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Battling draw leaves Town with hope

Melton 1 Coalville Town 1 

Bodykraft East Midlands Premier Division

Coalville turned in a battling display to earn an unlikely draw at top of the table Melton and leave themselves with a sniff of avoiding the bottom three places in the division.

Town now find themselves with a sense of dejavu, needing county rivals Leicester Thursday to save them by beating Players on the final day of the season - just as it was Thursday who provided the opposition for South Nottingham on the final day last season when Town survived by one goal! Obviously, it will all depend on what happens after league restructuring.

County Drains sponsored Coalville started Saturday's game brightly, attacking the table toppers, and it wasn't long before a Sam Crowie pass had put Ryan Mason in, but his shot was well saved by the Melton keeper.

Town continued to have the better of their county rivals, and Brian Robinson burst forward down the right, played the ball into Chris Vernon who laid it off for Mason, but this time his shot flashed just wide.

Coalville then created another glaring opportunity, but Andy Newman was the wrong man in the wrong place and completely fluffed an open goal!

Just when it looked as though it might be one of those days, Coalville finally found the breakthrough they deserved. Town won a penalty corner and the ball was played out to Vernon. He slipped it right into the path of Mark Newman who kept his composure to smash home his sixth of the season into the bottom left hand corner.

Town still led at the break, and it was Melton the side who were suddenly wondering if this was to be the day where they blew the league title. But Melton came out fired up for the second half and started to take the game to Coalville.

Coalville were playing a new system, with just Glen Marston, Liam McArthur and Adam Barnett at the back. And the trio were soon coming under some intense pressure. It wasn't long before Adam Johnson was forced into a good save to deny an onrushing Melton player.

But 10 minutes into the second half Melton managed to get on level terms when the ball was fired home from close range, leaving Johnson no chance.

Both sides sought out a winner, but time seemed to rapidly disappear. Johnson again produced a couple of more good saves as Melton twice went close, but at the other end Mason and Aiden Spilsbury both also had opportunities to win it for Coalville.

But as it was, the game ended all square. Players 5-2 win over Ramgharia (Derby) leaves them level on points with Town, but with a worse goal difference. At the other end, Melton stayed top after Jaguar Coventry lost to North Notts.