COVENTRY CITY RESERVES 1-1 WOLVES RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Ireland, B.Jones,Davis (Giddings 62),Hildreth,Page,Francis,Marshall,Gooding,Kyle (Cain 62), Richie, Gray (Walker 55) SNU Collett,Burgess
WOLVES
Ikeme (Stack 46),Dunleavy, Clapham,Gleeson,Edwards,Mulgrew,Melbourne,Salmon, Hughes,Elliott,Davis (Hemmings 75) SNU Williams,Ijaha,Winnall
HT CCFC 1-0 WWFC FT CCFC 1-1 WWFC
REFEREE R.Lewis
GOALS Kevin Kyle (10), Jamie Clapham (49)
MAN OF THE MATCH: Robert Page took all the votes with praise for Dean Marshall and Liam Francis
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Coventry City Reserves drew their first "home" game of 2008 in a 1-1 draw with Wolves.
Steve Ogrizovic gave a first ever start to Andy Richie who scored in City U18's last two games and Bradley Jones. Julian Gray was added to midfield whilst Kevin Kyle played up front.
On a pitch at Liberty Way,Nuneaton that clearly demonstrating that football and rugby union on the same pitch do not mix,conditions for this afternoon kick off, were difficult and not helped by the wind and some rain.
With Iain Dowie,Mick McCarthy and scouts from Port Vale, Carlisle (including manager John Ward), Cheltenham,Walsall and about twenty Wolves fans in a crowd of 91, watching on, City were ahead inside ten minutes.
Lee Hildreth pumped a ball forward. Carl Ikeme came out ot head the ball and missed it completely, allowing Kevin Kyle time to scoop the ball into the empty net from twelve yards.
Action wise that was it for twenty minutes as both sides played the game in the middle third of the field and closed down the play to stop any free flowing football.
Andy Richie did get the ball in the net just before the half hour mark with a good drive from eight yards but the flag for offside had long been raised by the assistant on the Main Stand side.
Wolves started to up their work rate and Danny Ireland did well to get down and push away a drive from Mark Salmon in the 36th minute.
They forced a corner just before the break and four minutes into the second half drew level. Danny Ireland came out of his goal and missed the ball. In ran, Jamie Clapham who stroked the ball into the net.
Julian Gray was the first City player to be substituted and in the 62nd minute,we saw the welcome sight of Stuart Giddings making yet another comeback when he took over at left back from Liam Davis. Kevin Kyle also went off with Ashley Cain coming on.
As City regrouped, Wolves went looking for a winner. Alex Melbourne crossed from the right for Liam Hughes to hit a shot which bounced off the crossbar before Robert Page was able to clear.
A corner for the visitors followed before Wolves hit the bar for the second time. This time and with twenty minutes left, Stephen Elliott was allowed space to thump a shot onto the crossbar from sixteen yards.
A great tackle late on from John Dunleavy firstly denied Walker and Ashley Cain as the game ended in another draw.