WEST HAM UNITED RESERVES 2-2 COVENTRY CITY RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Reserves came within inches of snatching a victory at West Ham United.
Spend a few days in Spain,enjoying the sunshine and watching England play. Nah,it coincided with a City Reserves away game,so yours truly set off to Victoria Road,Dagenham to see City Reserves take on West Ham.
Steve Ogrizovic welcomed back Bjarni Gudjonsson and Isaac Osbourne from injury and started Patrick Suffo up front with Craig Reid, whilst Hammers boss Kevin Keen gave outings to Andy Melville,Bobby Zamora and Sergei Rebrov.
The game started with a bang as a firework was launched into the Victoria Road ground and within two minutes,there was another bang when Neil Wood pumped the ball forward. Craig Reid was first to it and a delightful knock back for CLAUS JORGENSEN, allowed the Faroe Islander to bang the ball into the net from twelve yards.
Captain Andrew Whing was having a fine game and in the third minute,he made a superb diving tackle to concede a corner which Osbourne cleared and then repeated the feat five minutes later.
Things were getting fast and furious in the midfield and City were struggling to break through with a number not finding their intended target.
One such misplaced pass by Craig Pead in the 13th minute was to prove costly as Kyle Reid collected the ball and cut inside before hammering an unstoppable twenty five yard strike high into the net.
Scott Shearer might not have been to get near this stunning strike, but he should have done better when he initially dropped an Andy Melville free kick and then grabbed it at the second attempt only to see a poor kick out come back to him.
In the 21st minute, Pead was spoken by referee Mr Cann for accidentally barging into the match official after conceding a free kick.
Melville fired the place kick forward to Bobby Zamora who knocked down to SERGI REBROV who slotted home from eight yards.
Some of the decisions by Mr Cann were overly in favour of the East Londoners and in the 25th minute,a "foul" by Liam Nicell was pumped forward by Jemel Henry and Shearer just managed to catch it.
After efforts from Chris Cohen and Rebrov had sailed over the bar,Patrick Suffo won a 27th minute corner. Gudjonsson's kick found Suffo at the far post but the Cameroonian took too many touches and the chance went begging.
A minute later, Reid and Jorgensen combined for Gudjonsson to deliver a long ball that Suffo just missed at the far post.
As the first half came to a close, things got heated when Rebrov was cautioned for a foul on Pead and in stoppage time, Claus Jorgensen joined Rebrov in Mr Cann's pocket book when he squared up to Bobby Zamora who was doing rather too much shoving for the former Bradford midfielders liking.
Whatever Steve Ogrizovic said at the interval, seemed to do the trick as City came out far more purposeful.
Home keeper Darren Behcet did well to catch a long ball from Jorgensen before it went over his head and then was well beaten by a long ranger from Wood which flew just wide of his left hand post.
Zamora went close at the other end before Pead found Reid who knocked down for Suffo to strike a fifteen yard shot just wide.
In the 55th minute, West Ham should have gone further ahead when somehow Zamora scooped a Cohen cross over the bar from two yards.
Liam Nicell won a corner two minutes later and when the ball came back to him,Behcet had to push the ball over his own crossbar for a corner.
Craig Reid was lively up front despite a lack of service and in the 61st minute, his header was blocked by Behcet.
Andy Whing became the third player cautioned for speaking out of turn in the 65th minute.
City raised the tempo and won four corners in quick succession with the fourth finding Andy Whing who beat a defender on the turn before firing inches wide from the edge of the area.
West Ham boss Kevin Keen replaced Zamora,Rebrov and Melville with more defensive players as City continued to press.
With nine minutes left, City deservedly drew level thanks to a bit of magic from PATRICK SUFFO who danced his way through the penalty area,past three defenders before lashing a right footed effort into the bottom left hand corner of the net from eight yards.
Back in the match, City went looking for a winner and only an excellent block by Behcet who threw himself at the ball thwarted Reid a minute later.
Reid was a massive thorn in the Hammers side all evening and with two minutes of normal time left, Andy Hall and Pead combined to find Reid at the far post. The Walsgrave Hospital born striker smacked the ball goalwards.
Unbelievably, Jemel Henry got his right foot to the ball just as it was about to cross the line and deflected it out for a corner.
Had it traversed that white line then it would have been the result that City deserved from a workmanlike second half performance.
Coventry City Reserves came within inches of snatching a victory at West Ham United.
Spend a few days in Spain,enjoying the sunshine and watching England play. Nah,it coincided with a City Reserves away game,so yours truly set off to Victoria Road,Dagenham to see City Reserves take on West Ham.
