HOCKEY: A DEPLETED Coventry & North Warwickshire side lost out to Stratford in a seven-goal thriller in the Midland League Division One.
Shorn of several influential players as the league season draws towards a close, Coventry fell to 4-3 defeat on Saturday to taste an eighth loss of the season.
The home team had most of the chances early on but they could find no way past Coventry’s young keeper Aidan Johnson who was making life difficult for the home side.
Of ten short corners only one was converted into a goal, whereas Coventry’s three corners gave them their three goals.
Stratford took the lead through a penalty but Dom Bell equalised to level the score at 1-1 at the break. The Stratford penalty was the result of Johnson’s only blemish.
An early goal at the start of the second put the hosts back in front before Bell scored again but he was briefly carded soon after which saw Coventry concede two goal sin quick succession.
Bell wrapped up his hat-trick but Coventry’s third goal came too late to have an impact on the result.
This Saturday Coventry host Telford & Wrekin at Coventry University.
