BLACKPOOL FC 4-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Konstantopolous,Ward,McNamee,Turner,Borrowdale.Tabb,Doyle,Best (Adebola 75),M.Hughes (S.Hughes 68),Mifsud (Osbourne 75),Kyle (Sent off 30) SNU Marshall,Gray
BLACKPOOL
Rachubka, Barker, Evatt, Gorkss, Crainey, Jorgensen, Flynn (Welsh 73), Hoolahan, Taylor-Fletcher (Fox 46),Burgess, Morrell (Vernon, 84). SNU Slusarski, Jackson.
HT BFC 1-0 CCFC FT BFC 4-0 CCFC
ATT 8690
GOALS Hoolahan (27 pen),Flynn (65),Gorkss (72),Vernon (87)
REF Anthony Taylor
Booked Doyle,Jorgensen,McNamee,Best,Tabb
Sent Off Kevin Kyle (30)
Man Of The Match All the City support who watched this shambles but if you want a player, David McNamee took the votes.
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GROUND
Once described by a leading Football Licensing Authority officer as a "dump" the worst ground in the Football League, Bloomfield Road has slightly improved since our last visit in 1997 with a new Main Stand which curls round to provide one home end behind the goal.
However,the visitors end on the orther side leaves a lot to be desired. It is a monument to flat pack stand design and with no roof,it can be a bleak place to be. The other end behind the goal contained a building site and a car park.
A no drinking no smoking policy was enforced and the Blackpool stewards had to be back up by ones from Coventry.
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Starting Formation
Iain Dowie made only one change with Kevin Kyle in for Leon McKenzie.
Best Mifsud Kyle
Doyle Tabb M.Hughes
Borrowdale Turner Ward McNamee
Dimi
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CITY SUPPORT
Many of the 1192 City following, had decided to make a weekend of it,whilst others threaded their way through the M6 traffic, arriving in the seaside town shortly before kick off. Supporters included one from Dubai.
Apart from the odd bit of singing, the atmosphere was pretty muted. Watching this garbage it was not a surprised.
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Coventry City were nothing but an ill disciplined shambles as they crashed to a 4-0 defeat at Blackpool.
With Kevin Kyle who scored for the Reserves in midweek,City made their first league appearance at Bloomfield Road since 1970 and faced a Blackpool side that included the well received Andy Morrell,Claus Jorgensen and Cov kid Ian Evatt.
On a sunny afternoon at Bloomfield Road after most of us had treked through the rain to get here,City nearly went behind in the third minute when a Michael Flynn free kick was deflected on to Konstantopolous' right hand post.
The Seasiders seemed more up for the game which had the feel of an FA Cup tie early on ,they had the better of the chances through Wes Hoolahan and a Morrell header.
All City could manage was Kevin Kyle heading over a McNamee free kick in the 14th minute and that proved to be their best chance of the match.
City were handling themselves well in the midfield tussle but for some reason they started to lose their heads.
In the 26th minute,the first display of stupidity led to a penalty when Michael Hughes came out of defence and took Kaspers Gorkss from behind in full view of the referee and assistant.
Now some of the City fans who had been applauding Morrell were hoping that he was going to take the resulting penalty and give them a Christmas pay out from the bookies. However,those who had him for first goalscorer were disappointed as Wes Hoolahan took the kick. With Dimi pathetically flopping to his knees,Hoolahan scored with ease.
"Glad All Over" sang the Tangerines followers but we had nothing to be glad about as Kevin Kyle,who obviously fancied more days off over Christmas and the New Year than he has been allocated, clearly elbowed Barker on the half hour mark and was shown the red card.
Michael Doyle protested to the referee. It looked like he was being cautioned but it proved lucky that he wasn't as he clattered an opponent and got cautioned three minutes later.
Six minutes later,David McNamee was highly lucky to only get a booking when he flattened Wes Hoolahan who got up without fuss and got on with the game.
Some City supporters had enough and headed for the pub at the break. In the 65th minute, others followed when Ben Turner let Michael Flynn go and thump a right footed shot from just inside the area, which beat Konstantopolous on his left.
Stephen Hughes replaced the injured Michael Hughes but in the 71st minute, a corner was headed on by Gorkss. Morrell tried to get his head to it but the ball went in at the far post.
The flood of City supporters exiting the ground (and who could blame them) continued as Best and Mifsud were replaced.
Three corners on the trot followed for Coventry as did a not very happy Morrell being substituted again to good applause from the remaining City fans who were left to berate the defence when Scott Vernon banged home a ball from the left with three minutes to go.
It was a bad day and we trooped through the mud in front of the away end towards the exits,totally disgusted by this performance.