14th May 2006 - Bedworth Eagles Juniors (Nuneaton Borough FC) 1 - 0 (W) Police Cup Final

The Boys added the Police Cup to their League Championship & Matthew Terry Memorial Cup win to complete a great treble for the season.

As predicted, the final against Bedworth Eagles Juniors was a tight, tough match & only one goal was scored. Both defences were effective but the main battle was fought out in midfield.

With just two minutes gone Leckie ran down the right wing & crossed into the box but Jack Mac hit a weak shot straight at their keeper. However, just one minute later, we scored what was to be the only goal of the game. Winnie picked up the ball inside Bedworth's half & hit a beautifully weighted pass out to his right which Chris took in his stride. He stormed into the area & slotted neatly home between the keeper's legs.

Bedworth could have fallen apart having conceded so early but they didn't seem to let this set back hurt them. They quickly replied by launching the ball into our area & Sam put the ball out for a corner. This was cleared by Leckie heading out.

George then found himself further forward than normal, his run took him into the area but before he could unleash his shot he was tackled. Bedworth then had a half-chance but their player mis-hit his shot & Jack cleared. The ball fell to Rowsie who went on one of his charges down the left wing. After beating a man he was tripped, tried to stay on his feet but eventually went down. Danny struck the free-kick high into Bedworth's area which forced a goal-mouth scramble but the defence cleared the danger.

After 19 mins. Richard came on for Sam. Bedworth hit a high ball into our area but Lewis E. was fouled. After 23 mins. Bedworth won a free-kick some 30-35 yards out. A good shot came but it went straight to Jordan who held well.

A minute later Rowsie dribbled into Bedworth's penalty area from the left wing. Jake was free in the middle but Rowsie tried to shoot. The keeper half stopped the ball with his legs & gathered up as the ball bounced dangerously around.

On 26 mins. we were awarded a free-kick following a foul but Danny hit his shot directly at the keeper. Just before half-time Nathan came on for Jake.

As the half went into added-on time we had a corner. Lewis E. directed a header goalwards but it was cleared. Winnie, who had taken the corner, ran onto the ball & looked set to hit one of his screamers. Unfortunately, he scuffed his shot & the ball went weakly wide. That was half-time, 1-0 to us.

The second half was only a minute old when Lewis E. went down injured following a kick on his heel. We certainly didn't want to lose our defensive rock but the big man shook it off & resumed.

Four mins. gone & Chris launched a cross into the box, their keeper was challenged & fumbled the ball but a free-kick was given for a foul. A couple of minutes later Winnie hit a shot but it went wide of the right hand post.

With 38 mins. gone Bedworth had their best chance to equalise. Our defence was beaten by a ball over the top, Danny was beaten by their man who found himself into the area with only the keeper to beat. However, Jordan thwarted him with a great save with his legs & the ball was cleared.

Rowsie tried an ambitious long shot but it went well wide. Shaz came on for George. Bedworth then had a shot but it was easily saved. Jake came back on & Nathan went off.

After 43 mins. Leckie hit a shot high & wide. Three minutes later the ball fell to Lewis E. who was about 25 yards out, he struck a powerful shot but, as had happened on so many occasions, the ball went straight to the keeper.

Bedworth were awarded a free-kick about 28 yards out but Lewis E. was there once more to head clear. Shortly after Chris shot wide of the left post.

We were getting down to the last ten minutes by now & Bedworth were applying some pressure. Things were certainly getting tense. The Eagles had a lot of the ball but were struggling to fashion any clear cut chances & we defended solidly. On 54 mins. we had a corner, Lewis E. got his head to it but couldn't direct the ball goalwards.

We were still under pressure & playing mainly on the break. Leckie found himself through with just the keeper to beat but their man saved with his legs.

With only a couple of minutes to go Bedworth hit a shot which only just went wide of the right hand post, this was to prove their last effort on our goal. A minute into added-on time we had a free-kick on the left, Winnie fired it in but the ball went wide. This was the final action & we had won.

This was a cracking, close-fought game & full credit must go to Bedworth. This was our fourth meeting this season &, whilst we have won all four, they have proved tough opponents.

So congratulations must go to the Boys, Gary & Greg for what has been a superb season.

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30th April 2006 - Bedworth Eagles Juniors (A) 0 - 2 (W)

Scorers: Payne: Leckie

St.Nics took to the field with 10 men due to Winnie, Richard and Nathan being unavailable & battled well for 5 minutes until Sam arrived back from playing rugby at Northampton.The first half was very even with ourselves having the best chances of the game.The defence played superbly with Danny sloting in the middle of defence, Chris lining up in centre midfield and Sam playing down the right flank.

The second half started with Eagles going close with a long range effort. The lads were battling for everything and were starting to get on top of Eagles midfield. With 10 minutes to go Jake showed neat skill and fired in a good shot into the corner to make it 1-0. Five minutes later another attack was broken up by our midfield and Leckie pounced to make the score 2-0 with another good shot.

This was one of our best performances of the season, everybody played their part, Tom and George had there best games, being first to every ball and Chris ran his socks off in midfield, Jake gave 100% up front and Sam never stopped running when it was obvious he was out of gas from the day's rugger beforehand.

A big thank you to all the lads, this was our last league game of the season and one were they played so well. It was nice to hear so many Bedworth Eagles parents say to me your team is a credit and well played.

A great way to end the season now for the Cup.

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27th April 2006 - Coton Hammers Rangers (N) 4 -1 (W) Police Cup Semi-Final

Scorers: Pritchard: Leckie (2): Winn

Just four days after meeting Coton Hammers Rangers in the final of the Memorial Cup it was off to Paul's Land for a rematch, this time in the semi-final of the Police Cup.

If the Boys thought that they were in for an easy time, based on the result of the earlier game, then they were in for a rude awakening. Coton were certainly up for this tie & put some early pressure on our defence with the use of a strong wind behind them. We looked shaky under this onslaught & with less that two minutes gone on the clock a defensive mix-up let Coton in & they took the chance to go one up.

Perhaps this kick up the backside was what we needed. A minute later Leckie hit a cross over from the right wing but it was gathered by the keeper. For the next few minutes not a great deal happened, both teams were feeling each other out but then Danny latched onto a through-ball, neatly rounded the keeper and slotted home the equaliser.

Winnie tried a left-footer but put it wide on ten minutes & Gary brought Lewis E. (who was nursing a sore ankle) on for Richard to try and shore the defence up which had continued to look uneasy.

Shaz then mis-hit a clearance which allowed Hammers a one-on-one chance but Jordan pulled off a good save. Almost immediately we had a shot but put it wide.

After 16 mins. Hammers had a corner & Jordan saved the resultant shot. From the throw-in they made a dangerous break but George made a fine tackle to break the attack up. Hammers had yet another corner from this but shot over the bar. We had been under far more pressure during this period than we had for the whole of the final & credit must go to Coton. They were being more physical & determined & were making life hard for us.

Rowsie struck a shot straight at their keeper on 19 mins. Richard came back on for Shaz. Jack had an excellent run down the left but his shot went across the goal and wide.

With just a couple of minutes to go to half-time Jake came on for Jack & soon had a shot but put it high.
Half-time 1 - 1.

