As disasters go it was nowhere near Titanic proportions, but it felt like it to the Coventry supporters, who watched incredulously as their side crumbled to their biggest defeat by their old rivals.

Coventry-Moseley matches are traditional Christmas fare and they usually provide epic battles with results being decided by a handful of points. But this was a rout, made all the more difficult to swallow for the home camp because victory would have lifted them to third place in the league.

Moseley arrived fourth from the bottom, but quickly showed they would not be lying down in front of Coventry’s ambitions.

Coventry applied 95% per cent of the first half pressure yet changed ends 11 points to nil down. Moseley scored from each of their three trips over the halfway line and they showed in the second half that they had more in their locker.

For their part Coventry were bankrupt of scoring ideas and they missed crucial tackles. Moseley’s wingers, the pacey Geoff Gregory and the elusive Nigel Simpson were a constant threat.

Coventry scored a converted try at the start of the second half and appeared to be fired up to take victory, but Moseley struck back immediately and the home men were always trailing well behind after that.

Scorers for Coventry: Tries – Lee Crofts, Julian Horrobin, Penalty Try. Conversions – Steve Gough.