Coventry City 0-2 Accrington Stanley
Coventry City: O'Brien, Dion Kelly-Evans. Willis, McDonald, Stokes, Shipley, Bayliss (Reid 61). Kelly, McGuire-Drew (Vincenti 46) , Biamou, McNulty (Clarke-Harris 71), Subs: Burge, Hyam. Haynes, Barrett.
Accrington: Chapman., Donacien. Hughes, Dunne, Rogers, Johnson, Conneeley, Nolan, Clark, Jackson. Kee, Subs: Masted, Richards-Everton, Rowan, Brown, Williams, Sousa, Zanzala.
Goals Jordan Clark 4 & 60
Att 28,343
Coventry City might have had a big crowd but it was Accrington Stanley who put in a big performance and sent the Sky Blues to a 2-0 defeat.
The Sky Blues designated this game as it's Community Day and gave out 14,000 tickets and slashed advance admission prices to a fiver and it was an idea which was taken up as advance tickets were over the 27,000 mark which for a League Two fixture was excellent.
The Ricoh Arena where City will play for at least another season, although nowhere near the long term deal that many City supporters were demanding, was a hive of activity pre-game with a Fans Zone busy as many got out of the rain on another soggy Saturday.
The Sky Blues side had five changes due to injury and the many viruses doing the rounds at this time of year including Liam O'Brien in goal and were a goal a down in four minutes when the ball came over and Jordan Clark was left unmarked to stroke home from eight yards.
On a mud heap of a pitch, the visitors had two corners, the second was cleared up to Jordan Maguire-Drew who hit a tame volley at Chapman in goal for Stanley at the South Stand end.
Another Accrington corner was dealt with before Billy Kee headed over. In the 23rd minute, City managed a corner but a shove gave Accrington a free kick.
Another corner for City followed a minute later after a strong Biamou run as did a 27th minute free kick for a foul on McNulty.
McGuire-Drew curled it but Chapman was down to his left to save.
Two more corners for the visitors followed with Kee sending a free header wide in a game where the atmosphere was certainly subjued apart from the away end.
Two minutes before the break, McNulty fired into the side netting and the half came to an end with City booed off by some in North Stand, many attending their first ever game and left wondering what they had done to deserve to be brought to this latest failure of City to get into a game.
Jordan Maguire-Drew was not surproingly withdrawn at the break and Peter Vincenti sent on in his place but City were soon defending as Kee hit the bar in the opening minute with a free kick.
"Sky Blue Army " chants rang round the ground which looked to have around 20,000 in it despite a figure of 28,343 being announced.
Twice, Accrington, who were organised through out, got the ball across the face of the goal and on the hour mark, the goal they had threatened happened when a ball over to Jordan Clark was promptly dispatched past Liam O'Brien who failed to narrow the angle.
Mark Robins in his winter coat, sent on Kyel Reid for Bayliss before Dion Kelly-Evans was booked for a rash challenge against an Accrington side which was one of the best to visit the Ricoh in a League Two fixture this season.
Jonson Clarke-Harris came on for McNulty in a City side which had Vincenti head wide in the 71st minute from a Reid cross.
Two more corners for the visitors followed as did a Vincenti miss from a 74th minute Reid cross as number of those on free tickets headed for home.
Some of those still in the ground started waving the lights on their phones in a bid for some late entertainment in a game which had been long over as a contest.