The Green and Whites put in a performance to remember on Saturday when they beat Coventry 31-32 at Butts Park in a game that looked out of sight for Neil Fowkes’ men with just 20 minutes to play.

Tries from Gearoid Lyons, Shane Buckley, Sean Scanlon, Jordan Coghlan and a last-minute drop goal from Shane O’Leary, gave Nottingham a one-point win in a highly competitive match that will surely live long in the memory of Nottingham fans.

While Coventry were dominant in for the majority of the first half, it was Nottingham who were the first team to register points on the board.

Gearoid Lyons’ try in the third minute and O’Leary’s conversion gave the Green and Whites an early lead. A penalty minutes later from O’Leary meant solidified Nottingham’s position. However, the hosts did not succumb to the early pressure.

Coventry hit back on the 24th minute, scoring their first try of the day which would lead to a successful half for the hosts. Another try and a penalty gave Coventry a lead of 17-10 at half time, with the game very much in the balance.

But the Blue and Whites were quick out of the starting blocks, scoring an early try in the second half. The resulting conversion put them 24-10 up and Nottingham appeared to be losing their grip on the game.

Five minutes later, a glimmer of hope for the Green and Whites through Shane Buckley’s try, brought the away side back into the match.

However, Coventry continued to dominate, scoring another try on the 60th minute to create a 14-point gap between the two teams with just 20 minutes to play.

It was at this point that Nottingham found the form they had shown earlier this season to stage a remarkable comeback.

Two tries from Sean Scanlon and Jordan Coghlan in quick succession and a conversion from Shane O’Leary put the Green and Whites within 3 points of victory.

With the clock running down and a penalty missed in the 79th minute, Nottingham would have been forgiven for losing hope of victory.

But the league’s top scorer Shane O’Leary showed his cool head to slot away a drop goal in the last minute of the game to win an incredible victory.

Nottingham now face Jersey Reds on Friday 19 April at The Bay for their final home game of the season. Advance tickets can be purchased via nottinghamrugby.co.uk.