Saturday 16th January 2010

Today we remember Jonny Roden who passed away two years ago this weekend

Covents 2nds 0-66 Kenilworth 3rds (Warks 3)


Atherstone 25-23 Coventrians (Mids 5 West S E)

Our all time record v Atherstone youth is P28 W11 L17. Our first ever league game was on the 10th September 1988 when we won at home 19-3, tries from Paul Barrow 2, Tim Bycroft and John Kenny plus a penalty from Clayton Flick securing victory. Our last game away at Atherstone on the 8th March 2008 saw a comprehensive 45-14 win with tries from Chris Simons 2, Rohan Aitken 2, Mikey Kiburi, Carl Thornton & Kev Walters with Deadeye Douglas adding 5 conversions.

Covents Lose Out in Last Gasp Thriller!

Sometimes league rugby can be dull, turgid fare but yesterday Coventrians and the All Blacks of Atherstone served up a real treat that warmed the very cockles. With both sides playing for the first time in 5 or 6 weeks we perhaps could have expected much less but this was a real thriller, tense, edge of the seat, cliff hanging rugby.

It all looked a bit ominous as Atherstone started as they usually do, rumbling through the pack and then running a try in from base camp in our 22 for 7-0 after 8 minutes. On 12 minutes though, Danny Pearson passed to flanker Kev Walters who put Captain Cozzy (Mr Angry) in and watched while those little legs sprinted in, 35 yards for a try under the posts. Deadeye converted and it was all level at 7-7.

In the 25th minute, Deadeye slotted a penalty to cancel an earlier Atherstone kick to make the score 10-10 which is how it remained until half time.

In the 44th minute after good work from a now much more solid Covents eight, we won a penalty and Deadeye slotted for 13-10. A few minutes later, some great tackling from debutant Adam Booth at No 8, Cozzy, D J and Danny underlined the effort from the forwards as the home side attacked in waves of black. Alan Bedford and Lenny Pitt were doing their bit in the backs too with some big hits. In the 56th minute, Lawrence at outside centre put fly half Phil Watson in at the corner to stretch our lead to 18-10 and was due reward for the blue boy's efforts. Unfortunately Deadeye caught more tee than ball and the kick was missed.

The game started to swing back to Atherstone though and after the hour mark their forwards and fly half started to make their presence felt with a lot of possession and territory. They turned this into points with a try from close range after 62 minutes to make it 18-15 and their kicker having just hit the cross bar with a penalty proceeded to hit it again with the conversion! Crossbar challenge for you then mate. This stirred them to greater exertion and the blue and white defence was sorely tested as the black pack surged and surged again. At one point they were surely over but Ryan Gilbert manged to burgle the pill and that particular attack came to nothing. They were also down to fourteen as a black forward saw yellow but he was soon followed by our scrum half Tom Gough.

In the 76th minute Danny Pearson dropped on a loose ball and trying to find touch, gave possession back to the home side and they eventually scored in the corner and converted for 18-22. So that was it then, game over, points gone as there was no coming back from here? Well read on . . . Covents won a penalty in the 80th minute and from the lineout got a rumble on with D J and Keiran surging and Lawrence and then Paul Brindley going close. In the 84th minute from another lineout the forwards never say die attitude enabled Dave Bailey to give it to Danny Pearson who tenacious as a bull dog and seven of his best buddies shoving for their lives behind him, pushed the black pack over the line and dotted down in the corner to send us into waves of ecstacy. So game on again at 23-22 as Deadeye unfortunately didn't slot.

So we were in the 7th minute of injury time and 2 more remained. Atherstone kicked off and put it straight out. Instead of taking the scrum we opted for them to kick again and they gained possession and started attacking in waves again, roared on by their big crowd. Great tackles from Lenny and then Deadeye kept them at bay but we were penalised on our 22 and their fly half who had hit the crossbar twice already lined up for what one could describe as a pressure kick. In the 89th minute, he stepped back and sent a beauty straight down the middle to bring the curtain down on a most entertaining game that neither side really deserved to lose. As it was though, Atherstone won 23-25 but there was no disgrace in defeat for the blue and white boys who had given their all and heads were held high after a real gutsy performance.

A word too about the whistler, a diminutive Scot who had a pretty decent game of his own. I particularly liked the way he communicated all his decisions clearly to both players and supporters alike.

Touchline quote;

Daaaaady run! (Steve Vallis' little lad)

"You know Daddy aint very good at running." (Steve Vallis' daughter)