Coventry battled their way to a draw, both sides scoring a converted try in immensely difficult conditions at Monks Lane.

The result also went some way to avenging the home defeat suffered earlier in the season and also maintained the clubs unbeaten record on Newbury territory.

The weather, not untypical of an early Easter, saw all 30 players battling to overcome not only a biting cold cross wind but also heavy snow showers. It all made for a match which was never going to be a classic or one which would remain in the memory banks for very long.

The first half with Newbury having better use of the elements blowing diagonally across saw the Blues have almost total dominance in terms of position and possession, but thanks to some sterling defence from Coventry, nothing to show for their efforts. Battling into the cross wind it took Cov some 21 minutes to cross halfway and with no real scoring opportunities to show for their efforts. Newbury meanwhile missed two penalty attempts, both kicks from Ashwin sailing wide, whilst in addition a number of  try scoring chances went begging either as a result of poor options or superb Cov tackling.

0-0 at half time, how often does that occur these days !. But, within one minute twenty seconds Coventry had undone all their earlier work by letting in a try. The initial kick off was not cleared cleanly, leaving Newbury the opportunity to set up a series of pick up and drives from which former Cov forward Tom Brown came up with the ball, Tim Walsh landing a splendid conversion into the cross wind. 0-7, but within four minutes the scores were level again. From a line out in home territory Myles Dorrian broke superbly from 35 metres, a classic dummy opening up the Blues defence before Cov’s Aussie fly half crossed under the posts leaving Ronnie McLean with an easy conversion.

As for the rest, Coventry in their red change strip were never able to quite keep the pressure on as Newbury had done in the first forty. Good inter passing on 68 minutes came to a halt with another penalty against, 2- 10 in awards to Newbury at that point. Ashwin missed another home penalty, with Cov having Chris Whitehead yellow carded on 63 minutes. Newbury however failed  to capitalise, with home prop Thompson also receiving yellow after 73 minutes. From the resulting penalty Ben Russell saw his attempt blown wide, before a sequence of Cov attacks in the closing minutes including a long rolling maul were all held up.

On the balance of the whole game Newbury probably felt they should have won, Cov for their part with far less attacking opportunities could certainly have claimed it at the death. Two points each, overall in the conditions about fair. The Coventry commitment in defence however was certainly superb.

Coventry. Ben Russell (Capt), Kurt Johnson, Ronnie McLean, Donovan Sanders, Lee Parry, Myles Dorrian, Mike Walls, Carl Rimmer, Chris Whitehead, Rob Dugard, Danny Hodge, Ian Nimmo, Henno Venter, Darren Clayton, Laurie McGlone

Replacements; Dai Maddocks for Rimmer, Jamie Miller for Clayton. Ricky Whitehall (temporary for Whitehead). Not used; Hendry Rheeders, Tom Slater, George Dixon, Sam Montague

Coventry. Try; Myles Dorrian. Conversion; Ronnie McLean

Newbury. Try; Tom Brown. Conversion; Tim Walsh