Cinderford 44 Coventry 0 by John Wilkinson

Coventry’s up and down National League One campaign ended on the most dismal of notes as, for the second year running, they failed to register a single point in the Forest of Dean – which takes some doing in the modern game – and were pretty well outplayed in every department.

Nothing went right from the first whistle. Cov took a battering from the strong, chilling wind blowing straight down the pitch, and even more of a beating from a Cinderford side that bullied them at the breakdown, pressed up quickly to stifle them in midfield, and simply showed more desire to win.

As a result, Cov were hurried and harassed into mistakes, conceding turnover after turnover, and spent chunks of the game on the back foot as Cinderford fly-half Rory Teague played a simple but highly effective territorial kicking game – something the visitors also failed to do.

But it didn’t come and by the end of the third quarter Cinderford were back in full control, going on to add two further tries with Cov becoming more and more dispirited.

It was a horrible way to end a season which promised much better in the first couple of months.

Results elsewhere mean that Cov end up 13th in the National League One table, just one above the relegation places although with a comfortable points cushion

And while that doesn’t fully reflect the ability within the squad if fully fit, it shows the work that has to be done for next season in a division which is only going to get tougher.

Cov conceded a try inside the first three minutes as they attempted to play their way out of their own 22 but lost possession with the home forwards then driving winger Nevarro Codlin over the line for the first of his four tries, Teague converting before adding a penalty eight minutes later.

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