NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 4 NUNEATON 1

Another bad day in the Coaching Solutions East Midlands Premier Division for Nuneaton’s first team, losing out to a well organised Northampton Saints team which started the day propping up the bottom of the table.

This may have been the downfall for the away side, complacently thinking that this would be an easy game and failing to put in the necessary commitment and effort.

Saints started the game at a ferocious pace and took a deserved early lead after only five minutes of play, when Nuneaton lost the ball and did not mark the players in the danger area.

Almost immediately from the restart, Nuneaton had a good passing move down the right and the ball fell to Ally Jones on the half way line. His eye of a needle pass through several players was latched onto by Justin HADLEY who rounded the goal keeper and reverse swept the ball into the open net.

This should have got the Nuns going but yet again they failed to capitalise and again through bad defending it was the Saints who went marching into the break with a 2-1 lead.

The second half started in much the same fashion with Nuneaton second best to every ball and lacking any real drive and it was not long before the home side scored a third goal from a well rehearsed short corner.

The fourth goal was scored when Saints centre forward picked the ball up in his own half and managed to get round four defenders without a tackle being made, before finding himself two on one against the goalkeeper and he unselfishly squared the ball to his colleague to make the game safe.

Nuneaton have it all to do next week with an away trip to North Notts who have a 100% record this season, so a great improvement will be required.

NUNEATON II 7 LEICESTER WESTLEIGH II 2

This Coaching Solutions East Midlands Premier Division game showed Nuneaton second eleven at their best with some good attacking hockey and solid defending.

Nuneaton started strongly, going one up after just ten minutes, a rebounded shot coolly swept home by Dave HOLMES and within moments the home team doubled their lead when Pete DOYLE accurately slotted the ball in after good build up play down Nuneaton’s left.

With only fifteen minutes into the game Nuneaton struck again, this time Mark HUTCHINSON converting after a superb solo run and just before half time, the same player gave Nuneaton a 4-0 lead after a sweet passing move down the right wing.

Nuneaton started the second half somewhat slower than the first, it took Leicester Westleigh to score before Nuneaton started playing again.

Several passes from Nuneaton’s defence were rewarded when Nick Clarke played in Dave HOLMES which allowed him to smash the ball through the dismayed goalkeepers legs.

Nuneaton momentarily lapsed at the back allowing Westleigh to get another goal back.

This only spurred the home team on who immediately replied with a silky move down the left wing being finished off by Tom HIGGINSON whose sweep shot was unstoppable.

Before the game was over there was time for Dave HOLMES to complete his hat trick. A well-worked penalty corner routine saw his first time sweep shot yet again go through the unfortunate goalkeeper’s legs.

Nuneaton finished the game as strongly as they started, and will be looking to continue this form with their visit to Sikh Union Coventry next week.

SIKH UNION III 0 NUNEATON III 0

Nuneaton thirds game in the Coaching Solutions East Midlands Division One was abandoned at half time when it was discovered that the school caretaker had gone AWOL and there was no way of turning on the floodlights.

Up until that point, a strong Nuneaton side had performed capably against the home side but were unable to penetrate a stout defence.

The match will now be re-arranged for a forthcoming Sunday.

NUNEATON IV 3 LOUGHBOROUGH IV 3

After a thoroughly bad tempered affair the previous week, the latest Coaching Solutions East Midlands Premier game proved much more enjoyable with two evenly matched teams battling out a hard earned draw.

Both teams started brightly and there were half chances at either end as balls were fired into the “D”, just evading the onrushing forwards. Paul Sidwell and Patrick Moore were prominent for Nuneaton with Mike Loveless defending stoutly at the back.

The decisive moment in the first period resulted from a Loveless save which was collected and returned with interest by the opposing forward to give the visitors a halftime advantage.

Having enjoyed good possession in the first half, Nuneaton were confident of recovering the situation, but a half-hearted clearance provided a gilt-edged opportunity and Loughborough extended their lead.

The introduction of Rob Harris injected some much needed pace into the side and it was his slide-rule through ball that carved open the visiting defence for Paul SIDWELL to fire home at the second attempt.

Nuns now had the momentum and when a goalbound Sidwell shot was stopped by a defender’s foot, Dave ELLINGWORTH was on hand to slot in from close range.

There was more to come as Nuneaton sensed the visitors were weakening and Paul SIDWELL thrashed home a short corner to put the home side in front for the first time. This was short-lived however, as Loughborough repeated the feat at the other end to level the scores.

Large gaps appeared in the midfield and Ben Dodds and Oliver Gazeley fought like terriers to preserve the equilibrium, but it was the generosity of the visiting captain that allowed the home side a share of the spoils when he drove wide with the goal at his mercy.

This was a much improved performance against a team that will undoubtedly be battling for promotion at the end of the season.

COALVILLE IV 9 NUNEATON V 1

There was another heavy defeat for Nuneaton’s fifth string in the Coaching Solutions South East Division Two after the team arrived at Coalville with only ten players.

Two goals behind within five minutes, there was a glimmer of hope when John RAYWOOD fired home but this proved a false dawn as the home side romped ahead and gained a 5-1 halftime lead.

The second period was no better and was summed up by an exotic clearance attempt by Paul Aspley that flew into the roof of the net with keeper Casement helpless.

Harry Mayou battled manfully to stem the flow but the young and pacey home side were not to be denied.

NUNEATON VI 3 SIKH UNION IV 5

There were plenty of goals in this Coaching Solutions South East Division Two match, as attacks dominated throughout.

Sikh Union were totally in charge of the first half and their skilful captain helped himself to three goals and laid on two more, to leave the halftime score at 5-0 in favour of the visitors.

A severe talking to at the break and a couple of positional changes saw Nuneaton slowly start to get back into the match. As the half progressed, the home side won a number of short corners and youth team coach, Simon PENNINGTON fired home two of these before young forward Josh WAGG added one more and should have scored at least one more.

The result was a fair reflection on Sikh Unions first half domination of the Coaching Solutions league game, but it was pleasing to see that the young home side did not give in. Richard Morris and Nick Perry gave very strong performances in the second half against the team that was top and unbeaten in this division.