foot off the gas and allowed Westleigh back into the game. A tame flick squeezed past Coalville keeper Paul Marston at his near post to make it 4-2, and it then became 4-3 when, after a game of volley's in the area, a Westleigh forward pounced to turn the ball home.

Coalville needed to respond, and they did instantly. From the push back, Vernon traded passes with Mason, burst into the area and thundered the ball past the Westleigh keeper to make it 5-3.

But the fun and games were only just beginning. Back came Westleigh again, a mis-hit penalty corner bobbling past the outstretched foot of Marston and past the stick of Gareth Gamble and into the goal to make it 5-4.

By now Coalville were getting sick of their inability to finish the game off, so they stormed forward again and scored again when Robinson this time turned home at the second attempt after good play from Liam McArthur.

Coalville now continued to attack, and tightened up a bit at the back. Another flowing move from one side of the pitch to the other saw Mark Newman fire home the seventh goal - making it seem as though the game was going to end in a repeat of the Portsmouth vs Reading game in the football Premiership.

But Town decided to go one goal better and grab an eighth when Mason turned home his second of the game after more good work by Sign, Adam Barnett and Vernon to secure an emphatic win in an enthralling Bodykraft East Midlands Premier Division game.