Quick-fire second half treble keeps Town Park-ed at the top - Match report: Nuneaton Town 4 Aylestone Park 2

By Matt Jones

Nuneaton Town 4-2 Aylestone Park
(Jardine 36, Thomas 55, Jones 58, Harrison 64 : Goncalves 32, Tucker 90+1)

Att 566

Nuneaton Town stayed top of the table with a strong performance as they racked up 3 goals in 9 second half minutes to sweep aside fellow title contenders Aylestone Park.

The home side switched to 3 at the back as 5 changes were made to the side that lost their home unbeaten record to Histon last time out. Aaron Brown, Stuart Hendrie, James Harrison, Charlie Jones and Cody Mullan came into the starting 11, whilst former Nuneaton keeper Liam Castle missed out for the away side.

Nuneaton started positively, putting the away defence under pressure, whilst Aylestone with fire in their bellies made it a physical contest in the early minutes. 11 minutes in the Aylestone keeper landed awkwardly trying to reach the ball over Kyle Jardine, and having tried to take the free kick realised he was in more pain than first thought.

With 24 gone, Jardine won a free kick outside the box which Callum Carsley curled towards goal but hit a defender and deflected wide.

5 minutes later Nuneaton defended an Aylestone attack and James Harrison broke away, using his pace to beat the defender and pull a cross to Jardine at the near post but his flick goalwards was well anticipated by the keeper. Seconds later Nuneaton thought they had taken the lead as Carsley's cross was headed in, but Carsley was adjudged to have taken the ball just out of play.

32 minutes in Aylestone took the lead against the run of play, Corey Armeni beat Cody Mullan on the left and his cross was tipped away by Brandon Bache under pressure, but fell straight to Rodrigo Goncalves who volleyed the ball into the ground and over the defence into the corner (0-1).

Nuneaton's response to going behind was immediate, and Carsley fed in Michael McGrath on the byline, who's cross found Loyiso Recci whos goalbound header was tipped over by the keeper. However from the corner, the keeper spilled it straight to Jardine who after an initial block, bundled over with the rebound (1-1).

Both sides continued to cancel each other out and despite 6 minutes of stoppage time the teams went in level at the break.

Half time: Nuneaton Town 1-1 Aylestone Park

Kai Thomas replaced Cody Mullan on the right wing at half time, and it took just 10 minutes for the number 2 to make an impact, as a Nuneaton breakaway found Stuart Hendrie who fed in Thomas on the right edge of the box who laced a fizzing shot into the top corner (2-1).

That filled the team with confidence and now with a 500+ crowd behind their every move, kept the attacks going. 3 minutes later Charlie Jones picked the ball up in the opposition half and looked for a pass, but with all the options covered decided to shoot himself, and it nestled straight into the bottom corner (3-1).

Nuneaton weren't done with 3, and with the Aylestone keeper in two minds about taking goal kicks with his earlier injury, after discussions with his defence on another one on 64 minutes, took one straight to Harrison on half way. He poked the ball past the defender expertly, and used his pace to beat the keeper to the ball and slot it into the corner (4-1).

Chances for more goals came as Jardine's free kick was palmed away by the keeper, whilst Bache denied an effort at the other end saving low to his right. Tucker had two efforts denied by Bache, before, with Alex Lock giving Jardine a rest for the last 12 minutes, Carsley nearly added a 5th as he chipped over from just outside the box.

With the game as good as won, a triple change saw Declan Somel, Aaron Williams and Eesa Sawyers give a few minutes rest to Hendrie, Harrison and Jones, and there was just enough time for Tucker to get a late consolation for Park, scoring on the rebound after an initial effort was saved (4-2).

There could have even been a last minute Nuneaton goal as a Carsley break down the left and a cross to the back post found Sawyers, but the keeper closed the effort down. The 3 goals in 9 minutes had done enough though to ensure a big 3 points, and, with March winning as well, stay top of the table by a solitary point.

Full time: Nuneaton Town 4-2 Aylestone Park

Next up: FA Vase 3rd Round - GNG Oadby Town v Nuneaton Town - Saturday 6th December 3pm