Very sadly, little which happened at Meadow Lane on Sunday will have done much to lift morale and confidence – and also the length of the Coventry injury list.

Nottingham, well drilled and organised won by five tries to nil. As befits a team currently 5^th in the table, they played with a great deal of confidence and in the main used their opportunities well.

Coventry for their part, certainly not lacking for possession did lack however any real cutting edge and  looked low on confidence after the recent run of results.. The whole scenario was also not helped by a further crop of injuries to add to the already very worrying list of unavailable squad members. The most serious knock was almost certainly picked up by Henno Venter, the flanker leaving the field on a stretcher late in the second half with damage to an ankle. Several other players also limped from the action.

Overall though for the travelling faithful it was a frustrating afternoon. They had seen their side put quite a number of promising passages of play together, but a lack of killer streak and penetration constantly saw the efforts fail against a stubborn and organised defence.

As Head Coach Murray Henderson commented ‘’ we simply dug more holes for ourselves, we did miss too many critical tackles and we were above all given an object lesson in finishing. The injuries too are mounting, but we do have to remain strong as a Club’’.

From the outset with a squad already below strength due not only to injuries but also illness, Cov again needed a positive start, conversely the opposite happened. Before they had even touched the ball after kicking off, Nottingham had won a penalty, kicked to touch and from 20 metres their familiar rolling maul had done the rest, Raven being driven over after just two minutes.

As early as the 16^th minute, Jamie Miller had replaced the limping Danny Hodge, Thompson then landing a home penalty for 8-0 after 21 minutes. Shortly afterwards, Cov had their best spell of the half, several times probing the home line, each time forward passes however causing the final breakdown.

Ben Russell at least put points on the board five minutes later after Nottingham were penalised for not rolling away, only for the home side to hit hard with positive finishing twice on either side of half time. First scrum half Usaz , with Cov expecting the ball to be moved wide shot through a gap for Thompson to convert for 15-3 at the break; it would have been worse if full back Jackson had held on to the ball instead of losing it on the visiting line to complete a move begun by Molenaar inside the home ‘’22’’.

The Blue and Whites in Red change strip then proceeded to really shoot themselves in the foot right from the very start of the second half. A poor take from the kick off saw another penalty conceded and from yet again a catch and drive, Hall was driven over for Nottingham try number three, Thompson converting. Ben Russell did chip three points back with an easy penalty shortly afterwards, but despite promising phases right up to the final whistle all of  which came to nought, it was the hosts through Duffey and Raven again who continued to finish and run in try numbers four and five, Thompson converting the first of them.

Six defeats on the trot and with results also not going Cov’s way from Saturday, the situation at lower end of the Division immediately above the bottom two is now as close as it could be. All around them Coventry are finding sides winning matches and somehow from somewhere they need to start doing likewise pretty quickly.

Coventry. Ben Toft, Kurt Johnson, Donovan Sanders, Ben Russell (Capt), Logon Kirisome, Myles Dorrian, Tom Slater, Carl Rimmer, Chris Whitehead, Rudi Brits, Ian Nimmo, Danny Hodge, Henno Venter, Darren Clayton, Laurie McGlone.

Replacements; Stuart Friswell, Ricky Whitehall, Rob Dugard, Jamie Miller, Mike Walls, Lee Parry, Sam Montague.

Coventry. Penalties Ben Russell 2

Nottingham. Tries Sam Raven 2, Tim Usaz, Nigel Hall, Joe Duffey. Conversions Ben Thompson 3. Penalty Thompson.