Second half we had the wind in our favour and that, along with an improved performance, allowed us to dominate. Our first effort on goal was on 34 mins, when Danny struck a free-kick wide. Two minutes later a good left wing move culminated in Winnie hitting a shot wide. A further chance came after 37 mins but Danny put his header wide. The pressure was mounting & it seemed only a matter of time before a goal would come. And so it did, Leckie firing home on 41 mins. That seemed to relax the Boys & it seemed likely that more goals would follow.

The third came just two minutes later, Danny layed a great pass off to Chris down the right wing, he crossed into the box & Leckie applied the finish. This was probably our best move of the game & showed what happens when you play simple football.

The killer blow came on 49 mins. Hammers keeper came to the edge of his area & punted a high ball out. It went straight to Winnie, his control & first touch were excellent. He looked up & saw that the keeper was still well outside his goal so he struck a shot from some 30-35 yards out which rolled into the empty net leaving the goalie floundering. That made it 4 - 1 & Coton were beaten.

We had a couple of more chances as time played out, Danny put another free-kick wide & Rowsie had a great chance but the keeper saved with his legs. With only a couple of minutes to go Nathan came on for Winnie & he had a great chance to score but hit his shot weakly at the keeper. Full-time 4 - 1.

So it's off to the Boro' where we meet Bedworth Eagles Juniors for the fourth time this season. All the previous encounters have been tough games even though we have won all three. It would be great to do the treble but Bedworth will want something to show for their season so it will a difficult task.

I'd just like to say well done to Coton Hammers Rangers. They gave us a pretty tough game, especially in the first half, & made us look far from the League Champions at times. Good luck for next season.

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23rd April 2006 - Coton Hammers Rangers (Pingles) 0 - 7 (W) Matthew Terry Memorial Cup Final

Scorers: Pritchard (3, 1 pen): Leckie: McElvenny: Winn: Rowse.

Having won the league the Boys were determined to make this the second stage of what could, hopefully, be a treble-winning season. Our opponents came from the league below us so, on paper, we were undoubtedly the favourites.

We played into the fairly strong wind first half & immediately exerted pressure on Coton's goal. Both sides looked pretty edgy to start with & were struggling to control the ball on the hard, bumpy pitch.

Our first effort came on 3 mins. Chris sent in a cross from the right wing, their keeper punched the ball out to Rowsie but he fired over the bar. Despite the game being played in Coton's half it took until the 7th minute for us to open the scoring. Jack Mac received the ball out on the left and dribbled into the penalty area. He was on the verge of shooting when their defender whipped his legs away to concede a penalty. Danny proved as reliable as ever & struck the ball home from the spot.

Coton were struggling to get out of their own half & sustained almost constant pressure. There were further efforts on goal from Chris, Winnie & Leckie but none of them were good enough to trouble their keeper.

On 20 minutes it looked like we were going to increase our lead. Winnie passed to Rowsie, he crossed but Danny was falling backwards and couldn't direct his header into the open goal.

We then made two substitutions, Jake on for Jack & Sam for Shaz.

After 23 minutes we had a corner. Hammers failed to clear it out of the area & Leckie struck a fine shot with his left foot high into the left corner of the goal. It had taken a while in coming but it was nothing more than we deserved.

Two minutes later Hammers had their first shot on goal. They created a good opening & a reply looked on the cards but the shot was put wide.

With half-time a minute away Winnie played a beautifully weighted ball over the top of Hammers' defence. Danny showed great determination, his chasing was enough to induce an error & he was rewarded with his second goal.

Half-time 3 - 0.

With the elements now in our favour it seemed likely that more goals would follow. Rowsie hit a toe-poke shot which went wide & followed it up with a great strike but it went straight at the keeper. Lewis E. then put a free-kick wide.

We thought we'd scored the fourth on 37 mins. The ball was bouncing around their area, the goalie fumbled it and Danny knocked it home. However, the ref. chalked it off due to ball.

Further efforts came from Jake & Rowsie had another chance after bursting strongly into the area, his shot sailed over the bar, unfortunately. It took until the 42nd minute for the killer goal to come. From a throw-in on the left, Leckie drove into the area & squared the ball back for Jack Mac to fire home. Any hopes Coton had of come back died with that score.

We continued pressing, Rowsie hit yet another shot wide, Winnie had a good run but hit a weak shot. A minute later he had another attempt, this time it was a good shot but their keeper pushed it behind. From the corner kick Lewis E. headed across the goal.

On 46 mins. Winnie hit a beaut corner kick over and Danny headed home for his hat-trick. Two minutes later it was 6 - 0, Leckie made a great burst down the left wing, he then pulled the ball back inside to Winnie who hit a scorcher high into the net.

We kept piling on the pressure, everyone was trying to get on the score sheet, it seemed. On 51 minutes Rowsie hammered home from close range from a corner to make it 7-0. In the last three minutes Leckie & Chris had shots saved & Chris hit another effort wide.

That was it, our first cup win since u.9 level. Despite the resounding win credit should go to Hammers. They kept fighting all the way even though goals were going in at regular intervals & never let their heads drop.

Well done Boys.

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9th April 2006 - Bedworth Eagles Juniors (A) 1 - 4 (W) Matthew Terry Memorial Cup (S.F.)

Scorers: Payne; Leckie (2); Rowse.

Considering that this game was played in driving rain for all but the last five minutes both teams attempted to play football & this was a highly competitive semi-final. We had been pushed very hard by the Eagles in our league encounter earlier in the season & another tough battle was fully expected.

Winnie won the toss & chose to play up the slope & against the wind first half. It was to prove the right decision. The first effort on goal came after 4 mins. when Chris hit a volley from out on the right. Two minutes later the same player hit a cross into the box which Bedworth's keeper managed to scramble away.

The battle was being played out in mid-field with neither side creating any great chances. It did not look like this would be a high scoring match.

Richard came on for Shaz on 13 mins. but there was not much else to report on. Both sides were trying to pass the ball around in the atrocious conditions & the tackles were flying in. On balance we probably looked slightly more dangerous up front but clear-cut openings were not forthcoming.

Bedworth had a half-chance on 21 mins & Chris hit a shot over the bar two minutes later. With only a couple of minutes left to go before the break we played the ball down the left & won a throw-in in Bedworth's corner. It was taken to Jake who beautifully turned to beat his marker. He hit a right foot shot which deflected off a defenders boot & looped over the keeper into the net. This was an important strike in view of the fact we would have the best of the conditions second-half.

A minute later Jack hit a cross-cum-shot into the box but it went wide of the post & just before the interval Rowsie hit a shot straight at the keeper. Half-time 1-0.

The second-half could not have started better for us. Winnie went on a strong run down the right wing & whipped a cross into the danger area for Leckie to apply the finish to make it 2 - 0 with only 22 seconds gone on the clock.

If we thought this had killed Bedworth off then we had to think again. Two minutes later they pulled one back. The Eagles attacked up the left, we failed to clear the ball & and the shot found it's way home.

As the game went on the majority of chances were coming our way. Jake had an effort saved & Rowsie went on one of his rampaging runs but hit his shot across the goal. Our defence were giving Bedworth very little & whilst one or two of their clearances were a bit panicky they stood pretty solid & Jordan didn't have to do very much in goal.

With ten minutes to go Sam came on for Jake.

The killer blow came five minutes later. After some nice passing Leckie was put through one-on-one with the keeper. He showed great composure & slotted the third goal in.

Bedworth replied with a shot over the bar & hit a dangerous cross into our area but no one got anything on the ball. They then had a free-kick from some 25 yards but it was headed clear.

