The very disappointing beginning to Coventry’s league season continued at Park Lane on Saturday. A defeat which sadly featured far too many errors, penalties given away & poor decision making, notably indecisive & poorly directed kicking out of hand, were all key areas in a very below par performance. It also included another yellow card.

Yet it had all begun so promisingly. 14 points to the good inside 9 minutes was a real base from which to work from, but thereafter there was so little of the early promise displayed. Once again, the quantity of quality possession gained was not really sufficient to maintain positions, despite Ollie Hodge winning reasonable amounts of first phase line out ball, but even when that was achieved, positions were continually lost through either indecisive decision making, poor kicking or penalties being given away. Overall, a very frustrating afternoon for the clubs faithful followers & if the home kickers had been on song, it really could have been a whole lot worse.

Those early moments did actually see Sedgley moving positively forward, but then as early as the 3rd minute, poor handling in midfield was to cost the Tigers dearly. A dropped pass saw Donovan Sanders expertly snap up the loose ball just outside Cov’s "22", the subsequent move seeing the South African stride all the way to the posts for a 60 metre run in try, Ben Russell converting. Six minutes later, it got even better for the Blue & Whites. A line out won on the Park "22" saw a superb rolling maul set up, onwards it rolled until right on the home line, & with referee Williams already playing advantage to Coventry, a Park boot kicked the ball away, penalty try to the Midlanders, with Russell again adding on the points.

14-0 & a real base, or so it appeared.  Home kicker Stephen Nutt, who already had missed an earlier penalty attempt, then put his sides first points on the board after 14 minutes, Coventry having been adjudged to have killed the ball. Nutt missed again  twice within four minutes,  indeed Sedgley Park were to miss six attempts at goal in the first half & two in the second, before another of those defining moments in a match hit Coventry. The referee, possibly slightly harshly, ruled hooker Chris Whitehead to have killed the ball on the ground & during his absence, Park were able to take advantage with two tries. First number eight Jon Skurr was driven over, Nutt converting, before left wing Jan Van Deventer flew over in the corner, the conversion that time failing. A Ben Russell penalty attempt from 40 metres flew just wide, Cov then wasting a good opportunity in first half injury time when a Myles Dorrian grubber kick flew harmlessly into in goal. Meanwhile, The Tigers missed yet another kick at goal, admittedly from some 54 metres.

From 15-14 down, Coventry, staying in the in goal area during half time, sought to pull points back, early second half missed tackles however again giving Park some ascendancy. Ben Russell’s  penalty attempt from 28 metres rebounded back off a post, it being a prelude to a number of replacements being brought on. On 50 minutes however, the already difficult situation became worse. A clever chip by home scrum half Jamie Albison over the Cov line saw winger Van Deventer just win the chase for his second try, the conversion attempt being missed. Eleven minutes later though, Coventry did give themselves a real lifeline. A  clever break from replacement scrum half Tom Slater saw the move set in motion with finally George Dixon being able to claim the try wide out, Ben Russell converting for 21-20.

Could the side finally close down the match from that point in the last quarter? Sadly the answer was ‘’no’’. It surely might have been possible had Donovan Sanders been able to hold on to a difficult pass after a telling George Dixon surge, but four minutes after that breakdown, Sedgley Park were to score their fourth & bonus point claiming try to ease back in front. A telling move saw them switch the ball right for winger Chris Hall to squeeze over, Phil Jones now on as replacement fly half & goal kicker continuing his sides poor return by missing the conversion. Jones it was though who finally ended any last lingering Coventry hopes with a penalty three minutes into injury time.

It ended a thoroughly disappointing afternoon for anyone supporting the Blue & Whites, a second defeat this time bringing just one bonus point for losing by 7 points.

Coventry; Ben Toft, George Dixon, Ben Russell (Capt), Donovan Sanders, Kurt Johnson, Myles Dorrian, Nathan Jones, Carl Rimmer, Chris Whitehead, Rudi Brits, Ian Nimmo, Ollie Hodge, Henno Venter, Jamie Miller, Laurie McGlone.

Coventry. Tries; Donovan Sanders, George Dixon, Penalty Try

Conversions; Ben Russell 3

Sedgley Park. Tries; Jon Skurr, Jan Van Deventer 2, Chris Hall.

Conversion; Stephen Nutt. Penalty Goals; Nutt, Phil Jones.