Boro halt leaders’ unbeaten run with fine win

SWIFT starters Nuneaton Borough halted the 16-match unbeaten run of title rivals Leiston with a 2-1 victory at Liberty Way.

Charlie Dowd and Luke Benbow caught the visitors cold with two goals in the opening nine minutes and Boro turned up the heat throughout the first half only to miss a host of chances to kill the game.

Will Davies halved the deficit at the start of a more even second half but Nuneaton managed the game well to move up to second in Southern League Premier Division Central.

Leiston keeper Sam Donkin dashed from his box but his clearance landed straight to Dowd who lofted into the empty net within two minutes.

Nuneaton went two up when Dowd’s pass was backheeled on its way by Tyrell Waite and Benbow thundered home.

It should have been game over when Kane Richards squared past Donkin only for Waite to miss the cross in front of a gaping goal, while Richards saw his drive across goal skip just past the far post.

Waite then scooped over when one-on-one with Donkin and Ryan Beswick whacked the far post from a Richards cut back with Leiston on the ropes.

The tide threatened to turn when George Quantrell pulled back from the left corner for Davies to swivel and score but while Ryan Jarvis headed over when well placed with 11 minutes left, there was no late Leiston surge.

In Northern Premier League Midlands Division, Bedworth United had the mixed blessing of an uneventful 0-0 draw at home to Daventry Town.

It marked a seventh match without defeat for the mid-table Greenbacks but five of those have been draws.

Rugby Town continue to blaze a trail at the United Counties League Premier Division South summit thanks to a 5-3 derby win at Coventry United.

Liam Francis headed in a corner, David Kolodynski converted Dan Summerfield’s cross and United’s Jake Williams found his own net from an Edwin Ahenkorah centre to put the Valley three up at Butts Park Arena.

Jared Bradshaw’s cross sailed straight into the net to cut the deficit but Jordan Wilson restored the three-goal cushion before halftime.

Kyle Carey got another back for the hosts only for Josh Thomas to get Rugby’s fifth, flicking in Ryan Seal’s free-kick to render meaningless Archie Gallagher’s effort in added time.

Kory Burke’s hat-trick handed Racing Club Warwick the derby bragging rights in Midland Football League Premier Division, inspiring a 3-0 victory over Atherstone Town.

The freezing conditions left Leamington, Stratford Town and Coventry Sphinx without matches.