The coupe-de-grace came in injury time. Jordan's goal-kick found Jack who flicked it on to Leckie whose header put Rowsie right through Bedworth's defence. He neatly rounded their keeper to roll the ball home to make it 4 -1.

That was it, we now face Coton Hammers Rangers in the final to be played at the Pingles on 23rd April.

Well played boys, this was a dogged performance played in vile weather conditions. It's hard to single out any individuals, I thought Lewis E., Danny, George, Richard & Shaz & keeper Jordan were excellent in defence. Leckie & Jake worked hard up front & took their goals well. Our whole mid-field battled it out all game & Rowsie was at his rampaging best. Winnie put in a real captains performance today, putting in some great tackles & doing a lot of the dirty work in midfield & driving us on when things got tough.

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2nd April 2006 - St. Nicolas Aces (A) 1 - 4 (W)

Scorers: Rowse (2); Leckie (2)

For the second successive week the Boys prevailed over their club-mates but, again, the Aces did not make life easy. The game was somewhat spoilt by the gale-force wind blowing diagonally across the pitch & both sides had difficulties in dealing with it.

The Boys had the first effort on goal, Leckie trying his luck in the second minute but his shot went wide. With only five minutes gone Winnie hit a low, hard shot which Mearzy fended off with his knees. From the resultant corner Rowsie hit a great shot which crept in at the far post.

This was the first time in three meetings this season that the Boys had managed to score first but anyone who thought the flood-gates would open would be disappointed. This game pretty much mirrored the last encounter. The midfield was crowded & we struggled to get the ball out wide to stretch play. The congestion in the middle probably helped the Aces who gave us little time on the ball.

The Aces had their first strike on goal after 8 minutes but it went wide. The Boys then had a corner, it was pushed out by Mearzy as far as Winnie but his shot went over the bar.

On 12 mins. the Aces had a corner but the Boys broke in numbers lead by Rowsie. He crossed into the area but Jake could only spoon his shot high & over.

The Boys were having the majority of the chances, Jake had another shot but hit it straight into the keepers arms. Leckie then latched onto a great through ball but his charge into the danger area was halted by a fine tackle from Josh Buggea.

With 18 mins. gone Sully was fouled outside our box, he dusted himself down & hit a lovely free kick into the net.

Further efforts on goal for the Boys came from Rowsie, Danny, Chris & Jack but all without success. Apart from a runaway umbrella streaking across the pitch the half ended without further incident, Half-time 1 - 1.

Five minutes into the second half Jack had a strong run down the left wing into the Aces penalty area but his shot hit the side-netting. Rowsie had the next opportunity to put us back in the lead but his well struck shot was wide.

We finally re-took the lead on 13 mins. Rowsie went on one of his rampaging runs which took him into the left side of the Aces area. The keeper had come out but was beaten. Rowsie hit the ball goalwards but Andy Chapman, rushing back to defend, unluckily knocked the ball into the net. I had given this as an O.G.but Rowsie seems to have been credited with the goal, I don't suppose Andy will be too unhappy about that, though.

Whilst the Boys were just about dominating they still found it difficult to score again. Rowsie had another good chance on 24 mins. but shot wide. Four minutes later, however, it was all over. Jack made another good run into the Aces box & crossed into the middle. There was a goal-mouth scramble & Leckie poked the ball in to make it 3 - 1.

With the whistle almost about to blow a long ball was played towards the Aces defenders, one of them missed his attempted clearance & Leckie seized on the loose ball to stroke home our fourth goal into an empty net.

Not a great performance in terms of style but the Boys showed a bit more grit this time, Winnie showing the way with some really tough tackling (a couple of which brought a rebuke from the ref.). Rowsie also had a storming game, even more commendable considering his great display for the District the day before. Lewis E. & Danny were composed at the back & didn't give the Aces too many chances. We now face Coton Hammers Rangers in the Semi-Final.

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26th March 2006 - St. Nicolas Aces (H) 3 - 1 (W)

Scorers: Pritchard (2, 1 pen); Rowse.

Whenever two teams from the same club face each other there is obviously a lot of pride at stake. The Aces had lost in the previous meeting but had made life hard for the Boys & there was no reason to doubt they would not do the same again.

The Aces were certainly up for this match & had the better of the early exchanges, indeed, they seemed quite a lot sharper & were putting plenty of pressure on the Boys, giving them little time on the ball. As a result, we played very little fluid football & were resorting to lumping the ball far too much. Josh Buggea & Will Holdcroft were standing strong in the Aces defence & our forwards struggled to get hold of the ball.

Inside the first six minutes the Aces forced three corners, two of which we did not clear with any great conviction. Their pressure paid off after 8 minutes, the ball was bouncing around near to our goal & we failed to clear, Sharpy neatly lobbed Jordan to deservedly put the Aces one up.

The Boys had a corner on 16 minutes & a minute later had their first decent shot on goal, Leckie hitting a good strike but it went straight into Mearzy's arms.

There was not a great deal of goal-mouth action, the ball was pinging around the mid-field for the most part & neither side created any significant chances. Leckie had another strike on goal but this went over the bar.

With the first half rapidly coming to a close the Boys exerted their first bit of real pressure on the Ace's goal. We had a couple of shots in quick succession, both being blocked. The ball came out to Winnie who decided to try and move the ball out wide. He went on a run across Ace's area but was tripped & a penalty awarded. This brought strong protests from the Aces, & especially from one of their coaches who felt his man had got the ball. I know we all see things differently (sometimes with blinkers on) but it was a blatant trip. The outcome was a finely struck spot kick by Danny.

It seemed the half would finish at 1 - 1 but an extra 3 minutes were added on. We were awarded a free kick about 25 yards out for a foul & Danny, doing what he has done several times this season, hit a sweet, high shot into the goal.

This was pretty hard on the Aces, it's fair to say, but half time came with us leading 2 - 1.

If the Aces thought the first half had ended badly the second started even worse. With only 1 minute gone Rowsey hit a soft shot goalwards, a real daisy-cutter. It went straight to Mearzy who, it seemed, would have very little difficulty dealing with it. Unfortunately, for him, he let the ball roll through his hands & into the net. That made it 3 - 1 to the Boys who had scored their goals in the space of four minutes. That was very cruel luck on the Aces, taking a lot of the stuffing out of them & giving us a bit of breathing space we barely deserved.

We had three free kicks in the next eight minutes but Danny couldn't repeat his effort from the first half. From then on there was very little to report, in fact I didn't note anything from the 9th minute until the 30th when we had a corner. The game was still a physical contest & at no time would I ever say we were comfortable but it didn't look like the Aces were ever going to pull the two goals back.

That's how it finished, 3 - 1 to the Boys. Towards the end of the game news came through that Frank Parkers had lost to Weddington so, with us winning, the League Championship was ours. Congratulations & well done to the team & coaches. I'll comment further on this after our last league match with Bedworth.

Next week we can go through all this again as the Boys & Aces face each other in the Police Cup Quarter Finals. I fully expect another tough game.

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19th March 2006 - Coton Hammers (A) 7 - 0 (W)

Scorers: Leckie (2): Pritchard (2): Edwards: Rowse: Wainwright.

This was our third game against Coton Hammers this season & also our third win. They had previously conceded 11 goals in two games with only one in reply so a St. Nics win looked odds on.

