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Only goal ousts Town seconds

Coalville Town 2nd XI 0  North Notts 2nd XI  1

Bodykraft 2nd XI East Midlands Premier Division    

In their last match before the Christmas break, Towns second XI took on the team currently lying second in the table and after an epic battle between two in form teams, went down narrowly by the only goal of the game.

  Forced into making four changes from their regular side, Town were immediately put on the defensive by a North Notts side who have a reputation for being a tough hard tackling team and they came to play to their notoriety. However despite their reputation, their early play showed that they are also a fast attacking outfit with a good degree of fitness as they sprayed the ball around slicing through a Town defence which grimly held on for the opening 10 minutes. 

With Gareth Gamble at the heart of a back three, and Ian Wright and Glen Marston alongside him, and with Stuart Jobburn in the holding role just in front, they restricted the visitors attacking options to speculative raids and gave good protection to Joel Barker in the Town goal, but it wasn’t long before they were split open for the opening goal after 12 minutes. 

Picking up the ball on their own 22 metre line, play sped through the visitor’s midfield and up to the front runners with such consummate ease that all it took was a quick interplay one two past Barker and the ball was in the net. 

After that it was more or less one way traffic as Town struggled to gain any momentum due to the many changes they had to make for the game. The midfield four of skipper Tony Crowie, Darren Conway, Steve Partner and Brent Clamp were all working hard to feed the attacking options for Gareth Toyer and Scott Meadows but as soon as they got the ball, the visitors defence took it off them and began another attack, however despite their first half domination, Barker was not really troubled as Gamble and Wright held back the tide.

Whatever Crowie said at half time obviously had an effect as Town came out for the second half with much more determined action. Jobburn came out of his defensive mode to whip up the attack as Crowie and Conway gradually began to get back into the game, and with Partner and Clamp gaining space on the flanks, they took on the high flyers at their own skilful pace. 

With Meadows moving back out to his right wing position, he began to cause problems for the Notts defence, but as with the opposition in the first half, chances were few and far between. Play was end to end and played at a fast and furious pace but neither attack could get enough advantage to cause any problems to the keepers as attacks either broke down on the 22m line or in the dee when players did manage to get through.

 Jobburn was working hard for Town and he was in the thick of the action as Town got on top as the half moved on and it was the visitors turn to hold on. Although both teams were playing it hard, no malice came through as each team seemed to respect their opponents respective skills but try as they might, Town could not quite get near enough to cause any problems. 

Nevertheless it was nearly all Town for the last 15 minutes as they piled forward in search of an equaliser, but desperate defence from the visitors as they continually cleared their lines downfield was the order of play. Town nearly squeezed a goal when Meadows broke through with five minutes to go but a superb save from his cross cum shot by the visitors keeper with the loose ball being thumped away was the closest they got.   

A thoroughly entertaining game full of pace and skill was the only reward for Town on the day but they can feel some degree of satisfaction by knowing that they held and then gave as good as they got against the second placed team in the league. And they can also feel some satisfaction knowing that it was they who finished the better team and but for the want of the missing regulars, this game could well have seen a different outcome.