LEAMINGTON FC 1-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
On the day I was born,Coventry City lost 4-2 at Leamington and forty two years to the day, City were beaten again at Leamington in the Lord Mayor of Leamington's Charity Cup Final.
Last season,City started with their first team but this time, Tim Flowers and Frankie Bunn named only five players who had played at Burnley on Sunday in the starting line up.
The rest of the first team took their place amongst a good crowd of 865 at the New Windmill on a coldish night and watched The Brakes take the lead in the twelth minute when Craig Dutton's free kick was met by the head of former Sky Blue Avun Jephcott who outjumped the defence to head home from eight yards.
Another former Sky Blue in Ben Mackey started and the striker whose goals helped Leamington win the Midland Football Alliance title, although looking a threat was kept in check by the centre half pairing of Marcus Hall and Liam Francis.
Jay Tabb was the best player for City and was involved in a breakaway in the 27th minute which was cleared for a corner and two minutes later,a neat ball sent Liam Davis with only Richard Morris to beat.
Unfortunately,the winger from Wandsworth lofted the ball into the arms of the custodian and in the 34th minute blasted well wide when there was better options available.
One of those options was Kevin Kyle whose lack of desire was not missed by the City management but the Scot really should have done better when he tapped the ball at Morris just before the break.
There were no changes at the break and Brakes boss Jason Cadden, himeself a long suffering Sky Blues supporter decided to give former Coventry Sphinx winger Jamie Towiers licence to roam up the right flank
City's only real chance in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half fell to Isaac Osbourne who fired wide from a corner.
Lee Hildreth who made his Football League debut at Burnley replaced Davis on the hour mark and was soon involved in the midfield battle.
In the 67th minute, City had their best chance when Kevin Kyle played in Michael Doyle who lashed a shot onto the bar.
Kyle was replaced by trialist Dominic Simmond in the 69th minute and in the 72nd minute, former Sky Blue Tom Bates who has played for Massey Ferguson and Rochdale in the Football League this season was introduced.
This game was not as entertaining as the last encounter but it was not without it's chances for the Sky Blues.
With ten minutes to go, the bar which saved Leamington with ten minutes to go when Jay Tabb got in a header that rattled the bar.
The Irishman who was left out of Steve Staunton's squad for the Republic Of Ireland's forthcoming internationals made way for Matty West a minute later.
West had a header cleared off the line in the last minute but it was not to be City's night and Leamington took the cup whilst Childlife benefitted from the revenue.
HT LFC 1-0 CCFC FT LFC 1-0 CCFC ATT 865
GOAL Avun Jephcott (12)
TEAM
Steele, Gooding,Lynch,Hall, Francis, Tabb (West 81), Osbourne, Doyle, Davis (Hildreth 60),Birchall, Kyle (Simmond) SNU Ireland,Collett,Fitzharris, Burtoft,Ashraf,Richie
Leamington FC
Morris,Towers,Hier,Cooper,Gregory,Dutton (Bates 72),Adams,Herlihy,Mackey (Thompson 73),Jephcott (James 81),Blake (Pearcy 68)
Thanks to everyone for readng my reports this season. Have a good few weeks and the reports will be starting again sometime in July with the pre-season matches.