The result suggests an easy victory but we had to work hard & Hammers gave it a good shot but the major difference was our ability to take chances. Whilst Hammers had a fair amount of possession they created very little & I don't recall Jordan having to make a save worth mentioning.

The first half saw St. Nics playing down the slope & with the wind behind them. The hard, bumpy & undulating pitch wasn't conducive to slick passing & both sides found it difficult to control the ball. Hammers started well, forcing two corners within the first four minutes but they were easily dealt with. They then had a free-kick on eight minutes which Shaz headed over for another corner.

Our first goal came on ten minutes. We had a corner on our left, the cross came back out to Winnie who fired in a shot. Their keeper got his hands to it but was unable to control the ball & Leckie nipped in to poke the rebound home.

Three minutes later Danny struck a free-kick over the cross bar but we didn't have to wait long before we doubled our lead. Jordan hit a long clearance which Danny picked up. He ran down the left wing & cut into the area before stroking home a fine shot.

On 17 minutes the game was pretty well killed off. We were awarded a free-kick & Danny hit a lovely shot high into the goal, 3 - 0. Two minutes later it was definitely all over. The ball came out to Lewis E. who had pushed forward from his defensive postition, he smashed a superb shot home from some twenty-five yards, giving the keeper no chance. Sadly, his dad missed his moment of glory, arriving at the ground a couple of minutes later. Well, you will go out shopping, Paul. The half ended with very little else happening of note.

Within a minute of the second half starting we were on the offensive, winning a corner but it came to nought. A minute later Hammers had a rare shot on our goal but it was easily dealt with by Jordan. Rowsey then went on a great run, played a neat one-two into the penalty area but pulled his shot wide.

Hammers then had their best chance but Lewis E. slid in o make a brilliant shot stopping tackle. With six minutes gone Winnie played a great long ball over the Hammer's defence & Leckie supplied the finish to make it 5 - 0.

Not much happened for the next ten minutes or so, Hammers forced three corners but could not capitalise on them. On 19 minutes Rowsey struck home a fine long shot to make it six. He had another chance a couple of minutes later but missed, it was with his weaker right foot so we'll let him off.

The game was fizzling out with Hammers well beaten. There was one more goal to come, though. With just seven minutes left Danny swung in a free-kick which Chris headed home.

Another good win which keeps us on target for the League Championship.

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12th March 2006 - Weddington Thistle Athletico (H) 2 - 0 (W)

Scorer: Pritchard (2, 1 pen).

This was a good test of our character as we had to play for all but eleven minutes with only ten men after striker Matthew Leckie was controversially given a red card. Weddington battled hard and provided much stronger opposition than in the return fixture earlier this season.

Weddy had the advantage of a very strong diagonal wind to start with and their player with a very long throw-in made good use of the conditions.

The first chance of the game came after only two minutes. Weddy were awarded a free kick which they fired into our penalty area, Lewis E. mis-timed his clearance but the resultant shot went wide.
Not too much more happened until the 11th minute. Leckie was fouled and the referee believed she had heard him swear at the offending player. To the huge surprise of both sets of supporters she brandished the red card. Matthew had replied to a comment made by the lad who had fouled him but did not say what the ref. thought he'd said and her decision was very harsh, indeed.

Nevertheless, the decision had been made & we had to make the best of things. Winnie, who had started up front with Leckie, now played the lone striker role and he found himself surrounded by 3 or 4 players nearly every time he got the ball.

Some of the team seemed shell-shocked following the sending-off & took time to regain their composure. Weddy were playing pretty well & it was clear we had a battle on our hands. Danny had a shot on goal on 12 mins. but it was saved.

On 15 mins. a long Weddy throw-in resulted in a shot but it was put wide. Ten minutes later the best chance of the match fell our way. A long ball put Winnie in on goal but the effort was eventually cleared off the line. The last strike on goal of the half came from Danny again but his free-kick went wide.
Half-time 0 - 0.

With the advantage of the wind in our favour Weddington found it difficult to apply as much pressure as they had in the first period. The Boys took charge of the game in the main and whilst our football wasn't as good as it can be it was a determined performance & the lads showed great resiliance. With only four minutes of the half gone Rowsie went on a mazey run into Weddy's area but he lost his footing & the danger was cleared. Three minutes later Winnie struck a superb shot from twenty yards out which looked to be goal bound but their keeper pulled off a fine save. Two corners followed in quick succession with Danny having another effort saved.

We were putting a fair bit of pressure on Weddy by now, Winnie found himself in their right hand corner and fashioned a dangerous cross which flew low past the goal but no one could apply a finish. Danny had another couple of shots which brought saves from their keeper who was having a good game.

On 23 minutes, with time quickly running out, we had a corner kick. As the ball came over the ref blew for a penalty. It looked like it had been given for pushing. Danny converted. 1 - 0.

This certainly took the wind out of Weddington but they still managed to make some chances. They had a great chance to equalise, one of their players was heading for goal, he shot well but Tom (Shaz) managed to deflect it. With only two minutes left a Weddy player was one-on-one with Jordan but our keeper cleared well. Following that effort Rowsie shot over the bar.

Weddy were pressing for the equalising goal but Winnie made a strong tackle deep in our half. He brought the ball out then hit a lovely long pass to Danny who neatly rolled the ball into the net with his left foot. 2 - 0.

That was how it ended, Weddington felt they deserved something out the game but whilst they had battled hard & certainly given us a tough game they had created few chances in reality. We had definately had the better of the second half & overcame the disadvantage of being a player down well.

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5th March 2006 - Coton Hammers (H) 5 - 1 (W) Matthew Terry Memorial Cup QF

Scorers: Leckie (2), Pritchard, McElvenny (2)

Again, I was not at this match so there isn't much I can say. Manager, Gary Wainwright, said it wasn't a great performance but it was a fairly comfortable win which puts us into the Semi-Final where we will play Bedworth Eagles Juniors.

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19th February 2006 - Nuneaton Boys Tigers (H) 6 - 1 (W)

Scorers: Leckie (3), Rowse, Payne, McElvenny.

I was not at this game so the report is rather brief, I'm afraid.

I gather we weren't playing too fantastic and a late goal gave us a 2 - 1 lead at half time. The performance improved a bit and we ran out comfortable winners in the end.

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29thJanuary 2006 - Frank Parker Swifts (A) 3 - 2 (L)

Scorers: Leckie, Rowse.

Parkers had to win this game to keep alive any hopes they had of winning the league & they achieved their aim. There was not a great deal in the performances although for the most part Parkers seemed that bit quicker to the ball. In terms of efforts on goal we had more but the loss was down to three poor defensive errors.

With only one minute gone Parkers were on the attack, a cross from their left wing came in but was saved. On six minutes we produced a good move that started with Jordan in goal, out to Chris on the right, he crossed into the middle but Rowsie missed the chance.
On seven mins. Parkers won a corner from their right. It came over and Jordan went to take the ball but it slipped through his hands and into the net.

We nearly drew level within two minutes, Danny found himself in their penalty area but his well struck shot went over the crossbar. Neither side fashioned any further chances until the 18th minute. Again it was Danny who had the opportunity. Once more he received the ball well inside Parkers area, he only had the keeper to beat but struck his shot straight into their goalies arms.

