OLD Halesonians' Men’s First XI suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of high flying Coventry and North Warwick.

After some good performances over the past few weeks, Hales were brimming with confidence and started the game well against Coventry, who hold a much higher league position. The 3-0 defeat when the sides met back in October did not deter the hosts, as they created some chances early on. Whilst the chances were few in number, the strike force was unable to convert any of the chances, with both Tom Bulteel and Graham Knight coming close.

Both teams cancelled each other out in the first half, with chances being far and few between.

With the scores at 0-0, Hales still believed they would be able to grind out a result. Some excellent second half play again saw Hales create more chances, with only some excellent goalkeeping from the Coventry keeper keeping the home side at bay.

The defensive effort from Hales was just as impressive, with goalkeeper Steve Charlton and the defensive line thwarting several Coventry penalty corners.

The breakthrough came for the Coventry side when they opened the scoring midway through the second half.

Then, as the game reached its conclusion, Hales threw players forward to find an equaliser, but a fast counter-attack following a Hales penalty corner saw the defence exposed leaving the Coventry forwards to a relatively easy goal to double their lead and secure the victory.

Despite the result, Hales should feel positive about their performance as they travel to Bridgnorth next week, who are above them in the table on goal difference.