The game began with some excellent passages of play from both sides however neither side were managing to get very far up the pitch. That all changed though when Kane Richards was forced to track back and provide an all important block to stop a Stratford cross reaching the danger area. With 25 minutes on the clock, Matty Stenson stepped up to the spot to dispatch a penalty after Leroy Lita was brought to ground inside the box. With ten minutes to go in the first half, an In-swinging cross was met by the head of former Boro centre half Liam Daly and sent over the bar. On the stroke of half time, Stenson stepped up again to score from the spot after Kane Richards was fouled after bursting into the box.

Half Time: 0-2

The Bards had a few opportunities to score during the second half, striking the wall from a free kick just outside the area just before the hour and firing over from distance with ten minutes to go. As the game progressed into added time, Owen Oseni looked certain to grab his first goal of his loan spell before being brought down inside the area by Liam O’Brien. Just before the ball passed the line from his effort, the referee blew for the third penalty of the game. Up stepped Stenson once again hammering home from 12-yards-out before standing to soak in the cheers from the travelling Boro faithful after completing his hat trick.

The scoring of a hat-trick of penalties is a rare occurrence at any level of football and after thumbing through the club’s history records it appears to be the first time this has happened for the Boro.

Full Time: 0-3

Nuneaton Borough Starting XI
1. Dan Jezeph
2. Camron McWilliams
3. Alex Lafleur
4. Kyle Storer
5. Victor Nirennold
6. Scott McManus (C)
7. Kane Richards
8. Leroy Lita
10. Matt Stenson
13. Kacy Milan Butterfield
20. Isaiah Osbourne

Subs
9. Owen Oseni
11. Prince Mancinelli
14. Jaden Charles
15. Beau Friel
18. Lathaniel Rowe-Turner

Stratford Town Starting XI
1. Liam O'Brien
2. Daniel Vann
3. Alex Worley
4. Liam Daly
5. Paul McCone (C)
6. Kasonga Ngandu
7. Jack Storer
8. Lewis Ludford-Ison
9. Christopher Hussey
10. Daniel Lafferty
11. Riley O'Sullivan

Subs
13. Louis Beresford
14. Babatomiwa Solanke
15. Charlie Williams
16. Devonn O'Sullivan
17. Taylor Morrison

Attendance: 1,319