Straight from that miss Parkers hit a long ball down their right wing into our penalty area. Jordan came rushing out to collect but unfortunately the ball slipped from his grasp. Parkers crossed into the middle of our area and managed to slot the ball home. So, from nearly equalising we found ourselves 0 - 2 down.

Four minutes later, though, we were back in the game. Leckie latched onto the ball and sweetly lobbed their keeper to make it 1 - 2. That proved to be the last action of note in the first half.

We started the second half brightly. Chris had two shots at goal within the first two minutes but they went straight to their keeper.
Then came the equaliser with only four minutes gone in the second half. Rowsie picked the ball up about ten yards outside Parkers box. He went on a mazy run, beating 4 or 5 players, once inside the area he fired a great shot into the corner of the net.

The momentum seemed to be with us, Parkers were struggling to get any chances on goal and it looked odds on that we would take the lead. Unfortunately we succumbed to another defensive lapse.
Parkers hit a long ball into the corner on their left wing. Their player was being marshalled by two of our defenders and there seemed little threat. However, he managed to hit the ball high towards our goal with what seemed more a hopeful cross than a shot. Jordan was deceived by the flight and the ball dropped over his head into the goal, 2 - 3. That proved to be their only effort on our goal during the second half but it was the decisive one.

With twelve minutes to go Winnie slotted a great pass into Parkers penalty area to Rowsie. He found himself on goal & it looked likely that the would score. He tried to hit a high shot over the head of their keeper but the goal minder managed to tip the ball wide.

That was our last real effort on goal. Despite applying almost constant pressure for the last ten minutes we just couldn't fashion any decent chances & Parkers defended pretty well.

So there you have it. Our first league defeat of the season. We certainly weren't outplayed and with some better finishing could have won, those mistakes in defence cost us dear but no individual is to blame. As the saying goes, boys, you win as a team and you lose as a team. We still have the initiative, Parkers have played one more game than us & barring any major foul-ups most of the games are winnable without too much difficulty. The final game against Bedworth Eagles will, probably, be the big one. They remain the only likely threat to our championship aspirations.

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22nd January 2006 - Market Bosworth (H) 15 - 0 (W) Matthew Terry Memorial Cup

Scorers: Leckie(6): Rowse(2);Thompson(2);Miles(2);McElvenny;Payne (2).

The draw in this competion has pitted us against the two weakest teams in the Nuneaton leagues &, as with our previous win against Yenton, this was very one sided. Gary chose to shuffle the team around a bit, Jordan was given the chance to have a run out up front and managed to score his first goals. Jack Mac & Winnie shared the goal keeping duties.

It only took a minute to open the scoring, Leckie surged into the penalty area only to be shoved over from behind. He smashed home the resulting spot kick. The lead was doubled a minute later when Rowsie ran through Bosworths' defence & slotted home. We thought we had scored again on 3 mins when Jordan tapped in but he was ruled offside.

It only took a few more minutes before Jordan could finally celebrate his first goal when he poked the ball home following a good run into the box by Leckie.

Bosworth were trying to maintain a very high defensive line but we were breaching it at will (albeit with some generous decesions from their linesman). Leckie made it 4 - 0 after only 10 mins & the game was over as a contest.

Leckie managed to score twice more before half time and Richard managed to get his first goal of the season to make it 7 - 0 at the break.

The second half brought 8 more goals. Richard charged through Bosworths' defence to notch his second. Scores came at regular intervals, Jack Mac, Jordan, Leckie (2), Jake (2) & Rowsie piling on the misery for our visitors. We managed to miss quite a few as well, Jordan should have had a hat trick, Shazza blew a chance to open his scoring account & others were guilty of bad misses, too.

There is very little to gain from winning matches by such margins other than players improving their goal tallies. It is rare that the quality of play is as high as the score line but it is difficult when the opposition are unable to provide a stern contest.

Next week, however, is a different matter. We are away to Frank Parkers Swifts & if we can avoid defeat then the league championship will virtually be ours.

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15th January 2006 - Bulkington Sports Saints (A) 0 - 8 (W)

Scorers: Wainwright; McElvenny; Winn: Leckie (2); Payne (2):Rowse.

After yesterdays Nursing Cup action it was back to the league & another good win. Any tiredness from the tough game with Christ the King was quickly shrugged off as the Boys easily dispensed with a side they had struggled to beat earlier in the season.

Leckie opened the scoring on 5 mins when Saints failed to clear a throw in. We continued to pile on the pressure as our opponents struggled to cope with the wind and slope, both of which were against them. Rowsie & Leckie were both denied by Bulkingtons excellent keeper & Lewis E. shot over the bar. Jack Mac fired in a good cross but the keeper dealt with it.

The pressure finally told on 12 mins. Chris made a great run down the right wing & his cross was met by Jake, 2-0.

Further shots rained in on goal but they were either wide or saved. It took until the 25th min before we went three up & this was the best team goal. For once, we put together some neat, first time passing, Chris whipped in yet another fine cross & Leckie was there to apply the coup-de-grace.

As the first half neared its' close Leckie managed to miss an open goal & Shazza had a shot saved. Half time 3 - 0.

Despite having the slope & wind with them for the second half Bulkington were unable to take advantage. We should have increased our lead within one minute but the keeper saved. However, it only took us another minute to go 4 - 0 up when Chris found the net from a Winnie cross. Soon after Jake & Leckie were guilty of misses from just yards out.

Ten minutes into the half & Winnie scored our fifth with a spectacular shot from outside the box (he's making a habit of this).
Bulkington then had their first serious effort on goal but Jordan was equal to it.

Our sixth came from a good cross by Natty, Jake pounced on the rebound from a Leckie shot. Rowsie made it 7 - 0 after great work from Natty.

Our eight came from a corner with Jack Mac providing the finish.

A good result to maintain our 100% league record, made all the sweeter with the news that our nearest rivals had lost.

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14th January 2006 - Christ the King (A) 1 - 0 (L) Bedworth Nursing Minor Cup

All good things, as they say, must come to an end, and we finally lost our 100% record to the team who have won the Coventry League for the last three years.

This was actually a cracking match, played by two very well matched teams. There was never going to be much in it and so it proved. Team manager, Gary Wainwright, was very pleased with the boys performance, he felt it was the best we had played all season, and we were unlucky to lose.

We had the better of the first half and most of the chances came our way. We fashioned five efforts on goal but were just unable to get a real good shot in & their keeper dealt easily with what we threw at him. CTK only managed two attempts on goal but with 33 minutes gone they managed to put one of them away. Our defence was caught with 3 against 2 & they capitalised. I'd like to know where that extra time came from, though.
Half-time 1 - 0.

The second half opened with Jack Mac shooting at goal but again it went straight at the keeper (please note, boys, the goalie is not the target, you don't have to hit him). CTK were then on top for a good period as some of our boys seemed to tire. They had several corners but still didn't manage any efforts on goal.

On 46 minutes they had a corner which we cleared, it fell to one of their defenders who hit a hopeful long shot. It looked to be going in but Jordan pulled off a great save, punching the ball over the bar. That was probably the most memorable incident of the half.

With full time approaching the Boys kept pushing for an equaliser, Leckie had a good chance from a right wing cross but couldn't keep his effort down and it flew high. Winnie hit a lobbed shot but it dropped nicely into the keepers arms.

That was it, not our day but the lads can hold their heads high and if they can play like that for the rest of the season it will take a good team to beat us.

