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Fifths stun league leaders

Coventry & North Warwick 5th XI 1  Coalville Town 5th XI 2

Bodykraft Central League South East Division Two

Coalville's youthful fifth string produced a superb performance to inflict only the second defeat of the season on title-chasing Coventry & North Warwick, and potentially move themselves up into fourth spot in the Central League South East Division Two.

Town were up for this game from the off, after deciding to do a warm-up before playing the game for a change. It seemed to do the trick, Coalville were much sharper than their opposition in the opening 10 minutes and struck the first blow on the league leaders early on.

Chris Ashton picked the ball up deep in his own half and played the ball forward to Jaspal Randhawa. He exchanged passes with James Unwin on the halfway line and went around a Coventry player before linking up with Russell Hallam. There was still a lot to do, but the influential Randhawa slipped the ball back into Hallam's path and he raced into the area and fired home under the Coventry keeper to give Coalville a deserved lead.

Coalville continued to dominate the play, and Adam Mills soon forced a save out of the Coventry keeper, while Randhawa also saw an effort flash wide. Town went in a goal to the good at the interval, and captain Unwin and the experienced Ashton urged their side not to let it slip.

Sam Bingley and Tom Kelly were soon being called on to make a number of fine challenges as Coventry began to come more back into it early in the second half, and Sam Edwards was working hard on the right wing.

Coalville's resolve was eventually broken, though, around 10 minutes into the second half when Coventry scored with a well taken penalty corner that left Rob Houghton with little chance in the Town goal.

But Coalville upped their game again after this, the game becoming an increasingly end to end affair. Town won a number of penalty corners, but failed to make anything of them. Kristian Webb and Unwin in the heart of the Town defence were soon being forced into some more important challenges.

But Coalville managed to keep the home side at bay, and then got another penalty corner. The ball was played out by Edwards to Unwin, who struck the ball towards goal. The home keeper saved, but the ball came back out to Unwin. He then slipped it into the path of Mills who fired home to restore the Coalville lead.

There were just under 10 minutes remaining, and Coventry threw everything at Town, knowing that defeat would likely mean Rugby & East Warwick 6ths would take over at the top of the table. But the young Coalville side slammed the door shut, to secure a major scalp which will probably make them the toast of another part of Warwickshire!