COVENTRY CITY U21’s 1-2 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN U21’s
City; Burge, Phillips, Lawton, Henderson (Fletcher 73), Cameron (Rankin 58), Malaga, Roberts, Finch (Baker-Richardson 83), O’Donovan, Daniels, Jeffers. SNU Gott, Maund.
Huddersfield: Allinson, Smith, McIntyre, Sinnott, Boyle, Burke, Crooks, Kay, Ababaki, Leonard (Holmes 58), Hopson (Loftus 67). SNU Wilczynski, Conway
HT CCFC 1-0 HTAFC FT CCFC 1-2 HTAFC
Goals Roy O’Donovan (10 pen), Dwuane Holmes (71), Connor Loftus (77)
Booked Will Roberts
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Coventry City U21’s snatched a defeat from the jaws of victory going down to a 2-1 home defeat to Huddersfield Town.
Billy Daniels and Shaun Jeffers who has been brought back from a loan spell at Tamworth so that Mark Robins could cast an eye over him, came into the team which had drawn last week against Crewe Alexandra, stopping a run of four defeats.
City were on the attack from the start. They kicked off and played the ball straight to Roy O’Donovan who was In the centre circle to hit a long ranger which Lloyd Allinson in the Terriers goal just caught.
Joe Henderson had a shot blocked. Huddersfield went up the other end and fired wide from a free kick. Back came City with Will Roberts making a storming run down the right and flashing a cross across the goal.
In the tenth minute, City attacked down the left through Shaun Jeffers. He cut his way into the area and was just lining up a shot when he was sent crashing by a clumsy challenge.
The City support, which gave the players plenty of encouragement, screamed for a penalty and referee Kevin Andrews duly obliged. Roy O’Donovan stepped up and easily sent Allinson the wrong way to give Lee Carsley’s side the lead.
Allinson then saved from Jeffers before Huddersfield went up the other end and won a corner which Lee Burge superbly saved one handedly from Matt Crook’s header from six yards.
Kevin Malaga had a superb game in the heart of City’s defence. When he was not making saving tackles, he was having a go on goal and in the 21st minute, his drive from thirty yards skimmed just past Allinson’s right hand post.
With the City support now joined by Mark Robins, Steve Taylor, Richard Shaw and Steve Ogrizovic, Aaron Phillips had a header deflected for a corner.
The last fifteen minutes of the first half belonged to Huddersfield. Lee Burge had to save firstly after Crook had attacked down the right and then deal with an effort from Ababaki just before the half hour mark.
Huddersfield were proving useful on the counter attack and in the 32nd minute and with Mark Robins now joining Greg Rioch in the technical area, Ababaki headed over after City had won a corner.
Five minutes later, and Nathan Cameron was forced to head just past his own goal to concede a corner, which was only cleared after a good header by Malaga and a punch from Burge before Scott Kay headed yet another corner over.
Huddersfield won two more corners and there was the sight of another surging run by Cameron before the half ended.
With no changes at the break, City were straight on the attack once more. Phillips had a shot blocked before Jeffers fired wide from the loose ball.
Kevin Malaga made two cracking tackles and in the 55th minute, City nearly scored a second when the ball fell for Billy Daniels inside a crowded penalty area. His shot was heading towards goal but a covering defender stuck out a leg and Huddersfield survived.
Had that gone in, City would have gone on to win the match but Huddersfield who brought on Dwaune Holmes and Connor Loftus against a City side which had taken off Nathan Cameron and replaced him with Lewis Rankin, dropping the hard working Joe Henderson into central defence,had other ideas.
The Terriers were getting more of the play and in the 71st minute of an entertaining game, played in a very good spirit, between two teams committed to playing attractive football, they were allowed space on the right for substitute Duane Holmes to get level with a low right footed shot past the helpless Burge.
Henderson made way for Ricky Fletcher in the 73rd minute but four minutes later, the City defence were at sixes and sevens when Lee Burge came twenty yards out of his goal and twice tried to clear. His second attempt saw the ball fall for substitute Connor Loftus who lobbed the ball into the empty net off the post much to the delight of his team-mates and to our dismay.
City youngster Jack Finch who had worked hard in midfield was replaced with seven to go by Courtney Baker-Richardson as City went looking for an equaliser.
In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Shaun Jeffers was fouled in a central position, some twenty yards out and needed treatment. He looked rather groggy and so Roy O’Donovan took the free kick which fell into Allinson’s arms and City, who travel to Barnsley next Monday, were a beaten side yet again.