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8th January 2006 - Yenton (A) 0 - 15 (W) Matthew Taylor Memorial Cup

Scorers: Leckie (5); Rowse (2); Winn (2); Edwards (2); McElvenny (2);
Wainwright; Payne.
I suppose if there was ever a nailed on win then this was it. Yenton have had a poor season and conceded 9-10 goals a game so I don't imagine the visit of the league leaders filled them with any optimism. The win was convincing and it is fair to say that on another day it could have been twenty plus. How many goals scored was irrelevant, trying to play some good football was. The muddy, undulating pitch was not conducive to a fast, flowing game but at times we played quite well. Other times our performance was average but it is hard to keep the motivation going when you are winning so easily.

I haven't given a minute-by-minute account of the match, not a lot of point. As you can see from the score line the goals went in at a fairly regular rate. Yenton kept battling away for the whole game & fair play to them.

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11th December 2005 - Bulkington Sports Braves (A) 0 - 9 (W)

Scorers: Rowse (2); Pritchard (2); Payne (2); Wainwright; Leckie (2)

This Top v. Bottom league encounter was never going to provide a shock result. It was only because of some frantic defending and wasteful finishing that the score did not reach double figures.

Braves were under constant pressure from start to finish and our keeper was only required to make one save in the whole game. The first goal was scored after 2 mins following a great ball out to the left by Winnie to Leckie. He crossed into the box and Rowsie was there to crack it in.

It took us another fifteen minutes to double our lead and it was Rowsie again on the mark, he fired in a great shot from a cross. Two minutes later Braves had their one and only chance. Their striker found himself one-on-one with Jordan but our keeper pulled off a fine save to deny Bulkington their moment of glory.

We then scored three goals in five minutes. The first came from Danny following a cross from Jack Mac. We then produced a lovely move down the right wing which culminated in Jake providing the finish to make it 4 – 0. A superb solo effort from Chris brought the next; he picked the ball up just outside the box and drove into the area before unleashing a thunderous shot. Half time 5 – 0.

Whilst we were squandering numerous chances our play in general was good. The lack of pressure enabled the boys to work on their passing and we certainly knocked the ball around well.

The second half was only three minutes old when we made it 6 – 0. From a corner Leckie back-headed the ball and Jake grabbed his second goal.

We added three more goals in the last eighteen minutes. Two came from Leckie and Danny got his second. Our discipline went somewhat astray during this last period. With four players on a hat trick and others attempting to get on the score sheet individuals were guilty of trying too hard to score (if that’s possible). Bulkington had virtually every player back in defence, which certainly made shooting difficult, but sometimes we seemed to be trying to walk the ball into the net. Still, it’s hard to be over critical when your team scores nine goals but stronger opposition won’t be so generous and we need to be more clinical in our finishing.

This proved to be our last match of 2005. Our league record reads:

PLAYED 9, WON 9, FOR 46 – AGAINST 6.

We also played two cup matches, both victories, scoring 13 goals with 3 against.
Grove Farm have scratched from the league and all results against them have been expunged.

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4th December 2005 - Frank Parker Dragons (A) 0 - 5 (W) Police Cup

Scorers: Leckie (2); Winn (2); Rowse

For twenty one minutes the Dragons resisted, they conceded eight corners and scrambled away several efforts on goal and managed to get into our half only two or three times. They were also helped by some indifferent finishing. Leckie finally opened the scoring following a goalmouth scramble.

Towards the end of the half Rowsie shot across the goal and Leckie had a shot well saved. Our pressure finally brought its’ reward when Leckie struck a great shot home to make it 2 – 0 at half time.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, constant St. Nics pressure but little to show for it. On 34 mins. Winnie took the ball into the right corner, cut inside the defender and chipped a delicate shot goal wards from a narrow angle. His effort ended up in the net, initially it was thought to be an own goal by Ryan Baughan However, after much debate the goal was credited to Winnie and Ryan certainly wasn’t arguing.

Substitutions were made, George Goodman for Richard and Natty for Jake. Another followed a few minutes later when Rowsie got a kick on the back of his leg. Jack Mac came on for him.

Winnie bagged his second goal on 43 mins. when he struck a low shot through a forest of legs and it went in off the left hand post, 4 – 0.

Our fifth and final goal came three minutes later. Chris made a good run down the right wing and lobbed a shot in. Rowsie (fully recovered from his injury) went up with their keeper and nodded home. Their seemed some dispute as to who had actually scored, Chris thought the ball had gone in before Rowsie’s intervention but the latter was having none of it and claimed the goal. Sorry Chris.

That was it, Dragons actually managed to force two corners and Leckie had another shot saved. Again, not a fantastic performance but we were never in danger of losing. With some improvement in our finishing the score would have been far higher but praise should be given to the Dragons for defending stoutly.

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27th November 2005 - Bedworth Eagles Juniors (H) 2 - 1 (W)

Scorers: Leckie; Pritchard

This was, undoubtedly, our hardest game of the season and I’d find it hard to argue that Bedworth did not deserve something out of it. For most of the game they seemed quicker to the ball and gave us very little time to play. They played a deep defender who did a good job in thwarting most of our attacks and with Winnie playing in defence our midfield struggled to get a foothold in the match.

Although Bedworth seemed to have the majority of the possession they did not create much in the way of goal chances, they had a shot early on, which went wide but little else. Jack Mac had our first opportunity on 8 mins. but his shot was also off target.

It was St. Nics, however, who drew first blood with 13 mins. gone. We had a corner which was cleared, a follow up shot struck the cross bar and Leckie poked the rebound home. You could hardly say we deserved it.

Despite us being second best in terms of endeavour and desire we still fashioned the only opportunities. Jake shot wide, a free kick was scrambled away and another free kick was cleared for a corner. Our defence, whilst busy, was coping pretty well.

On 22 mins. however, Bedworth’s pressure finally told. We failed to clear and they got the equaliser their hard work merited. Two minutes later they nearly took the lead but Jordan pulled off a good save to keep things level. Half time 1 – 1.

The second half saw Richard Miles come on for Sam Barratt and the game followed the same pattern, i.e. Bedworth dominating midfield but creating few chances and St. Nics struggling to get any fluency to their play. There was little in the way of goalmouth action and the game seemed to be heading for a draw.

With about ten minutes left ‘Sven’ brought Sam back on for Jake and moved Winnie into midfield in an effort to stem Bedworth’s dominance. This seemed to have the desired effect.

On 52 mins. we were awarded a free kick well outside the penalty area, our dead-ball specialist, Danny, stepped up and struck a high shot goal wards. Their keeper seemed to have it covered but as he stretched to make the catch the ball slipped through his hands and into the net.

Bedworth were deflated by this and the last eight minutes petered out with neither side looking like adding to the score. It ended 2 – 1 to us but we certainly ‘Got Out of Jail’ for free. Well played Bedworth, you deserved a draw but football is all about making and taking your chances and we did that – just.

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20th November 2005 - St. Nicolas Aces (A) 1 - 4 (W)

Scorers: Leckie; Payne; Rowse; Pritchard

I apologise for the brevity of this report but I was not at the game.

The Boys played their second match on consecutive days and faced our club mates, the Aces, for the first time in a competitive game.

The Aces took the lead (sorry, don’t know the scorer) but we replied with goals from Leckie, Jake, Rowsie and Danny to secure the points.

If I can get some more details I’ll update the report.

