COVENTRY CITY RESERVES 0-0 BRADFORD CITY RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
Team
Ireland,Fraser,Borrowdale,De Zeeuw,Hildreth,Turner (Jones 90),Cain,Walker, West,Birchall,Cairo SNU Fitzharris,Richie
Bradford
Saunders,McCormack,Smith (Bellamy 73),Hopkins,Horne,Morgan,Phelan,Sharry (Carson 83),Osbourne,Brown (Dean 79),Medley SNU Bleau,Banks
HT CCFC 0-0 BCAFC
FT CCFC 0-0 BCAFC
Ref Wayne Barrett
Booked Horne,Hildreth,McCormack
Att 57
Man Of The Match Adam Walker or Arjan De Zeeuw take your pick.
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CITY SUPPORT
One supporter from Germany in the smallest crowd of the season. Andy Gooding, Donovan Simmonds, Callum Burgess and Cyrille Regis sat amongst the handful of supporters,plus scouts and agents.
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Coventry City Reserves finished their Pontins League Central Division season with a 0-0 draw against Bradford City.
For their final game of the season which incidently was two less than they played in friendlies last season, Frankie Bunn fielded a side that welcomed the return of Ben Turner from injury and included te experience of De Zeeuw,Birchall and Borrowdale.
Stuart McCall fielded two trialists with Wigan keeper Russ Saunders and Manchester United's Conor McCormack both in the starting line up of a youngish side.
As per usual,Frankie Bunn's side who were eleven games unbeaten going into the season,attacked from the off.
Chris Birchall,Ellery Cairo and Adam Walker all had efforts on goal in the opening ten minutes on a sunny afternoon at Liberty Way.
Much of the play was concentrated in the middle third but in the 33rd minute,Matty West spurned a good chance following neat flicks from Birchall and Walker.
Adam Walker worked hard all game for the Sky Blues in a strong midfield quartet which closed down the visitors at ever opportunty. When Bradford did get through, they either came stuck against an organised back four that was well marshalled by De Zeeuw and Turner as Sean Fraser in his first home start for the second string and Gary Borrowdale or gave Danny Ireland some catching practice.
Into the second half and Arjan De Zeeuw was cursing his luck when his 52nd minute header thumped the crossbar following Ashley Cain being denied by a Saunders save which led to a corner.
It was another flag kick,seven minutes later which saw the Dutchman rise to a Cairo corner and plant a header into the bar.
Matty West might have snatched a win, when he spotted Saunders out of his goal. Unfortunately, his lob from twenty five yards bounced over the empty net and over the crossbar.
Both sides had long settled for the point as the game went into stoppage time. Ben Turner took the ball off a Bradford midfielder and fell to the ground face fowards. The centre half was helped to his feet but trooped off with what looked like a broken left arm.
A further minute was played before Mr Barrett blew his whistle and ended what has been an enjoyable season for City Reserves.