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Double defeat for thirds

Coalville Town 3rd XI  2  Burton 3rd XI  3

Nottingham 3rd XI 1 Coalville Town 3rd XI 0

Bodykraft 3rd XI East Midlands Premier Division

Coalville suffered double defeat as first local rivals Burton and then Nottingham managed to grab wins which help take them away from relegation zone, but leaves Town in real trouble.

Town started Saturday's game at home to Burton brightly, with Darren Conway and Dave Mee combining well in the centre of the park, supported by the dangerous Chris Pearson on the flank.

With around 10 minutes gone Coalville won a penalty corner and the ball was played out to Carl Clay who produced a trademark drag flick into the roof of the goal to open the scoring.

But Burton hit back almost instantly. They won a penalty corner and the ball was smashed home past Greg Tongue in the Coalville goal.

The visitors created a couple of more good chances with quickly taken free hits in and around the dee, but the waiting forward on the far post failed to deflect the ball on target on each occasion.

Coalville then spurred into life again. Conway and Mee again linked up in midfield, and worked the ball into the path of Clay. He slipped the ball to Pearson on the left and the Town winger cut inside his marker and fired home past the Burton keeper to restore Coalville's lead.

It remained 2-1 at the interval, but Coalville came under pressure from Burton straight from the restart. Simon Calkin and Simon Clare were being forced into more and more desperate challenges, while Tom Sloan and Chris Woodard were being prevented from getting forward as the visitors pressed.

Tongue was soon forced into a couple of saves, but couldn't prevent Burton from eventually levelling the game with a well worked move. The visitors then went in front for the first with another well struck shot from a penalty corner.

Coalville found some rhythm to their play again after this, and Clay soon struck another penalty corner towards goal that found the net via the keeper's pads. But the umpires disallowed the effort because the initial strike was over the height of the backboards.

Time was now ticking out, and Town had one last late chance to level the game. A scramble inside the Burton dee saw the ball fall into the path of Calkin, but he could only turn his effort wide with the Burton keeper on the ground and seemingly helpless.

Sunday saw Coalville travel to Nottingham for a rearranged Bodykraft East Midlands Premier Division game that was postponed before Christmas.

Town fielded a weakened side, and it wasn't long before Stuart Burton in the Coalville goal was being forced into some fine saves. 

Coalville forced a couple of penalty corners, one which saw Mee fire narrowly wide and the other which saw a Clay flick also just fail to hit the target.

Shortly before the break Nottingham were awarded a soft penalty stroke, from which Burton was sent the wrong way. Coalville kept trying in the second half, but the ball just wouldn't stick with the front pairing of Chris Woodard and Ashley Wootton.

At the death, Town had a final chance when Pearson ghosted past a defender, but dragged his shot wide of the mark to make it a double defeat for Coalville, and what is now looking like an increasingly tough task to stay in the division.