Just 4 minutes into this match Richard Reeves put a long throw into Nuneaton’s penalty box and Andy Harrison managed to touch it back to Adam Cunningham. Cunningham shot firmly, but Griff’s keeper Paul Grears did well at short range to parry the shot. It was Neil Rolston who was most alive to the chance and gleefully tucked it away to give the home side an early lift.

Nuneaton seemed unnerved and another throw, this time on the left, started a move which could well have sealed the points as Cunningham this time brought in Ben Harrison, whose line ball was chased and crossed by James Dyke. Grears did well to hold on to the ball as Andy Harrison leapt in the box.

The visitors worked their way into the game, but never quite got to grips with a gusty wind, which seemed to keep their probing behind Brocton’s defence too strong for their front runners. They looked most dangerous when taking corners and free kicks in and around the area. Going in at half time with the slenderest of leads, Brocton must have been aware that the ball would hold up for Griff’s front runners in the second period, when playing into the wind.

A largely uneventful half, with both defences in control, was given a sudden lift when a speculative forward ball from Rob Brassington, much like many which had preceded it, was plucked superbly out of the air with as sweet a right foot as you could wish to see. Tom Thacker swivelled and struck a beauty of a shot beyond the dive of Mike Shelper in Brocton’s goal, having hit the ball before it reached the ground.

The equaliser was tough on a Brocton side which had not looked like conceding, but no one could begrudge the strike as being a worthy winner, let alone equaliser. The gods are not kind to Griff at present though and with the game within spitting distance of the finish, Steve Bennett, seemingly having slipped at the vital moment when looking to square the ball in the box, managed to get his body in front of a Nuneaton defender, about to clear the ball from danger.

Bennett was inevitably bowled over by the momentum of the clearance and a penalty was awarded. Steve Kneller confidently claimed the ball and was calmness personified as he made no mistake. Within moments the final whistle sounded and Brocton came away winners.