COVENTRY CITY 1-2 SCUNTHORPE UNITED
City: Murphy, Clarke, Baker (c), McDonald (Ball 55), Fleck (Moussa 59), Jennings, Christie, Wood, Edjenguele, McGoldrick, Bailey (O'Donovan 86). Subs: Dunn, Cameron, Barton, Reckord.
Scunthorpe: Mildenhall, Newey, Canavan, Reid (c), Ribeiro (Kennedy 46), Barcham, Ryan, Walker (Mozika 93), Duffy, Clarke, Hawley. Subs: Slocombe, Grella, Jennings, Gibbons, Howe
HT CCFC 1-1 SUFC
FT CCFC 1-2 SUFC
ATT 9892
GOALS Carl Baker 35, Leon Clarke 41 pen & 75
Referee J.Simpson
Booked Wood, Walker, Duffy
Man Of The Match Carl Baker took the votes from Edjenguele.
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If ever a game highlghted how poor the standard of refereeing in League One is then Coventry City's 2-1 defeat to Scunthorpe United was the game.
City went into this game on what was a reasonably pleasant day, with the record of having scored in every game that Mark Robins had been in charge of and after those who lost their lives in the Coventry Blitz and all the military service people who have and continue to serve this country were remembered in a game that saw City unchanged from the team that had beaten Crawley 3-1 on Tuesday, the match kicked off at 3.05pm.
City, who had poppies on their shirts, attacked the end where the smattering of Scunthorpe fans were but in the opening exchanges, the ball was up the other end with Joe Murphy having to get down to save from Karl Hawley.
In the tenth minute, Scunthorpe, who had most of the play and were clearly playing to a well thought out game plan, sent a free kick into the midrift of Monsieur Edjenguele.
Five minutes later, City attacked with a good move that saw Carl Baker hit the back of the post with a shot in a crowded area after Jamie Bailey's shot was blocked.
Murphy got down to save one handed from a curler from Hawley.
Today, the crowd, including supporters from Northern Ireland, Hove, South Wales and Newcastle, were patient waiting for City to change gear and take it to the next level.
McGoldrick had a shot saved whilst Leon Clarke fired wide at the other end and in the 35th minute, their patience or was it that their attention was being focussed on the poor performance of the referee, was rewarded when the Sky Blues were awarded a free kick in the D and Carl Baker struck it superbly to send the ball flying past Steve Mildenhall and into the net.
A goal up and you thought that City would go on to take control of the match but no. In the 41st minute, something that no manager can legislate for, the inexperienced referee got it totally wrong when Richard Wood fell into Leon Clarke, who handled the ball and amazingly, Mr Simpson gave a penalty which Leon Clarke duly scored, without any effort from Joe Murphy to try and stop it, much to the delight of the head counted 203 travelling fans and the anger of the City support including match guest Ian Gibson who said on the tannoy at half time that it was never a penalty on a million years.
Brian Laws side started on the attack for the second half winning a corner.
City, who are rumoured to be facing a visit from the baliffs this week for unpaid rent, allowed Leon Clarke a completely free header before they sent on Callum Ball for Cody McDonald in the 55th minute and had Franck Moussa also joining the action which was mainly in the half nearest the visiting fans.
David McGoldrick had a 61st minute shot on the right blocked by the legs of Mildenhall.
The deserved rage, towards the match officials showed no signs of abating and only strengthens Micky Adams comments that referees in charge of League One and Two matches should be professional like the players in these games.
With 17 minutes left, a neat ball from Baker fed McGoldrick who played in Cyrus Christie for a shot whch flew over the bar.
Then, a foot up was not given, Scunthorpe broke, beating the offside trap and Leon Clarke was allowed to score past Murphy far too easily.
In the 78th minute, Christie got into the area and was taken down. The entire support screamed for a penalty but Mr Simpson or his assistant on the East Stand side who had spent most of the game, letting the referee make the decisions for him, was having none of it.
The City players fumed, some City fans surged down the front of the stands ready to get at a man whose actions were riling even the mild mannered of supporters but decided to stay where they were.
Roy O'Donovan came on for the final four minutes and with City finally having worked out that Mr Simpson was not going to give a decision, they started to play as a team, something they had not done for large parts of the game, whilst Scunthorpe were only too happy to time waste.
Ball got in a shot which Mildenhall blocked with his body. Six minutes were added on. Christie had a shot saved as did Baker and O'Donovan but Mildenhall stopped them all and City were a beaten side.