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19th November 2005 - Coventry Jaguar Youth (H) 8 - 3 (W) Bedworth Nursing Cup

Scorers: Leckie (4); Rust (2); Pritchard (2)

Cov Jag came flying out of the traps, playing quick one-touch passing and snapping into the tackle. St.Nics looked like a team who wished they’d stayed in bed on this cold, foggy morning. Jags nearly took the lead on 3 mins. but their effort was cleared for a corner. This resulted in a goalmouth scramble and the visitors finally did score.

The alarm clock finally went off and the realisation that they were in a game dawned on the stunned Boys. On six mins. Leckie found himself one-on-one with Jags keeper; he rounded him superbly but was brought down for a penalty. Danny slotted home nicely, 1 –1.

Just two minutes later Tom Sharrock played a ball down the left wing to Rowsie who fired a low cross over into the box, Leckie pounced to make it 2 – 1. St. Nics were now warming to the task and Leckie seemed on fire, causing Jags defence all sorts of problems with his pace. He used this to good effect when Rowsie chipped a lovely ball over the top, Leckie latched onto the pass, glided round the keeper and stroked the ball home to make it 3 – 1.

It was certainly a dramatic change round but Jags kept battling away and it took a superb goal line clearance by Lewis (Edwards) to maintain our two-goal advantage. However, on 18 mins. Jags had a corner and scored with a well-placed header.

The game was really hotting up, St. Nics had two corners in quick succession and a free kick, all of which came to nought. Jordan pulled off a great save from a long shot. With half-time approaching Chris rampaged down the right wing, his low cross into the penalty area was fumbled by Jags keeper and Natty Rust tapped the loose ball home to make it 4 – 2. There was still time for Jags to force two successive corners and win two free kicks but our defence held firm. Half-time, 4 – 2.

The second half started with Jake Payne coming on for Natty. It took only one minute for us to add to our score. Jack Mac’s shot went across the goal but Leckie reacted quickly to make it 5 – 2 and complete his hat trick.

With 41 mins. gone St. Nics put the result beyond the Jags. Another long ball over the top found Leckie, his shot was well saved but he managed put the rebound in. At 6 – 2 down Jags lost their shape and the earlier neat football had disintegrated. A minute later it was definitely all over, Natty scoring from a corner to make it 7 – 2.

Natty nearly got his third but his great shot from a corner went just over the crossbar. Jags pulled a goal back following some sloppy defending. The final, and best, goal came on 56 mins. when Danny lashed home a thunderous shot from outside the area following a corner. Final score 8 – 3.

Well done to both sides on providing a great game. Jags could probably feel a little hard done by; the five-goal margin does not reflect their contribution and they placed some decent football. The Boys also played some great stuff once they’d roused themselves and scored some fine goals.

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13th November 2005 - Coton Hammers (H) 6 - 0 (W)

Scorers: Pritchard:Winn:Leckie (2): Edwards: Own Goal.

Our first game for a month and another resounding win. Despite this it was an average display, our passing could have been better, it seemed too many individuals were trying to run with the ball rather than play it simple and this contributed to a scrappy match. Despite the six goal margin Coton Hammers put up a plucky performance but never threatened to score.

It wasn't until the 14th minute, though, that St. Nics opened their account. Danny took a corner which came back to him off the post.
Even though no other player seemed to have touched the ball he fired it back low into the penalty area. Some how the ball found it's way into the net from what we thought was a Leckie deflection. However, our striker claimed not to have touched the ball so we'll give you that one Danny.

'Sven' then made an inspired substitution. Winnie, coming back from injury, was sent on up front and within ten seconds had sent a superb shot high into Coton's net. What an impact.

Our third came from another corner, this time an unlucky Coton defender turned the ball into his own net.

Leckie put the result beyond doubt after 24 mins. scoring our 4th.
Half time 4 - 0.

The anticipated rush of goals did not materialise. As previously mentioned, our play was not very fluent and we failed to create much in the way of chances. Lewis Edwards obviously decided the forwards weren't going to score so abandoned his usual place in defence to show the strikers how it should be done. He struck a fine shot from distance to make it 5 - 0.

Leckie completed the scoring with a good individual effort. He turned his marker all ways before shooting home.

With just over a third of the season gone we are top of the league having played seven, won seven. Next week it's Cov. Jag. in the Bedworth Nursing Cup.

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16th October 2005 - Weddington Thistle Athletico (A) 1 - 6 (W)

Scorers:- Payne (2); Leckie; Pritchard (2); Rust.

The Boys maintained their unbeaten start with a pretty comfortable win over Weddington at a windswept Sandon Fields.

Rowsie nearly opened the scoring after just 4 minutes but struck the post. It took another six minutes before we finally opened the scoring. Leckie crossed into the box, Nathan missed his strike but Jake Payne was on hand to poke the ball into the net.

We had most of the play despite facing a strong wind but Weddy were defending resolutely. The next goal came on 16 mins. when Chris fired in a cross from the right for Jake to nab his second.

With only three minutes of the first half to go Chris made a strong run down the right & crossed into the box. Leckie controlled well before shooting into the net to make it 3-0 at half time.

With the wind now against them Weddington were always going to find the second half a struggle and Danny used the wind to great effect by lobbing a free kick right over the keeper to put the result beyond doubt.

Out fifth and best goal came after 45 mins. Following a free kic k Leckie found himself out on the right wing. He crossed and Nathan fired a superb volley home.

Our final goal came from another Danny free kick.

Weddington finally got a consolation goal, their No.9 made a fine solo run down the right wing before cutting into the penalty area and slotting home.

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9th October 2005 - Nuneaton Boys Tigers (A) 0 - 3 (W)

Scorers:- Rowse; Payne; Leckie.

Unfortunately I've misplaced by notes so this report is from memory. I apologise for any inaccuracies.

Whilst we recorded a 3-0 win this will not go down as one of our best performances. Perhaps it was the 'hangover' from the Parkers match, who knows, but the Boys couldn't seem to put many passes together.

The three goal margin suggests it was comfortable and Nuneaton Boys didn't have that many chances but had we been at our best I feel the scoreline would have been far more convincing.

Three points but a game to forget.

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2nd October 2005 - Frank Parker Swifts (H) 5 - 3 (W)

Over the years we have enjoyed some great wins and, although few and far between, suffered some painful defeats, the Boys usually having convinced themselves that the opposition were a great team. In the past when they’ve gone behind the lads have rarely shown the ability or character to fight back. When Parkers went into a 3-1 lead with only 13 minutes gone the signs were ominous.

Whilst we weren’t being outplayed we fell to the sucker punch, not once but three times. Parkers’ one and only tactic was to launch a long ball from the back for their two quick forwards to run onto. Three times this worked for them. The first was with only two minutes gone on the board. We managed to make their joy short lived when Chris W. fired in a superb shot from the right to make it 1-1 but Parkers scored two more identical goals on 11 and then 13 minutes to put themselves into a strong position.

St. Nics still kept pressing, though. Chris was enjoying some success against their left back and we caused some panic in the opposition area. After 17 minutes we won a corner on our left. As the ball was delivered the referee blew for a penalty. It was given against one of their defenders for pulling Lewis Edwards’ shirt. Danny P. confidently blasted home from the spot and we were back in the game.

Chances were few and far between; Leckie had a good shot from the right side of their area but could only find the side netting and the first half ended 2-3 to Parkers.

