Those City fans who braved the elements witnessed the Lilywhites’ first Milton Road goals since Boxing Day as this entertaining encounter saw them come from behind to avenge the New Year’s Day defeat at Manor Park and progress to the Dr Martens League Cup 5th Round.

Gary Roberts had the unusual luxury of naming an unchanged side from that which collected a point from the long haul to Tiverton at the weekend as Saturday’s goal scorer, Matt Nolan, made his home debut having joined on loan from Peterborough United last Thursday.

City drew first blood as Louis Riddle’s raking centre from the left was just in front of both Rob Miller and Danny Bloomfield respectively as visiting ‘keeper Ryan Poole scrambled to make his ground.

Nuneaton had a near miss of their own soon afterwards when left back Chris Tullin mis-hit an attempted centre only to see the ball bounce behind off the frame of Martin Davies’ goal. Tullin was involved again moments later, taking up an advanced position on the left he slid a neat pass into Stuart Whittaker whose rising shot was plucked out of the air by Davies.

Just as the game appeared to be settling City gifted the visitors the lead. Under no apparent pressure in the left back position Lewis Baillie attempted to lay the ball back to Martin Davies but succeeded only in setting up a surprised Danny Williams. From the edge of the six yard box the striker seemed odds on to score before he was floored by a Lee Pluck challenge which inevitably resulted in the award of a penalty. Stuart Whittaker stepped up and fired high to Davies’ left, 1-0 Nuneaton.

As City began to exert some pressure of their own Stuart Niven’s left wing corner picked out Lee Pluck who headed back across the area to Matt Langston, with his back to goal the former Stevenage central defender rolled a pass invitingly back to Niven who skied his shot disappointingly from a decent angle.

Showing good awareness Niven then played a neat ball in front of Matt Nolan who advanced towards the heart of the Boro’ defence before feeding Carl Williams on the right hand edge of the box but Poole was out well to smother at the feet of the former Hitchin midfielder.

As the game approached the half hour mark Matt Langston collected a yellow card. As a through ball down the right fell between himself and Stuart Niven he lunged recklessly catching the back of Stuart Whittaker’s leg. City’s attacking momentum was lost and moments later Nuneaton should have extended their lead. Excellent work by Simeon Williams on the left took him past Craig Pope before he cut the ball back invitingly for Neil Moore some eight yards out, however the former Burnley player saw his stabbed shot sail harmlessly over the bar when he should have at the very least tested Davies.

City then enjoyed a good spell of pressure, forcing several corners, as they searched for an equaliser. A deep centre from Louis Riddle, wide on the left was met by Danny Bloomfield who cushioned a header into the path of Nolan whose first time strike forced Poole to dive to his left to gather. The roles were reversed in City’s next attack as good work by Nolan wide on the right created space for a cross, the former Hitchin front man laid the ball inside to Riddle but his strike from the edge of the area drifted wide of Poole’s right hand post.

As the half drew to a close a good interchange between Baillie and Riddle on the left freed Nolan, who, spotting Williams in a good position angled in a well placed centre only for an excellently timed Andy Crabtree block to deny the City midfielder. More good work between Baillie and Riddle moments later saw the Lilywhites left back round off a series of neat passes by surging past Dion Scott only to be felled on the edge of the box by the outstretched leg of the right back, a challenge which earned the former Kidderminster player a caution.

In the dying moments of the opening period each team had a further chance to score. Firstly Lee Pluck was deceived by an uneven bounce which allowed Whittaker to accelerate away before threading the ball into the feet of Williams. The alert Martin Davies was quickly off his line which forced the Nuneaton striker wide and allowed Lee Pluck time to tidy up behind his ‘keeper and clear.

In added time Nolan’s persistence won City a right sided corner, Stuart Niven’s precise centre found an advancing Matt Langston whose powerful downward header was just close enough to Poole to allow the former Halifax Town custodian to drop to his left and block the ball on the goal line.

Alan Lewer introduced Matt McCaul at the start of the second half with Matt Collins the player to make way.

As City looked to continue where they left off at the end of the opening period another low centre from Riddle was smothered by Poole with Bloomfield in close attendance.

McCaul then made his first meaningful contribution to proceedings by collecting a caution for a foul on Niven in centre field. Whilst City enjoyed territorial dominance Nuneaton’s speedy strike force posed a constant threat whenever the ball broke in their favour. As the game approached the hour Crabtree’s lofted clearance caught the Lilywhites’ back line flat footed and Whittaker raced clear down the left before crossing early to McCaul, who with time and space at his disposal, should have produced better than a first time effort which was well off target.

McCaul was then involved in the action at the other end of the field losing his footing to allow Rob Miller the space to play in Danny Bloomfield through the inside left channel, but City’s 25 goal marksman needed too many touches to bring the ball under control and was dispossessed by Scott. As City continued to peg Nuneaton back Nolan created space for himself on the right before sending a dipping shot wide of Poole’s left hand upright with the ‘keeper struggling.

Gary Roberts was then forced into a change, the injured Matt Langston making way for Lee Chaffey. The manager may later claim this as an inspired move as within three minutes of being on the field the former Ipswich defender had levelled the scores. As Louis Riddle advanced down the left he was floored some 25 yards out which earned City s free kick. Stuart Niven curled the ball into the far post where Chaffey stole in ahead of Poole to head home from close range. Unfortunately for the Lilywhites the injury sustained by Riddle as he was fouled forced him to leave the field to be replaced by Robbie Simpson.

City were now in search of a second, Niven’s ball over the top from centre field exploited Simpson’s pace and as he raced clear his progress was unceremoniously halted by Poole who felled him on the very edge of the box, but as the teenage striker was running away from goal at the time Mr Martin correctly decided that the offence warranted only a yellow card. Niven’s resultant place kick was less impressive on this occasion as he elected to fire at goal allowing Poole to gather in safely.

As City turned the screw still further a Niven corner from the right almost saw Chaffey double his tally as his powerful downward header was blocked on the line. Chaos ensued with the Boro’ defence unable to clear the ball as it fizzed around the goal mouth, Poole gratefully dropping on it as the final deflection ran kindly for him.

With just over 10 minutes to go City then managed to do something which has so often eluded them this season, they turned their pressure into goals. Niven, by now orchestrating the game from midfield lifted a perfectly weighted pass over the Nuneaton back line and into the path of Williams cutting in from the right, allowing the ball to bounce once he smashed an unstoppable shot back across Poole and into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

The Lilywhites continued to press for a third and as the game drew nearer to a close Niven saved his best through ball until last, using the outside of his right boot to curl the ball over and around Crabtree into the path of Bloomfied whose first touch took him past Poole but wide enough to allow Crabtree to recover and clear from within the six yard box.

Nuneaton failed to pose any serious goal threat in the time that remained so it is City, on the back of their best home performance since Stafford were beaten here in early December, who progress to the latter stages of this competition. When Boro’ next visit Milton Road for a league game in April there seems every possibility that these two sides will serve up more of the same, although hopefully by then it will be a bit warmer.