BLACKPOOL 2-1 COVENTRY CITY
TUE JAN 31 At Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
City: Murphy, Keogh, Christie, Hreidarsson, Cranie, Thomas (Bell 92), Deegan, Clingan, McSheffrey, Platt, Nimely (Wood 80). SNU Dunn, Baker.
Blackpool: Gilks, Baptiste, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey, Ferguson, Sylvestre (K.Phillips 68), M.Phillips, G.Phillips, Ince (Bednar 81), Lualua (Fleck 68). SNU Basham, Dicko
HT BFC 0-0 CCFC FT BFC 2-1 CCFC ATT 11,414
Referee D.Mohareb . Assts: P.Davison & R.Johnson
Booked Christie, G.Phillips Evatt, Murphy
Goals Conor Thomas (58), Kevin Phillips (87), Gary Taylor-Fletcher (90+3)
Man Of The Match - Martin Cranie took the votes.
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CITY SUPPORT:
.423 City supporters from as far away as Kent and including Joe Elliott and Gary Hoffman, gave the team some wonderful backing.
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CITY TEAM NEWS:
Andy Thorn kept the same team that had beaten Middlesbrough 3-1.
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Coventry City snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with some poor late defending to put the mockers on what had been a good performance at Blackpool.
On a day what was going off the pitch on transfer deadline day, was taking the headlines, Andy Thorn left Steve Waggot in charge of the coming and goings and took an unchanged team to Blackpool looking for their first away win of the season and City's first at Bloomfield Road since 1923.
Right from the first whistle, the City supporters, some of whom had spent the day in this seaside town, backed the team on the pitch. "Andy Thorn's Sky Blue Army" boomed out of the new covered side stand complete with nine pillars and a messing at the back which allowed the wind to blow straight through and freeze the City support and the members of the press.
City, who have been linked with Man United's Oliver Norwood, were grateful to a superb tackle from Richard Keogh who had another solid game defence along side the outstanding Martin Cranie, before playing a cracking ball to McSheffrey.
In the eighth minute, City won a corner, Conor Thomas had his shot blocked, Blackpool broke up the other end and Joe Murphy had to make a diving save to concede a corner.
Stephen Crainey did cause a few problems down the left for Blackpool but the City defence was holding firm with Cyrus Christie making a timely clearance on the edge of the six yard box after the ball had been allowed to first get past Hreidarsson and then Murphy.
Blackpool won four corners but for the last five minutes of the first half and the first part of the second, Coventry had the play.
Christie and Nimely, who again looked lively, both had efforts on goal before the break and after the interval, with the "Andy Thorn's Sky Blue Army" chant now passing the twelve minutes set at Leeds, McSheffrey had a shot pushed wide by Gilks for a corner.
The chant was still going on as we reached the 58th minute but then the ball came over to Conor Thomas inside the area and he got the ball on his right foot and slipped it past Cov kid Ian Evatt and Gilks for his first ever first team goal.
We went absolutely mad. City supporters were diving everywhere in celebration at City's first away goal in 2012.
Thomas fired over as songs like "We're winning away", "The Sky Blue Song", and "Escape To Victory" were revelled in by the City support, who were clearly enjoying the efforts of every City player.
One man not enjoying things was Ian Holloway and he made a double change, bringing on Kevin Phillips, who has a good record of scoring against City.
In the 83rd minute, Phillips had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside and four minutes later, a mistake by Hreidarsson let Phillips sweep the ball into the net.
As the City support had their heads in their hands, Gary Phillips and Ian Evatt decided that they wanted to get on with the game and tried to take the ball off Joe Murphy who was shoved into the back of the net. All three players were booked before the game restarted.
"Ok so we'll take a point" was the feeling amongst us. But no. In the third minute of the four minutes of stoppage time, Murphy came out, missed a punch and was out of position as the ball fell for Gary Taylor-Fletcher to score from six yards and condemn City to a defeat that looked pretty unlikely for most of the game.