NUNEATON 6 BOOTS 0

Nuneaton put their first Coaching Solutions East Midlands Premier league points on the board with a thumping 6 – 0 home victory against a Boots side that in previous seasons has been a bogey team.

However that jinx was well and truly banished in dramatic style with Nuns ahead by three goals after only five minutes play.

The first goal came in the first minute as Dave Eccles won the ball from the Boots push, fed Ally Jones who passed on to Justin HADLEY to slot the ball past the keeper. A couple of minutes later Hadley turned provider as Dave ECCLES put one in from close range and it was Eccles again adding the third following a cross from Jones.

After the initial flurry of goals Boots steadied their ship but Nuneaton were still creating chances although they failed to add any further goals before half time.

However the second half saw the home side double their goal tally as Hadley proved to be a one-man scoring machine. Eccles was again involved in the fourth goal as both players showed composure in front of goal for a neat exchange of passes that left the keeper stranded as Justin HADLEY finished.

Nuneaton dominance was completed with the final two goals coming through well worked short corner routines, Justin HADLEY pounced on a loose ball from an initial shot for the fifth and then latched on to a threaded pass from skipper Marshall at the near post for the sixth and final goal.

After the previous weeks defeat Nuneaton can be proud of their response but there will be little time to bask in the win as they face one of the favourites for promotion, Burton, in the next game.

COALVILLE II 1 NUNEATON II 3

Nuneaton continued their impressive start to the Coaching Solutions East Midlands Premier league campaign with a fine away win against a feisty Coalville side.

The visitors started the stronger and took the lead midway through the first half with Roger STOKES firing in from a well-worked short corner. This spurred Coalville into playing some attractive hockey and they drew level ten minutes later after a precise passng move cut through the Nuneaton defence.

In the second half, Nuneaton again dominated and kept the home side in their own half for long periods before regaining the lead from another short corner, youngster Ian LAWTON in the right place to fire home.

Coalville never really troubled the visiting defence and with five minutes remaining, the third goal came from yet another short corner, this time despatched by Chris JESSON.

Nuneaton can be well satisfied with a fine second half display and will look forward to the next game at home to Boots with increased confidence.

NUNEATON III 2 LEAMINGTON III 2

Nuneaton started strongly in this Coaching Solutions East Midlands Division One game, taking advantage of a late arriving Leamington side to turn up the pressure.

Paul Sidwell in particular caused problems throughout on the right wing, although unfortunately, injured skipper Forryan was unable to connect with any of the hard hit early crosses. This profligacy proved expensive when a defensive mistake allowed Leamington to take a shock early lead.

The home side continued to press, however, and from a slick short corner move Paul SIDWELL crashed the ball home via a defenders' stick.

Early in the second half a Patrick MOORE flick from another corner gave Nuneaton the lead and the same player led the Leamington defenders a merry dance but was unable to add to his tally despite creating a number of openings.

In the last few minutes the home side began to tire and Leamington equalised after a disputed penalty corner award. Both teams had further chances in the driving rain but were unable to grasp the winner and the points were shared with both goalies earning the plaudits of their colleagues.

BELPER V 1 NUNEATON IV 0

Nuneaton’s second game in this season’s Coaching Solutions East Midlands Premier Division involved a long trip to Belper with a much-changed side from the previous week.

Youngsters Oliver Gazeley and Ryan Stokes stepped up from the fifths and sixths respectively and were soon demonstrating their undoubted abilities against a resolute Belper side.

Although conceding possession to the home team for long periods of the first half, the Nuneaton goal was rarely threatened and the livewire Stokes proved a handful to the home defenders, twice leaving them floundering in his wake as he created one-on-one chances against the keeper.

No doubt the youngster will gain the composure to benefit from future opportunities, but hasty finishes failed to find the net and a misplaced Nuneaton pass Belper to drive into the visitors’ “D” and leave keeper Casement helpless to stop the resulting shot.

With Andy Mahon and Nigel Lawton in superb form, Belper were restricted to a series of half chances that Casement saw fly well wide of his net, whilst at the other end, the constant threat caused by Stokes’s pace and Ellingworth’s trickery, led to Nuneaton winning several short corners.

Sadly, the cutting edge was missing and although there were a number of scoring efforts from these corners, Nuneaton failed to capitalise.

A draw would have been a fair result, but the game was played in a good spirit and umpired excellently, and the performance of the four youngsters drafted into the team was a major bonus on a thoroughly wet afternoon.

NUNEATON V 4 NUNEATON VI 1

This week’s Coaching Solutions South East Division Two clash between Nuneaton’s fifth and sixth teams proved an even affair despite the one-sided final scoreline.

The sixths showed a number of changes from the previous week and drafted in two young players for their debuts, Craig Gilchrist and Sam Marston, who acquitted themselves well against a much older and physically stronger side.

The match started off in a heavy rainstorm and the youngsters of the sixth team were quick to press their opponents back into their own half, dictating the play with older heads Troy Burton and Geoff Wagg orchestrating affairs.

Nevertheless, the fifths took the lead against the run of play when Matt CAWTHORNE struck the ball into the goal to round off a sweeping move but this was short-lived as Matt PEGG struck his second goal in as many games to level the scores.

The second half saw a role reversal as the fifths began to take control, and their superior strength led to further goals from John RAYWOOD and Phil WHEATLEY.

The sixths can however be satisfied with another excellent effort from their young side with Josh Wagg again impressive at centre forward.