but with only a single converted Danny Hodge try to show for it, they were undone by a 10-minute spell of madness which cost them 17 points and gave Moseley a half-time lead which must have embarrassed even their most fervent of supporters.

And although Cov continued to press for long periods in the second period, one more lapse let in the home side for a decisive third try which made all the difference in the final reckoning.

It was a frustrating end to another tough week for Cov, both on and off the field, but Davey - whose touchline attempt to convert Tom Slater's stop-page-time try was only a lick of paint away from securing a draw - had called for some pride and passion from his players, and that was what he got, reaching a peak on 65 minutes when a mass brawl ended with red cards for Hodge and Moseley centre Gary Trueman.

"The team was excellent and I couldn't have asked for more," said Davey. "It's been a hard week and I can't praise the players enough.

"I was more concerned about the performance this week and I got that. After Exeter some of the play-ers had to stand up and commit themselves to the badge and the club, which they have done.

Everything that has gone on off the field this week happened without my knowledge so we can't use that as an excuse.

"For 25 minutes we played some really good stuff. On another day we could have scored a couple more tries and things would have been rosy, but we had another poor spell before half-time and paid for it.

"It was little mistakes again and they never really looked like scoring apart from that. We have just got to work it out.

"There are a few things we can look at, but there was more intensity and pattern this week and we are working hard. It's coming, day by day."

Added Davey: "I thought it was a good, hard, physical game of rugby. There were two sendingsoff, but it was really not that kind of game, and it was disappointing for Danny who had played well."

Playing into the sun and breeze, Cov created a string of promising positions before opening the scoring on 16 minutes when they went for touch from a kickable penalty and, from the line-out, set up the chance for Hodge to crash over for a try which Davey converted.

Three minutes later Cov turned over Moseley possession on the floor for the third time in the game, but when home winger Henry Trinder knocked on a metre from his own line as he went to gather Davey's kick through, they failed to capitalise from the close-in scrum.

Almost predictably, Moseley's first venture into the Cov 22 produced a score. Chris Whitehead's long line-out throw, aimed at scrum-half Nathan Jones, was well read by Gareth Taylor who nipped in front of his opposite number and launched a move which ended in a simple penalty chance accepted by Neil Stenhouse.

Three minutes later Cov were turned over in midfield, Kurt Johnson was bundled into touch as he dealt with Stenhouse's kick to the corner, and the home pack forced their way over from the line-out for hooker Ross McMillan to touch down, Stenhouse converting.

And there was worse to come for Cov when another line-out went wrong and home skipper Neil Mason ran through from 35 metres for another converted try to give his side a 17-7 lead.

The third quarter was pretty much all Cov, who lost winger Lee Parry with a hamstring pull, and after prop Dai Maddocks was judged to have been held up over the line, the pressure paid off when Laurie McGlone forced his way through the home defence from close range - Davey's angled conversion attempt curling wide of the left post.

But just before the hour, Davey's clearance kick to midfield was returned with interest by Trinder and the move finished off by Nathan Bressington for a crucial score.

Cov responded better to the double dismissal, for fighting, with the forwards taking the game to Moseley and centres Jack Cobden and Logon Kirisome finding more space in midfield, and the pack numbers were evened up on 74 minutes when Mason was yellow carded for persistent team infringements in the home 22.

Davey kicked the resulting penalty to bring Cov within bonus point distance, but that was all they finished with. His long pass to the left saw replacement winger Tom Slater squeeze in at the corner but, with a restricted run up, the No.10 struck the ball sweetly but a whisker away from securing a second point.

Moseley:tries McMillan (36), Mason (40), Bressington (58); conversions Stenhouse 2 (36, 40); penalty Stenhouse (32).

Coventry: tries D Hodge (16), McGlone (49), Slater (60); conversion Davey (16); penalties Davey (74).

Moseley: Binns; Bressington, Hayes, Trueman, Trinder; Stenhouse, Taylor; Williams (Buxton 74), McMillan (Caves 56), Sigley, Arnold, Stott, Mason, Atkinson (Bignell 60), Rodwell.

Coventry: Toft; Johnson, Cobden, Kirisome, Parry (Slater 42); Davey, Jones; Maddocks (Rimmer 55), Whitehead, Brits, O Hodge, Nimmo, D Hodge, Clayton, McGlone.

Referee: A Rowden (RFU). * COVENTRY Development play their Nottingham counterparts at the Butts Park Arena tonight (7.30pm) in a game which marks the return of centre Ronnie McLean, injured at Bedford in early October.

Cov Development: Dorrian; Beynon (Earlsdon), McLean, Lee (Old Coventrians), Freeman (OCs Cov Colts); Hewitt (Chinnor), Walls; Mills (Earlsdon), R Whitehall, Dugard, Broer (Earlsdon), Weaver (Barkers Butts), Marshall (OCs), Morris (Broadstreet), Rheeders. Reps: Kuvavaega (OCs Cov Colts), Maren (B;street), Stoijka (Stourbridge), Tait (OCs Cov Colts), J Whiteheall (BB), Kelly, Wood (both OCs).

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