Another Home Defeat For City

FT  CCFC 1-3   STFC

ATT 9,543

 

Goals  Nicky Ajose 31 & 71, Jonathan Obika 37, George Thomas 91

 

Coventry City showed why they are rock bottom of the League One after a poor 3-1 home defeat to Swindon Town.

 

At the end of a week, where over 20,000 had sorted out their tickets for Wembley, there was the small matter of another cup final against Swindon Town to attend to.

 

Most of that 20,000, who have tickets for the final on April 2nd. were not at the Ricoh Arena on a grey, cold late February afternoon to see City, who have re-arranged the Port Vale home game for March 21st and Sheffield United away for April 5th, field the same team that beat Gillingham 2-1 last Saturday.

 

Swindon whose keeper was in a florescent pink kit, something which probably could have been designed by a kid with a marker pen, not too far away colour wise from their red kit, had former City midfielder Conor Thomas on the bench and had not lost at Coventry in their last twelve league visits.

 

The Robins who were without their banned Director Of Football Tim Sherwood, defended the North Stand, where there had been some damage by Storm Doris for the first half and let the Sky Blues win a corner in the eight minute, which Marcus Tudgay volleyed at Vigouroux and two minutes later, Swindon had a corner followed by another as a Brophy shot was pushed round by Burge. The ball came over but the chance was not taken and City went up the field, trying to put together another move.

 

That move eventually led to an 18th minute corner and then a throw for City who again relied on the long ball to bypass the Robins midfield far too often.

 

Kwame Thomas, suffered from a lack of service but did have a shot on the turn which Vigouroux saved comfortably as both sets of supporters called for their club’s owners to go.

 

For a side supposedly in relegation trouble, Swindon were always a threat every time they went forward and in the 31st minute they put City a goal down when a ball came through and Nicky Ajose was left free to turn and fire into the net.

 

The speed of Ajose was causing problems. Turnbull did well to tackle to concede a 37th minute corner. That came over and the City defence stood and watched Jonathan Obika smash home for Swindon’s second goal.

 

Russell Slade, about whom it was expressed on local radio tonight that City would be better getting in the manager who was going to take the team in League Two now and off-loading Slade whose tactics and players he has brought in, are questionable, went for a change at the interval and sent on Stuart Beavon for the clearly out of sorts Andy Rose.

 

The Sky Blues were given a 50th minute free kick by a referee whose shout of “Offside” in a dubious accent amused some of the City support and Ben Gladwin and then the referee, the best I have seen in three matches this week and then two corners, one which Beavon sent wide.

 

City got away with it big time in the 53rd minute when Nicky Ajose got past Burge. The goal was at his mercy but thankfully, he fired over and it stayed at 2-0.

 

Another City corner was easily caught by Vigouroux who watched on along with City supporters from Switzerland as the Robins had a free kick and Colkett booked for a foul on Reilly.

 

Tudgay wasted a good chance just before the hour mark as the rain came down and Reilly did the same against a Swindon side which always seemed to have the better options even if they were not selected.

 

Those City supporters in the stadium were getting restless and a 68th minute corner that was wasted did little to soothe the mood.

 

In the 70th minute, Russell Slade made his second change, bringing on Yakubu who had not even warmed up. The Nigerian came on for Tudgay, who was jeered as he left the field and promptly spent his time on the pitch walking round.

 

The Nigerian, whose fitness is as dubious as his age, had been on the pitch for a matter of seconds when the ball from Ormonde-Ottiwell went across Burge and Nicky Ajose bundled home for the third.

 

3-0 down after 71 minutes and some of the City support left to doing something probably far better than wasting twenty minutes of their lives watching a team which we have known for a while is only good enough for U23’s level.

 

Former City midfielder and Cov Kid Conor Thomas came on to polite applause as did Kyel Reid and in the first minute of the five added on, Yakubu made a short pass to George Thomas, who scored a consolation goal with a left footed shot from just inside the area but it did little to stop the boos which greeted the team as they trooped off after another costly defeat.