First win of the season for the fourth team

LOUGHBOROUGH Town 4s took the short trip over to Coalville in search of their first points of the season, and acutely aware that they were in danger of getting cut adrift at the foot of their league.

Town have started each of their games positively this season and this week was no exception. Once again, they were quickly into their flow and pushed the opposition back into their own half creating chances but failing to find the break through.

Despite Town’s dominance it was Coalville who opened the scoring when they capitalised on Town’s failure to clear their lines. Staying calm and undeterred by the setback, Town restarted the game and were quickly back on terms when Shaylan Chauhan was able to score from a tight angle following some trickery inside the D.

This Town team have no shortage of talent & ability, and buoyed by the confidence of a goal they laid siege to the Coalville goal, which began to live something of a charmed life.

Town’s efforts were then rewarded when Tan Bainsal finished from close range to grab his first goal for the club. With the score at just 2-1 to Town, Coalville weren’t out of this game and still carried a threat, but Town Keeper Tom Abbott wasn’t prepared to concede for a second time.

A deflected shot from the edge of his D was arrowing into the top righthand corner of his goal, he instinctively threw out his gloved stick-hand to tip the ball high and wide of his goal.

Town needed a third goal to give them the comfort of clear daylight between them and Coalville, they once again upped their work rate creating more openings and forcing saves from the Coalville keeper.

Man of the Match, Luca Hargreaves had been terrorising the opposition defence throughout the half with his powerful ball carrying, but Coalville failed to heed the earlier warnings. Allowing him enough space on the edge of their D to unleash an unstoppable trademark reverse stick strike. The Coalville keeper didn’t even react as the ball rocketed past him into his goal, so to cheers from the small group of travelling supporters Town ended the first half with the comfort of a 3-1 lead.

The second half started and Coalville threw everything they had at Loughborough in an attempt to rescue the game.

Town absorbed the pressure and even when they were temporarily reduced to ten as a result of a green card their defence remained mostly untroubled. It was as if Town were toying with their prey, allowing them to use up the remains of their energy in the false hope of getting back into the game.

So, as Coalville tired, Town upped their own game once more, rapid attacks starting from central defender Leon Foster-Pollard, moving through the half line and into the forwards left Coalville’s formation scattered around the pitch, and Chauhan was the first to benefit from the space, recording his second and Town’s forth with a well struck shot which beat the Coalville keeper, albeit from a slight deflection.

Then to finish off the game, making it a fine 5-1 win, Bainsal pounced on a loose ball in the D and slotted the ball home past a deflated Coalville keeper.

As the final whistle sounded, Town’s players rightly celebrated the victory as a team, fully deserving the three points which moves them off the bottom of the table.

Town outplayed Coalville throughout this match but face league leaders Northampton Saints 3s next, that match is certainly going to be a massive test for Town.