COVENTRY CITY 0-0 SHREWSBURY TOWN
City: Murphy, Clarke, Webster, Seaborne, Webster, Thomas, Fleck, Moussa (Marshall 60), Petrasso, Akpom (Baker 72), Wilson. Subs: Burge, Christie, Adams, McGeouch, Daniels.
Shrewsbury: Anyon, McAllister, Taylor, McKandawire, Parry (Jacobson 89), Goldson, Mendez-Laing (Storey 42) Woods, Eaves (Atajic 81), Mills, Hall. Subs: Weale, Grandison, Winfield, Smith.
HT CCFC 0-0 STFC FT CCFC 0-0 STFC ATT 1966
Goals None
Referee Darren Deadman
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Coventry City needed a win but took only a point from a drab goalless draw against Shrewsbury Town.
Having had his bosses not avoid having the club being placed under a transfer embargo and doing what they are supposed to do in filing their accounts on time, something which should be standard practice, Steven Pressley named a City side which saw Callum Wilson and Chuba Akpom both starting with Jordan Willis in for Cyrus Christie.
It was a cold, windy afternoon at Sixfields as the City support, Northampton fans, groundhoppers, plus Micky Adams and former Youth team boss George Mackie, took their seats on Kick It Out day.
Wilson looked like he had lost none of his speed, setting up Chuba Akpom for a third minute shot which the loanee from Arsenal turned, twisted and drilled into the side netting.
The Coventry born striker who had called for City to get back to Coventry as soon as possible in an interview this week, missed the ball completely from an Akpom cross and then Shrewsbury won a corner which took a great ninth minute save from Joe Murphy getting to a downwards header to thwart the visitors who watched as City cleared their lines for a throw.
Again, the noise level from a crowd of 1966 including 391 people from somewhere called Salop, failed to raise the Sky Blues who really needed to win this game and beat Walsall on Wednesday night, to keep the relegation wolves away from the Sky Blue door, and it was a game watched by most attendees in silence.
There was the odd "Sky Blue Army" chant and bit of applause, especially when Akpom won an eighteenth minute corner.
That came to nothing and Shrewsbury were gifted the ball in the 20th minute when Seaborne lost possession and the ball fell to Tom Eaves to get in a shot which Murphy turned round the post for a corner.
City had a corner in the 23rd minute and six minutes later when Wilson header over and another one followed in the 30th minute which was easily headed away.
After the fourth official had told one of Michael Jackson's assistants to sit down and no, he did not appear to tell the Fourth Official to “Beat It”, Akpom got past his marker but could not control his shot which landed in the away end.
In the now driving rain, Shrewsbury wasted a corner but were playing the ball round in midfield reasonably well, despite the efforts of Conor Thomas and Jordan Willis who went on a surging run in the 40th minute for Moussa to flash wide.
Danny Seaborne headed away a Shrews free kick but it was goal-less at the break.
Moussa won an early free kick before a clash saw Callum Wilson continuing with his head bandaged.
When they pressed, City had four up front with Petrasso and Moussa joining the attack but like most teams now Shrewsbury were quick to close down the Sky Blues and thus preventing the Sky Blues from having as much of the play on a pitch that did not look too bad, as they would have liked.
Chances were at a premium although Akpom did rattle the side netting and so, Pressley went for a change, sending on Mark Marshall for Franck Moussa on the hour mark.
Two minutes later and City should have been a goal down when Eaves got in a header from four yards but sent it wide of Murphy's left hand post.
Marshall won a 66th minute corner for a City side who had Jordan Clarke at left back making some good tackles.
Marshall won a corner and after that was headed wide by Andy Webster, Carl Baker came on for Akpom for the last eighteen minutes.
With Baker on, City tried to get going and Petrasso won a corner and fired over on the turn in the 76th minute,
As the scouts walked out, Seaborne, who captained the side, passed when he should have shot and the ball fell to Baker to send high over the stand against a Shrewsbury side who were forced to replace their best player Tom Eaves with an injury but still won an 82nd minute corner.
City won a corner three minutes later, Shrewsbury countered and Murphy made a great save pushing away a Jon Taylor shot.
The Sky Blues put on a brief flurry at the end but with no width and no shots on target, it was not good enough yet again.