NUNEATON 1 OLD HALESONIANS 5

Nuneaton put in a disappointing performance in this friendly game at home to Olds Halesonians which saw the Nuns go down to a 5 – 1 defeat. The shape and spirit from the good performance the previous week was lacking and Nuneaton paid the price.

Old Hales started brightly and showed they had come with the intention of giving the home side a good game. Although not the quickest team they zipped the ball about well and started to pull Nuneaton around the pitch and out of shape that then meant the away side had players free.

Goals started to come despite the best efforts once again of Jon Hubbard in goal. Two out of the three first half goals came from rebounds after Hubbard had made the initial save and skipper Marshall perhaps should have kept at least one out on the line. With no reply from Nuneaton, Old Hales were three goals to the good at half time. Nuneaton had created chances and their short corners were working well without achieving the end result.

However, the second half brought more of the same except Nuneaton allowed bigger gaps to open up as they lost further shape. Old Hales continued to exploit this and took command of the game which Nuneaton just could not suppress. Old Hales added two more goals whilst Nuneaton could only manage a consolation towards the end when youngster Tom HIGGINSON calmly slotted home from mid way inside the “D”.

The home side have one league game remaining but with relegation rivals Boots scoring an unlikely victory, Nuneaton will be relegated whatever they do in the final week, capping a hard and miserable season for the Nuns.

SOUTH NOTTS II 3 NUNEATON II 3

This was another fine display from Nuneaton who went into this game knowing South Notts had already been promoted although hoping to go up as champions of the Coaching Solutions East Midlands Division One.

However, the visitors spoiled the party with a fine display of hockey and took the lead midway through the first half after good work on the left hand side by Nick and Ali Clarke resulting in a cross into the “D” for Heath GHENT to finish well at the near post.

This seemed to waken the home side who created a number of chances and were rewarded five minutes before the break with a well taken goal.

The second period began with the home side making all the running and before long they took the lead with a defected goal and ten minutes later had a third goal.

Despite these setbacks, Nuneaton felt they were still in the game and this bore fruit when Ali CLARKE picked up the ball from just inside the half way line, ran the full half of the pitch beating a couple of players on the way and fired in a fierce shot past the diving goalkeeper.

Nuneaton continued to press and with five minutes left, Nuneaton were awarded a short corner that was sublimely converted by skipper Alan OWENS with a deft lob that went over the advancing defence and keeper and rolled down the back of the net.

Shortly after, Nuneaton nearly had a winner but the game ended in a draw which was really a fair result.

NUNEATON III 1 JAGUAR COVENTRY III 4

A tired end of season performance saw Nuneaton go down to a strengthened Jaguar side who are desperate to avoid relegation from the Coaching Solutions East Midlands Division One.

The home side scored first from a crafty penalty corner that has been much practiced but never successful until Roger STOKES squeezed the ball past a surprised defence. Only an incredible reflex save by the visitors’ keeper from Stokes again kept the Coventry side in the game.

Jaguar equalised before the break from another penalty corner when, despite a fine save from Mike Loveless in the Nuneaton goal, he was powerless to stop the follow up.

The second period saw the visitors in control with only a few attacks from Nuneaton, mainly coming from Paul Sidwell on the right wing. The constant pressure soon told and the visitors went ahead after some slack marking left the opposition forward in space and this was then swiftly followed up by two further goals to end any chance of a home revival.

Nuneaton now prepare for their last Coaching Solutions League game of the season knowing that they may still be one of the sides relegated and knowing that they have only themselves to blame if the worst happens.

LOUGHBOROUGH V 5 NUNEATON IV 1

Nuneaton continued a long run of defeats in recent visits to Loughborough when they contested the latest Coaching Solutions East Midlands Premier Division game.

The early exchanges were fairly even as both sides created chances to steal a lead, Nuneaton coming closest with a short corner attempt that ricocheted back into play off a post.

However, it was the home team that took advantage of some careless defending to edge in front before doubling their tally with a powerful drag flick attempt that caused the defender on the line to take swift and evasive action.

There was a glimmer of hope for the visitors when Aaron Dobos slipped a finely judged pass into the “D” for Mark ALLISTER to take around the keeper and slot into an empty goal but Loughborough restored their two goal lead before the break.

The second half saw the hosts dominate affairs as Nuneaton tired and despite heroic efforts from Henry Casement in the Nuneaton goal, some naïve defending and unfortunate decisions combined to give the home side a further two goals and a comfortable win.

NUNEATON V 0 SIKH UNION IV 6

Nuneaton competed to the best of their ability throughout this Coaching Solutions South East Division Two match and it was a measure of the quality of the Sikh Union side that only one of the goals, could be attributed to any inadequacy by Nuneaton.

Apart from the final goal, the others were simply top quality strikes. Nuneaton’s player of the match was goalkeeper Mike Loveless whose saves even brought praise from the opposition. Harry Mayou at sweeper also had a very good game but in the end the fifths were simply overwhelmed.

Three of the visitors’ goals were scored by the Midlands U-15 centre forward, one of them a run from midfield at pace which took him past three defenders before also calmly drawing Loveless and taking the ball round him to roll it over the line.

Another was where a half chance was latched on to and flicked over Loveless before anyone had chance to react.

Despite being two down at half time Nuneaton showed considerable determination in the second half. They did force the Union keeper into some good saves and kept going right to the end in an effort to reduce the arrears.

However, they were always going to be second best in what was a sporting and well umpired match.

NORTHAMPTON IV 2 NUNEATON VI 3

A much weakened Nuneaton sixth team started well against a similarly young Northampton side in the penultimate Coaching Solutions South East Division Two game.

Starting brightly, Nuneaton probed the home defence and some crisp passing saw Nick Perry release JOSH WAGG to slot the ball home past the advancing Northampton keeper.

Nuneaton looked on course to dominate possession but were soon brought back down to earth when poor passing from the visitors gifted Northampton the balance of play leading to the equaliser.

A frustrated Parker endeavoured to build play from the midfield which helped to keep the score level at halftime.

The second half continued in the same vein but thankfully the Northampton youngsters held onto the ball for too long, not capitalising on a weak performance from the experienced defenders for Nuneaton.

Gritty battling from Mark Lawton, Luke Horvath and Craig Gilchrist kept the score even until poor marking at the back post let Northampton in for a deserved 2-1 lead although this proved to be the jolt that Nuneaton needed and they finally started to move the ball around whilst staring defeat in the face.

Chris Lynch played an important role in the build up to the penalty corner which led to the equaliser, resulting in Troy BURTON reacting first and slotting home a well struck Parker shot that had been blocked by the keeper.

Nuneaton stepped up another gear sensing that a victory somehow may be on the cards and a great interchange between the two tireless midfielders saw Tom Costello release Andy PARKER to fire the winner home from the top of the ‘D’.

Yet another fine display from the youngsters bodes well for the future of Nuneaton Hockey Club.