Steve Ogrizovic welcomed back Bjarni Gudjonsson and Isaac Osbourne from injury and started Patrick Suffo up front with Craig Reid, whilst Hammers boss Kevin Keen gave outings to Andy Melville,Bobby Zamora and Sergei Rebrov.
The game started with a bang as a firework was launched into the Victoria Road ground and within two minutes,there was another bang when Neil Wood pumped the ball forward. Craig Reid was first to it and a delightful knock back for CLAUS JORGENSEN, allowed the Faroe Islander to bang the ball into the net from twelve yards.
Captain Andrew Whing was having a fine game and in the third minute,he made a superb diving tackle to concede a corner which Osbourne cleared and then repeated the feat five minutes later.
Things were getting fast and furious in the midfield and City were struggling to break through with a number not finding their intended target.
One such misplaced pass by Craig Pead in the 13th minute was to prove costly as Kyle Reid collected the ball and cut inside before hammering an unstoppable twenty five yard strike high into the net.
Scott Shearer might not have been to get near this stunning strike, but he should have done better when he initially dropped an Andy Melville free kick and then grabbed it at the second attempt only to see a poor kick out come back to him.
In the 21st minute, Pead was spoken by referee Mr Cann for accidentally barging into the match official after conceding a free kick.
Melville fired the place kick forward to Bobby Zamora who knocked down to SERGI REBROV who slotted home from eight yards.
Some of the decisions by Mr Cann were overly in favour of the East Londoners and in the 25th minute,a "foul" by Liam Nicell was pumped forward by Jemel Henry and Shearer just managed to catch it.
After efforts from Chris Cohen and Rebrov had sailed over the bar,Patrick Suffo won a 27th minute corner. Gudjonsson's kick found Suffo at the far post but the Cameroonian took too many touches and the chance went begging.
A minute later, Reid and Jorgensen combined for Gudjonsson to deliver a long ball that Suffo just missed at the far post.
As the first half came to a close, things got heated when Rebrov was cautioned for a foul on Pead and in stoppage time, Claus Jorgensen joined Rebrov in Mr Cann's pocket book when he squared up to Bobby Zamora who was doing rather too much shoving for the former Bradford midfielders liking.
Whatever Steve Ogrizovic said at the interval, seemed to do the trick as City came out far more purposeful.
Home keeper Darren Behcet did well to catch a long ball from Jorgensen before it went over his head and then was well beaten by a long ranger from Wood which flew just wide of his left hand post.
Zamora went close at the other end before Pead found Reid who knocked down for Suffo to strike a fifteen yard shot just wide.
In the 55th minute, West Ham should have gone further ahead when somehow Zamora scooped a Cohen cross over the bar from two yards.
Liam Nicell won a corner two minutes later and when the ball came back to him,Behcet had to push the ball over his own crossbar for a corner.
Craig Reid was lively up front despite a lack of service and in the 61st minute, his header was blocked by Behcet.
Andy Whing became the third player cautioned for speaking out of turn in the 65th minute.
City raised the tempo and won four corners in quick succession with the fourth finding Andy Whing who beat a defender on the turn before firing inches wide from the edge of the area.
West Ham boss Kevin Keen replaced Zamora,Rebrov and Melville with more defensive players as City continued to press.
With nine minutes left, City deservedly drew level thanks to a bit of magic from PATRICK SUFFO who danced his way through the penalty area,past three defenders before lashing a right footed effort into the bottom left hand corner of the net from eight yards.
Back in the match, City went looking for a winner and only an excellent block by Behcet who threw himself at the ball thwarted Reid a minute later.
Reid was a massive thorn in the Hammers side all evening and with two minutes of normal time left, Andy Hall and Pead combined to find Reid at the far post. The Walsgrave Hospital born striker smacked the ball goalwards.
Unbelievably, Jemel Henry got his right foot to the ball just as it was about to cross the line and deflected it out for a corner.
Had it traversed that white line then it would have been the result that City deserved from a workmanlike second half performance.
HT WHU 2-1 CCFC FT WHU 2-2 CCFC
ATT 110
Goals Claus Jorgensen (2),Kyle Reid (13 mins)
Sergei Rebrov (22 mins),
Patrick Suffo (81 mins)
Booked Sergei Rebrov, Claus Jorgensen, Andrew Whing
Man Of The Match - Andy Whing followed by Craig Reid
TEAM
Shearer,Hall,Nicell,Pead,Osbourne,Whing,Gudjonsson,
Jorgensen,Reid,Suffo,Wood SNU Thornton,Tuffey,Barry,Bains,O'Donovan
WEST HAM
Behcet,Henry,Blewitt,Ward,Melville (Bunce 72),Wright, Pearson,Cohen,Zamora (Ashikodi 72),Rebrov (Sofiane 77),Reid SNU Reed,Stoates