Atherstone Adders' Mens First and Second teams were in action for the first league games of the season this weekend. The newly-promoted first team were lining up in the East Midlands Premier for the first team, against a determined Sikh Union Firsts. Whilst the seconds of both clubs lined up against each other in what was also to prove a tough match for the Atherstone outfit.

Sikh Union (Cov) Firsts 3 - 4 Atherstone Adders Mens Firsts

Cameron Hobbs grabbed a hat-trick and Robert Currie scored his first Mens Firsts goal as the Adders began their League season with a narrow win in the pouring rain against a strong Sikh Union (Coventry) side this weekend.

Following last season's league title, the Adders have stepped up another league to East Midlands Premier, knowing that they will now be facing much tougher opposition.

Despite dominating the early part of the first half, the Adders found themselves behind when a rare Sikh Union attack was neatly finished by their centre forward.

Hat-trick hero, Cameron Hobbs was guilty of wasting at least three good opportunities to level the scores before he followed up his own shot on goal to score the equaliser and to settle the Adders' early nerves. From then on it looked like Atherstone were going to go on and comfortably win the game.

Indeed as the second half continued, the Adders became even more dominant and Hobbs found the target on two more occasions to complete his hat-trick and to give the Adders a 3-1 lead.

Last season the Adders became accustomed to sides giving up after being so far behind, but the home side had different ideas. They struck back to narrow the scoreline before new boy, Alex Kotlarzewski, masterminded a superb Adders move that ended up with Robert Currie firing home his maiden first team goal.

With the return of the two-goal cushion it looked like the Adders just had to manage the last ten minutes of the game to achieve the three points for victory, but the determination of the home side unsettled the Adders defence and they conceded a third goal.

Now with five minutes left on the clock, Sikh Union threw everything they had at the Adders but the defence and hard working midfield held firm to secure a tough victory against strong opponents. Overall the Adders know that they can play better but will feel that they were worth their first League win despite making hard work of the result.

Atherstone Adders Mens Seconds 3 - 1 Sikh Union Seconds

The Atherstone Adders Mens Seconds were also in action against a Sikh Union side this weekend if their first league game of the season. The Adders were nervous going into the match, as their side had changed constantly in the warm up games, with many of their younger players heading off to university.

The Adders clamped down on the Sikh Union forwards and gave them nowhere to go.

A shrewd defence was combined with an athletic midfield for the seconds, allowing them to control the game easily.

Harry Barlow and Ellis Brown have shown fine form during preseason, so richly deserved their promotion to the seconds. This powerful new attack combined with a strong midfield, served the seconds well this weekend.

Harry Barlow got the first goal by wrong-footing the Sikh Union keeper, slotting the ball behind the confused keeper.

Another attack from one of Ben Matthews' counter moves saw the ball smacked against the post and Ellis Brown was in the right place at the right time to smack it in for number two.

Two minutes later Sikh Union scored a fortunate goal as they smothered the Adders' goal with players. They managed to get the ball to their final unmarked player, who just managed to slot it past the keeper.

This appeared to galvanise the Adders to get the win and the third came as a drag-flicked shot sailed into the Sikh Union goal.

It took the wind out of the Sikh Union sails for ten minutes, but then they launched a massive last five minute counter attack, they had nothing to lose. The Adders' keeper saved a couple of chances to keep the Atherstone side in front.