Cov saw an early lead wiped out by Nottingham’s first try and then conceded 21 points in a devastating eight-minute spell before the break to turn round trailing 26-3.

And despite enjoying the better of the third quarter, pulling back a try through captain for the day Aaron Carpenter, they shipped three more tries in another eight-minute spell of mayhem before having the final word when a length-of-the-field move was finished off by James Lewis.

Ben Russell pushed a 44-metre penalty wide of the left post in the fourth minute as Cov made a promising start with the chill wind behind them, but he found his range from just outside the 22 to give the visitors a 3-0 lead when Nottingham tight head Ben Buxton was penalised for collapsing the first scrum of the game.

Nottingham wasted no time posting a reply, countering quickly when Cov knocked on and spreading the ball wide to the left for winger Andy Savage to run in an unconverted try for 5-3 after 14 minutes.

The score seemed to take Cov out of their stride, and they were largely on the back foot until conceding a second try after 32 minutes when Nottingham spurned a head-on penalty on the 22 and kicked instead for the corner with scrum-half Dan White going over from the ensuing line-out drive.

David Jackson added the angled conversion and topped up again when centre Tim Streather finished off an excellent passage of handling by the home backs.

And Cov were punished again three minutes later when they lost a line-out on their throw in their own 22 and then pulled down Nottingham’s driving maul, referee Rob Debney awarding a penalty try which Jackson converted.

Cov showed much more purpose and continuity in the third quarter and were rewarded through a close-range try from No.8 Aaron Carpenter – captain for the day – which Russell converted. But a Russell kick from defence was returned with interest by Streather to set up a try for replacement hooker Greg Sammons as the game moved into the final quarter, replacement wing Jack Cobden crossed twice in the space of five minutes – the first try converted by Jackson – to pile on the misery for Cov as the hosts shrugged off a yellow card for back row Luke Sherriff.

Cov’s backs finally got the better of the opposition on the final whistle when they broke from deep in their own 22 and left wing James Lewis won the race to his own kick ahead for a try which Russell converted.

Nottingham: tries Cobden 2 (63, 67) Savage (14), White (32), Streather (35), penalty try (39), Sammons (60); conversions Jackson 4 (32, 35, 59, 63).

Coventry: tries Carpenter (54), J Lewis (80); conversions Russell 2; penalty Russell (11) .

Nottingham: Jackson; Blake (Cobden 61), Streather, Marshall, Savage (Barnard 64); Tonks, White; Parr (Cook 61), Youngs (Sammons h-t), Buxton (Fowkes 61), Nimmo, Rouse, Hammond (Sherriff h-t), Hemmingway (Raven 61), Baird.

Coventry: Russell; Frewin (Mackenzie 64), Davies (Johnson 78), C Lewis, J Lewis; Apikotoa, Jones (Frost 57); : Maddocks, McMillan, Hall (Dugard 64), Herrington, Dechartres (McGowan 51), Harrop (Bignell 51), Askew, Carpenter.

Referee: R Debney (RFU).

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