Esher found the going tough at fully professional Coventry on Saturday, going down 33-8 on Saturday.

Mike Schmid’s men arrived in the West Midlands with a win as a major objective as, like Esher, Coventry had won one and lost two of the opening three win National League One games.

The home side took the lead on four minutes following an Esher infringement, Ronnie Mclean slotting the penalty.

Esher answered immediately with a backs move that cut the Coventry defence to shreds, Dougie Flockhart going over as he liked.

Neil Hallett missed what looked an easy conversion. Goal kicking at this level is so vital and Esher could have extended the lead, but Hallett then failed with a penalty.

The game looked there for the taking but it was Coventry who struck next, as Mclean went through to score, before missing his own conversion.

He, however, did not fail with a penalty just before half time, and Coventry took an 11-5 lead into the break.

Esher came out for the second half looking to improve on their error count as this is what cost them in the first period but lessons were not learned and, on 46 minutes, Ben Russell went over to increase the home side’s lead.

Following the restart, Coventry attacked again, a long kick and chase saw Hallett sent to the sin bin for a shoulder barge on a pursuing Coventry back.

And, with Esher hooker Simon Goldsmith sent to the bin for repeated infringements as the breakdown minutes later, the visitors were down to 13 men.

They clawed back three points as Seb Jewell slotted a penalty, but not before he had missed an earlier one.

With the score at 16-8, Esher were still in the game, but again errors and greed in possession caused their downfall.

On 63 minutes, the floodgates opened and Coventry scored the first of three tries in a 15-minute period, through Lee Parry (two) and Myles Dorian.

This could be a long, hard winter for Esher if they do not buckle down and stop the rot.

They Esher face Rotherham at the Pillar Data Arena on Saturday (3pm).

Esher: Hallett, Flockhart, Taylor (Lowe), Barbini, Jewell, Barnes (Parker), Millard, Goldsmith (Campbell), Rogers, (Reid), Barker (Ayling), Walker, Starling (Yellowlees), Stitcher, Renwick (Rickner). Scorers: try – Flockhart. Pen – Jewell.