Gavin Rothery’s 90th-minute penalty ensured a share of the points against an impressive Nuneaton Town side at Nethermoor tonight after the Lions had gone behind early doors, but Jamie Clarke nearly sealed an unlikely victory with virtually the last kick of the game.
The visitors were straight out of the blocks and capitalized on some slack defending to set up the easiest of chances for Lee Moore to slot home from two yards into an empty net after just four minutes. Twenty minutes later, Gavin Rothery warmed Neil Collett’s hands on a cold night and the visiting keeper also did well to keep out the same player’s shot minutes later as he palmed the ball away at full stretch.
Wesley York opened the second period with a piledriver that was blocked by Clarke and the Simon Ainge did well to foil goalscorer Moore. Adam Walker got in behind the home defence but screwed his shot wide of the far post before Danny Forrest was tripped in the area and Rothery stepped up to dispatch the resultant spot kick even though Collett got a hand on it. Clarke then made his way forward and hit a sweet shot from twenty-five yards that whistled just over the bar.
Despite a surfeit of possession the Lions were unable to penetrate the well-organised visitors due to the lack of a cutting edge up front and that failing is beginning to cost them valuable points.
Team:
1 – Steve Drench (Bkd)
2 – Simon Baldry (Bkd)
3 – Dave Merris
4 – Ciaran Toner
5 – Jamie Clarke
6 – Simon Ainge
7 – Gavin Rothery 90 Pen
8 – Danny Boshell (Gall 71)
9 – Joe O’Neill (Ellington 71)
10 – Danny Forrest
11 – Andy Holdsworth
12 – Michael Burns
14 – Kevin Gall
15 – Lee Ellington
16 – James Booker
18 – Jacob Giles
Att: 395
