Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Coventry City by Kev Monks
Coventry City continued their winning ways with a victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
With Wolverhampton police deciding that 1200 Coventry supporters pose such a threat to the security of the Black Country that kick off had to be at a rather early 12.30pm, we set off up the M6 and had time for breakfast in the nearby Asda before making our way into the ground.
Peter Reid had told shareholders at the club's AGM that the players were up for the game and it was obvious that he was as well, naming a side which saw Dele Adebola given his first start of the season with Gary McSheffrey moved to the left wing.
Manager- less Wolves who held an impeccably observed minute's silence in memory of the late Emlyn Hughes, were the first to attack on a bitterly cold dinner time when the impressive Seyi George Olofinjana found Kenny Miller who fired at the keeper.
After a collision between Luke Steele and Carl Cort had seen both players require treatment, a fifth minute shot from Michael Doyle was deflected for a corner.
The Irishman took the kick and swung over a ball that was met by the head of Dele Adebola some six yards out. Adebola's header rebounded off the far post and bounced down before being grabbed by home keeper Michael Oakes.
With both sides struggling in midfield,it was end of stuff as Cort fired at Steele from a Colin Cameron pass and Eddy Johnson kept Oakes hands warm at the other end.
Eddy Johnson and Andy Morrell were linking up well and in the ninth minute,they combined to set up Louis Carey for a chance which he stroked very wide of the goal.
Richard Shaw was having a fine game yet again in the heart of City's defence and the defender who surely deserves a testimonial did well to get back to a Colin Cameron cross and concede a 10th minute corner.
Luke Steele punched away the danger and Giddings got the ball up for Adebola to cut in from the right and deliver a cross which was cleared.
In the 22nd minute, the accentually challenged home supporters were on their feet thinking that had scored but the flag signalling that Colin Cameron was offside when he received the ball before shooting had long since been raised by the assistant on Main Stand side.
Wolves attacked again four minutes later when Kevin Cooper got down the left wing ,past Carey and sent over a cross which Giddings chested away for a corner.
Again,City were able to clear their lines and Giddings found Eddy Johnson who looked after the ball until Andy Morrell arrived to strike a low shot wide.
Possession may be nine tenths of the law, but in football,it is something that should not be given away cheaply. This happened to Dele Adebola who lost his way and ended up with Cort firing wide.
Eight minutes before the interval, City had the ball bouncing around the Wolves penalty area thanks to good work from Johnson and Adebola, it fell to Michael Doyle on the edge of the area who curled the ball inches over the bar.
The Sky Blues continued to press and a good run upfield by Andy Morrell saw him set up Adebola for a left footed shot which Oakes palmed down.
Lee Naylor was looking very useful down the left flank for the home side and after he had swung over a 40th minute free kick that was easily dealt with by the City defence, he again got past Carey and crossed for Seyi on the far side to drive the ball across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick.
With the game deep in stoppage time at the end of the first half, Joleon Lescott's taking his eye off the ball allowed Adebola to find Morrell for a shot which was deflected for a corner.
Doyle again took the kick and when it came over, Gary McSheffrey was on hand to hit the post with a close range strike before Jody Craddock cleared for another corner.
At the interval, caretaker boss Stuart Gray replaced Lee Naylor with Millwall, Liverpool and the Republic Of Ireland reject Mark Kennedy who won his side a 47th minute corner.
With the home fans remaining pretty quiet until they decided to tell their Chairman in what orifice he can stick Gary Megson, the home fans watched as their defence was cut apart by a ball from Morrell and Eddy Johnson hit a shot which Michael Oakes got down to parry away.
McSheffrey got hold of the ball when it was won back,got down the left flank before cutting in and trying to shoot. His effort was blocked and fell for Stuart Giddings, who is reported to be interesting Leicester City, to fire just wide
There had been relatively little for referee Mr Atkinson to do in the match,but in the 57th minute, he cautioned Adie Williams for impeding Cort as he tried to burst past the Welshman.
This gave the home side a free kick some 28 yards out. Richard Shaw got a head to the ball but could only direct it as far Shaun Newton who let ripped with a right footed volley which flew past the post from the edge of the area.
Gary McSheffrey was another working hard for the Sky Blue cause and after he had won a corner with a shot which was deflected onto the roof of the net, he gave City a 62nd minute lead.
The goal from a lovely run by Eddy Johnson who passed his marker and got to the by-line before pulling the ball back for Gary McSheffrey to fire home from close range.
Gray used his last two substitutes taking off Seyi and Keith Lowe and in the 71st minute, a Mark Kennedy shot was cleared upfield for Stuart Giddings to cut the ball back for Johnson who tried to be too precise with his shot and curled a right footed effort just over the bar.
Adebola then headed wide from a Johnson cross before Steele superbly saved with his legs from a Miller effort.
A rare fumble by Steele gave Wolves a 79th minute corner, but the loanee from Manchester United atoned for this hiccup by safely gathering the flag kick.
Adebola who wowed the Highfield Road crowd with a good twenty minutes against Plymouth a week ago, was doing more of what we bought him for, in holding the ball and laying it off. This he superbly executed with nine minutes left,finding McSheffrey who passed for Stephen Hughes to curl wide.
That was the last from McSheffrey who was replaced by Graham Barrett a minute later.
In the final minutes, Wolves who looked like a side that will not be seeing the Premiership next season unless the Wolves board unearth the second messiah, briefly threatened but City were in no mood to let this slip and held on to record a well deserved victory and their first since the 4-1 stuffing of Nottingham Forest.
HT WWFC 0-0 CCFC FT WWFC 0-1 CCFC
ATT 26 291
GOAL Gary McSheffrey (62)
Booked Adie Williams
Man Of the Match - Stuart Giddings just edges what was a good team performance.
Team
Steele,Carey,Williams,Shaw,Giddings,McSheffrey (Barrett 82),Doyle,Hughes,Morrell, Adebola,Johnson SNU Shearer,Laville, Staunton,Deloumeaux