COVENTRY CITY U21’S 2-1 BIRMINGHAM CITY U21’S
Coventry City:Burge, Hussey, Phillips, Daniels, J.Henderson, Brown (Haynes 78), Roberts (Rankin 75), Lobjoit, Jeffers (Maund 89), Barton, Baker-Richardson. Subs: Finch, Lawton.
Birmingham: Luca, Higgins, Gordon, Boupa Dip, Ibanez (Hawker 66) , Packwood, Castelen (Deaman 66), Reilly, Henry-Francis, Gnahore (Delfouneso 66), Hancox. Subs Ntambwe. Preston.
Referee, Kevin Andrews.
HT CCFC 0-1 BCFC FT CCFC 2-1 BCFC
Goals Romeo Castelen 4, Leon Lobjoit 67, Adam Barton 83
Man Of The Match – Arron Phillips took the votes with a nomination for Adam Barton
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Coventry City U21’s won their final home game of 2012 with a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City.
At the Alan Higgs Centre on a cold Tuesday morning in front of a good crowd which included City boss Mark Robins, plus players Carl Baker and David Bell, as well as Birmingham City boss Lee Clark and Terry McDermott as well as a number of scouts and on-lookers including Alex Rae and former City Academy manager George Mackie.
Lee Carsley named a youngish side with Chris Hussey, Reece Brown and Adam Barton all starting against a Birmingham side which was in fourth place in the League 2 table going into the game and included the likes of Ben Gordon, Papa Bouba Diop and Pablo Ibanez.
Birmingham in an all black kit, went ahead in the fourth minute when Romeo Castelen was allowed all the freedom he wanted to get in a low shot which beat Burge on his right hand side.
Birmingham were initially quicker and stronger in all departments but the Sky Blues stuck to their task with Courtney Baker-Richardson firing over from a Billy Daniels cross from four yards in the ninth minute and Adam Barton putting in a good tackle to get the ball to Arron Phillips whose telling cross gave the visiting defence something to think about.
Both sides won corners with one from Birmingham in the 21st minute, having to be scrambled away by the industrious Leon Lobjoit.
More corners for the visitors, who really should have been further ahead in the 38th minute when Bouba Diop missed with a free header. City regrouped and broke through the hard working Chris Hussey who fired over.
Lee Burge had already made one good save and in the 41st minute, got back to his line when Hancox volleyed back Burge’s initial header.
Lobjoit at the far post then headed over from a Hussey free kick before the half ended with a good save from Burge from a Hancox screamer.
It was turning into Hancox’s half hour as the pacy midfielder with a good left, was the main threat for Birmingham at the start of the second half.
He forced Burge into a cracking save in the 52nd minute and had two more attempts on goal for a Birmingham side who were having most of the play.
Suddenly out of nowhere, the game changed. Reece Brown sent a free kick well wide and Birmingham went for a triple change in the 66th minute. Their players were still sorting themselves out when Leon Lobjoit cut the ball onto his left and sent a low twenty yard shot into the net to draw the Sky Blues level.
Substitute Deaman and Birmingham’s best player Hancox had shots before Lewis Rankin came on for Will Roberts.
The City defence with Joe Henderson at the heart of everything good and Arron Phillips, covering every blade of grass and making a superb block in the 77th minute to stop Diop from certainly scoring, kept battling.
They were forced into a change when Reece Brown limped off after bravely getting his foot in at the right time to make a good tackle and youngster Ryan Haynes came on,
Rankin started to make a nuisance of himself and fired off a shot with ten minutes to go. City won a corner and then, the City support really had something to cheer in the 83rd minute when Hussey got into a great position on the right and cut the ball back for Adam Barton to blast into the net.
It really should have been three in the 87th minute, when Shaun Jeffers, who was later replaced by Ben Maund, was through on goal but with only Lucas to beat fired high and wide.
Birmingham had a late flourish in stoppage time but Lee Burge and a hard working City team were not letting them get through and City U21’s were able to record their first home win of the season.