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9th December 2006

Students sneak win

Warwick University 3 Coalville Town 2

DTZ East Midlands Premier Division

Coalville suffered their first defeat in six games as the students of Warwick University kept themselves within striking distance of the DTZ East Midlands Premier Division pacesetters.

Town were a little lazy to start with in this 'home' game which was played at Warwick University, but Mike Browbank and Mark Newman were combining well in the centre of midfield and making use of the energetic Ollie Knight and Liam McArthur on either flank.

Warwick kept probing at the Coalville defence, but Andy Newman, Gareth Gamble and Mick Clarke all stood firm.

A moment of quality allowed Town to get in front after 10 minutes. Chris Vernon picked the ball up in midfield and played a superb slide-rule ball through for Knight to latch onto it and sweep under the Warwick keeper - the first 1st XI goal for the Town 17-year-old.

But Warwick came back strongly after this, winning a few penalty corners and generally keeping Paul Marston in the Coalville goal busy. But there was a huge slice of fortune in the Students equaliser.

The ball was fired into the dee and deflected off Mick Clarke's stick towards goal. On reflection, had that gone into the goal, it wouldn't have counted and would have resulted in a long corner, but Town keeper Marston dived and managed to get his glove on the effort to keep it out, only for two Warwick forwards to come in quickly to bundle the ball into the goal.

The Students now had momentum, and five minutes later got into the lead from a well-worked penalty corner move. Town certainly had chances before the break to get back on terms, with Browbank and Mark Newman both having efforts saved.

Warwick came out strongly after the break and Coalville were again under pressure. Marston soon had to make a fine double save, stopping one effort with his pads and then bravely blocking the follow up effort - which hit the Town keeper in the throat, leaving him momentarily shaken.

Coalville's best way of getting a leveller seemed to be on the break, and with around 17 minutes of the game left, Town got an equaliser. Mark Newman slipped the ball to Brian Robinson, who waltzed through a couple of challenges before slotting home by the Warwick keeper.

But five minutes later Coalville were behind again, when a player broke free from his marker to fire home past Marston. Town went very close near the end to equalising again, but this time Mark Newman's skidded inches wide, and with that miss went Coalville's hopes of picking up any points.