At tactical change by Sven saw Jack Mac move from left back to forward. Jack was feeling very low as he seemed to feel at fault for two of Parkers goals. However, joy often comes from the depths of despair. Parkers kicked off, Leckie seized on to a loose pass, chipped a ball to the left which Jack ran onto before neatly lobbing their keeper to make it 3-3. All this with only 13 seconds of the half gone.

Less that a minute later we nearly took the lead. Leckie hit a fine shot which rattled off the cross bar and Rowsie couldn’t quite connect with the rebound.

The Boys were beginning to dominate the game and Leckie was keeping their defence busy, hustling and chasing them constantly. The battle of the midfield was gradually being won, Winnie giving great physical presence. The back four had obviously got their heads round the long-ball tactic, Lewis E. & Richard Miles were keeping things really solid with good support from Sam Barratt.

With their one and only route to goal now cut off Parkers seemed to have little idea and whilst there were a couple of scrambles in our area Jordan wasn’t required to make any save of note. Indeed St. Nics were doing virtually all the pressing & with 10 minutes of the second half gone Jack Mac latched onto a punt from Winnie to lob their keeper again to make it 4-3. To say he was delighted is an understatement. They say sport can put you through every sort of emotion & Jack will testify to that. Credit to Gary as well for refusing to take him off when it would have been an easy thing to do.

St. Nics pressed hard for another goal to make life more comfortable but Parkers were defending stoutly. The final blow came with only six minutes left in normal time. Rowsie surged down the left into their penalty area. As he rounded the defender he was brought down for another penalty. If there was any pressure on Danny it didn’t show and the blasted home.

That was it as far as the scoring went. This game meant a lot to both sides, not just because they were 1st and 2nd in the league. The Boys showed great character to come back and played some good football in the process. A reporter at the game asked me if we named a man of the match. I replied that we didn’t go in for that sort of thing; they were all ‘man of the match’.

Scorers:- Wainwright; Pritchard (2 pens); McElvenny (2)

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25th Septembr 2005 - Grove Farm (A) 1 - 9 (W)

The Boys made it three out of three after inflicting a heavy defeat on their hosts. Whilst the score line was convincing the display was patchy and it wasn’t until the last ten minutes or so when Grove Farm were totally demoralised that the Boys began knocking the ball about like we know they can.

It took 9 minutes before the opener came & it was the first decent bit of football we put together. Winnie played a great ball out to the left for Rowsie to run on to. He powered down the left wing and sent in a hard, low cross into the area. Danny P. pounced to divert the ball into the goal.

If we thought this was to signal an onslaught then we were very much mistaken. Grove Farm broke through the middle of our defence & whilst it seemed at least two of their players were offside they grabbed the equaliser just two minutes after going behind.

St. Nics were dominating without making much headway. Grove Farm were defending desperately but not creating any threat in front of our goal. It was on 17 minutes that we regained the lead; Rowsie latched onto a through ball, held off two defenders and rifled a fine shot home.

Four minutes later we doubled our lead. Matthew Leckie, returning from injury, seized onto a cross from the left and finally poked the ball into the net following a goalmouth scramble.

Leckie grabbed his second as half-time approached making it 4-1 at the interval.

The second half was one-way traffic, the Grove Farm goalie must have felt like Davy Crocket at the siege of the Alamo. That we scored only five goals was down to some heroic keeping and dodgy finishing (Winnie, you should have scored at least 4!!). Nevertheless, Leckie completed his hat-trick to make it 5-1, Jake Payne scored the sixth.

Lewis Edwards had now left his place in defence to join the attack and notched the seventh.
The eighth was snapped up by Chris W. and Winnie finally squeezed one home to make it 9.

I don’t think Grove Farm got within thirty yards of our goal during the second half. Keeper, Jordan ‘Leggatt’ Thompson only had one touch as far as I can remember such was St.Nics dominance.
A resounding win in the end boys. Next week it’s Frank Parkers, the big one.

Scorers:- Pritchard; Rowse; Leckie (3); Payne: Edwards;
Wainwright; Winn

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18th September 2005 - Bulkington Sports Saints (H) 3 - 0 (W)

For the second consecutive week we entertained a Bulkington team and came away with a win and a clean sheet. The score line does not reflect our dominance and had our finishing been more clinical then we could have easily matched last week’s score. Some credit must go to the Saints keeper who had a good match but we were wasteful in front of goal.

It was a fairly physical match and it was obvious Bulkington had come to make a match of it. We still did most of the attacking and the Saints only opportunities came from corners and the resulting goalmouth scrambles. Jordan Thompson had very little to do all in all and I can’t recall him having to make any save of note.

It took seventeen minutes before our pressure told; Danny Pritchard latched onto a ball over the defence and fired a fine, high shot into the net. Whilst taking the lead seemed to relax us and our overall play improved slightly there were no additions to the score. Half-time 1-0.

It was only three minutes into the second half that we doubled our lead. A corner from the right was fired into the area and a Bulkington player rose superbly to plant a fine header into his own net. It was unlucky for the lad but it was no more than we deserved for all our pressure.

If we expected a deluge of goals to follow we were disappointed. There were plenty of shots on goal but none had the power to beat the Saints keeper. Our third came from a penalty. Paul Winn slid a beautiful pass through the Saints defence, which Lewis Rowse ran onto. Rowsie drove into the penalty area and knocked the ball past their keeper only for his legs to be taken from him. Despite it being a clear-cut spot kick the ref seemed reluctant to give it and thanks should go to the honesty of the Saints linesman for confirming the foul. Danny P. placed a fine shot into the left hand corner.

That was it, 3-0. Still not a great team performance but it will get better. Lewis Edwards was, once again, solid in defence. The midfield pair of Rowsie and Winnie also put in some great work and Danny showed some fine touches.

Scorers:- Pritchard (2, 1 pen); Own Goal

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11th September 2005 - Bulkington Sports Braves (H) 8 - 0 (W)

A new season, a new league and new opposition. The Boys first fixture in the Nuneaton league provided a healthy win if not a fluent performance. Having only had one pre-season friendly it was obvious we were somewhat ring-rusty. There was little sign of the flowing passing game the team has tried to cultivate over the years. The Braves are certainly not the strongest team we will face this year but despite the inferiority of the opposition we still seemed reluctant to or unable to control the ball and pass well. Perhaps we can put this down to it being early in the season.

The Boys pressed from the whistle and you felt it was only a matter of time before the opening goal came. Danny Pritchard bagged the first and further goals came from Lewis Rowse (2) and Danny P. again. Half-time score 4-0.

The second-half pretty much mirrored the first with St.Nics doing virtually all the attacking. The Braves were proving difficult to breakdown, however, and they deserve credit for that. They breached our defence a couple of times but keeper Jordan Thompson was quickly off his line to snaffle the ball up. Twice central midfielders, Lewis Rowse and Paul Winn chased back to make great tackles in our penalty area to foil chances for the Braves. Despite those couple of scares we didn’t look likely to concede and added further goals from Danny and Lewis to complete their hat tricks, and Jacob Payne and Nathan Rust (nice little side foot, by the way).

Apart from Danny and Lewis with their goals there were great performances from Lewis Edwards in defence who must have had a headache that night from all the heading he did and Paul Winn who covered every blade of grass and sprayed some superb passes around.

Scorers:- Pritchard (3); Rowse (3); Payne; Rust

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