Caine strikes Again To Leave Colemen Comeback In Vain - Match report: Nuneaton Town 3 Coleshill town 2

By Matt Jones

Nuneaton Town 3-2 Coleshill Town
(Elliott 57, 90+4, Green 62 : Marshall 80, Gyasi 86)
Attendance: 507

Nuneaton Town stole a dramatic victory in the last minute against a resilient Coleshill Town side to win 3-2 and gain a first home win of the season.

After a goalless first half, two almost identical goals from Caine Elliott and Josh Green put the home side in front, before Coleshill scored their first goals of the season to earn what looked like a point, before Caine Elliott popped up with the winner deep in stoppage time.

Nuneaton made two changes to the side that won at Rugby Borough, with Caine Elliott having recovered from his injury to replaced James Armson, who suffered an injury late in the game on Saturday.

The home side enjoyed the best of the early minutes, and in the 5th Eesa Sawyers spotted Webb attempting to shield it back to his keeper, and got there first poking it goalwards, but former Nuneaton keeper Alex Graham was there to block.

That seemed to wake Coleshill up, and having failed to score in any of their opening games so far, looked to rectify that and push through a shaky few minutes for their opponents. Marshall brought the first save from Finn Osborn, before another ex Nuneaton player Luke Benbow, who had already played against them in preseason for Rushall Olympic, and known for his dead ball threat, clattered a free kick off the outside of the post on 16 minutes, before Marshall had another go in the 20th, looping a shot just over the bar.

Nuneaton finally got themselves into the game in the second part of the half, and Sawyers looked to cut inside onto his right foot with regularity. But too often his efforts lacked the power to trouble Graham. And both sides' inability to finish chances meant a goalless first half.

Half time: Nuneaton Town 0-0 Coleshill Town

Liam Murphy replaced Terry Atem at half time after impressing with his work rate on Saturday, and gained an early chance from Sawyers' cut back after he won the ball up high, but Murphy could only turn his effort over the bar.

The dangerous Marshall had another effort at the other end, bringing a smart save from Osborn after Benbow's initial effort was blocked by the defence.

Coleshill were made to pay soon after as on 57 minutes Bradley Stretton's burst down the right saw him zip the ball across to the left side of the box to Caine Elliott, and he cut inside and curled a dipping effort right over Graham and into the far corner to give Nuneaton the lead (1-0).

Five minutes later it was two as Corey Currithers was felled on the same corner of the box, and directly from the free kick Josh Green remarkably produced almost exactly the same goal, albeit from a dead ball rather than in play, to double the lead (2-0).

Three Nuneaton subs either side of a low save by Osborn from Coleshill's own sub Manners saw James Harrison, Declan Somel and Stuart Hendrie replace Sawyers, Green and Stretton, looking to see out the game. But Coleshill sensed blood, and Benbow's free kick into the wall, and another chance from a defensive miskick that saw Roberts' last ditch poke for a corner after Osborn was beaten, were just the warning signs.

Marshall reduced the deficit on 80 minutes firing past Osborn after a ball across from the right from Benbow saw Gyasi's effort blocked (2-1). Before 6 minutes later Manner's effort on goal was deflected straight into Gyasi's path and he slotted the ball past Osborn into the corner (2-2).

Nuneaton were not satisfied with dropping 2 points in that way, and pressed Coleshill looking for one more chance. And into the 4th of 5 minutes of stoppage time they found it. A break down the right from Hendrie, and after a pass across the box, Harrison played a 1-2 with Elliott on the left before unleashing a shot that looped up off the defenders foot. Murphy was first to the ball to head back to Elliott, and from a tight angle absolutely walloped the ball on the half volley past Graham into the top corner to send the home fans wild and steal back the points from the Colemen (3-2). Surely a contender for goal, and game, of the season already, in a season that is seeing some great entertainment so far.

Full time: Nuneaton Town 3-2 Coleshill Town

Team: Osborn, Green (Somel 74), Roberts, Softley, Chesterton, Currithers, Jones, Elliott, Stretton (Hendrie 75), Sawyers (Harrison 63), Atem (Murphy 45)

Subs: Somel, Harrison, Murphy, Hendrie, Snook