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Seconds left to rue defeat

Coalville Town 2nd XI  1  Coventry & North Warwick 2nd XI  3

Bodykraft 2nd XI East Midlands Premier Division

  Town’s 2nd X1 succumbed to another 3 – 1 defeat, this time putting in a workmanlike but unrewarding performance against a team lying in the bottom three in the league with just one win to their credit all season.

  In a hard fought, competitive and often bruising game, Town started well, putting the visitors under immediate pressure with a couple of early chances going begging. However they took a deserved lead after eight minutes when a well worked penalty corner routine saw Niki Arnold slam home a nicely worked square ball from Scott Meadows past a helpless keeper.  

After this early success, it seemed that a second would soon come as they piled forward, but it kept breaking down in and around the visitors 22 metre line cost Town the goal they deserved.  Although Richard Wright and skipper Tony Crowie took command in the middle, the final passes were not quite reaching the forwards as the visitors defence held firm and when they were breached, the keeper came into his own to clear the lines. 

With Carl Marshall and Ian Wright again teamed up in defence, the opposition found no way through and with Steve Partner and Glen Marston on the defensive flanks,  quick breaks from the back were in evidence rather more than just defensive qualities. 

Although Stuart Jobburn, playing just behind his skipper, was well below par, Town pushed forward and Meadows again came close firing just wide. Further chances came and went as Coventry managed to scramble the ball away. 

However Town were pulled up sharp when the visitors equalised in the 25^th minute. The defence for once failed to clear their lines as the ball bounced around the dee, one of the visitors lively forwards nipped in to slot the ball past an advancing Joel Barker in the Town goal. The signs were on the wall as the visitors began to realise that they could get something out of the game. The game turned around all square with Town unlucky not to be in the lead. 

The second half started much the same as Town piled forward looking for their second and Meadows was causing all sorts of problems down the right flank. Working well with Crowie, he outpaced the defence time and again, only to see his passes go begging or for himself to shot wide.  

With Brent Clamp coming more into the game down the left, the visitors were really on the back foot but again the keeper was keeping all at bay. However, as in previous games, and with Town pushing forward looking for a goal, they again succumbed to the same sucker punch that has found them wanting in other games this year. 

With virtually all the team in the opponents half, the visitors broke away and with Marshall missing a tackle and Ian Wright stranded, a well worked ball between the visitors forwards allowed them to snatch the lead on 53 minutes and although Barker managed to stop the first strike on goal he was unable to deal with the follow up shot. 

The game still was almost one way traffic and looked to be turning Towns way, when on 62 minutes, Meadows was fouled, one of many in the game, resulting in the defender receiving a yellow card. However before they could take advantage of the extra man, they were hit again by a breakaway third goal on 63 minutes which again gave Barker no chance. 

Some heads were beginning to drop but they didn’t totally give up and a further chance came their way in the 66^th minute. Although the ball was scrambled away, a second visiting player received a yellow card.

Town will look back on this game and wonder just how they came not only to lose this game but by such a huge margin and with next weeks trip to a team in the top half of the league, they will need to find out why and learn quickly.