COVENTRY CITY 0-4 PRESTON NORTH END BY KEV MONKS
Charity begins at home goes the saying and the Sky Blues were highly charitable in gifting Preston four goals as they crashed to their heaviest home defeat since moving to the Arena in August 2005.
Iain Dowie who is in the process of confirming pre-season games at Ballymena and Glentoran, had to change his side from the one which had played very well at Derby due to the suspension of Michael Doyle. In came contract seeking Colin Cameron with Michael Mifsud partnering Kevin Kyle in attack.
Right from the onset on the hottest day of 2007 so far in Coventry,it was evident that the lack of Doyle who has been named Player Of The Season by City's Irish Supporters Club was going to hamper efforts.
Jay Tabb was often away from where he was supposed and his wandering led to Preston, whose fans were calling for the head of their Chairman after Monday's defeat to Southend,taking the lead after seven and a half minutes.
Tabb stood still as Chris Sedgwick went round Marcus Hall on the right and cut inside before driving the ball past Marshall and into the bottom corner.
There had not been much singing form the City support but what there was stopped in the 16th minute when a great turn and then a sublime cross by Sedgwick found the head of England international David Nugent who rose above Robert Page to head in from six yards.
Stephen Hughes was the first player in the book, quickly followed by Isaac Osbourne as former Coventry Referees Association member Pete Walton stretched the point of trying to be neutral a bit too far.
Soley and Sedgwick were also booked in a first half where there was not a bad tackle that merited a card.
As with the QPR game, the visiting keeper was having an easy time of it and only had to use his gloves in the 38th minute when he pushed away a Hughes free kick which went around the wall.
Colin Cameron was not fairing well in midfield and another poor ball drew a slow hand clap from the Tescos Stand.
Even the appearance of surviving members of the 1967 promotion winning team at the interval did little to lift the gloom.
Dele Adebola and Leon McKenzie were sent on but in the 48th minute, Callum Davidson sent a ball across the box where Brett Ormerod was at the far post to tap into the net before racing to the away support at the Jewson Stand end.
In the 55th minute, Preston got a fourth goal thanks to a calamity of errors. Kyle gave the ball away. Robert Page tried to back pass to Andy Marshall who played the ball into the path of Brett Ormerod some six yards out and the former Southampton striker gratefully put away this gift.
Boos and jeers from the City support were met by the sight of many supporters heading for the exits. Whether, it was to watch Silver Birch romp home in the Grand National at 33-1,I don't know but there was a lot less than the 21,117 officially in the ground at the start of the game.
Some playing acting by Hill (Matthew not Benny) got Adebola's name on the growing list of cautions.
Even with David Nugent replaced,Paul Simpson's side were not under any sort of threat from a City team becoming increasingly abused by their own supporters.
There were chants of "Off,Off,Off" when Kevin Kyle was carded for a pointless handball and more derision followed when Kyle headed wide in the 70th minute.
By then, Leon McKenzie had limped off to be replaced by Khalli Fadiga. The former Senegal winger twice put in decent crosses. The first was headed out by Hill for a corner with the second going across the face of the goal and not finding the touch to knock it into the net.
With two minutes to go,Fadiga was injured in a crunching tackle and was stretchered off with a suspected broken leg.
Kyle got more ironic cheers after firing wide from a half volley and responded in the same manner clapping those in the CT Stand who were venting their spleen at him.
On the final whistle, Elliott Ward who tried along with Stephen Hughes, was subject to some abuse by a CT Stander. The team captain went over and showed his badge to signify that he was bothered about this completely woeful and totally unacceptable performance before the unhappy supporter was escorted out of the stadium by his friends.
Another fan outside the players entrance was allegedly waiting to have "it out with Iain Dowie" but when informed that the City boss would not be out for a couple of hours, he walked off.
What he could have said to Mr Dowie that would have changed things for the better remains to be seen. The new City boss knows that this Jekyll and Hyde performances of late are not acceptable but it wont be until the summer that major changes can be made.
HT CCFC 0-2 PNEFC FT CCFC 0-4 PNEFC
ATT 21,117
GOALS Chris Sedgwick (8),David Nugent (16), Brett Ormerod (48 & 55)
Referee P.Walton Booked Hughes,Osbourne,Sedgwick,Pugh,Davidson,Adebola,Kyle,McKenzie
Team
Marshall,Virgo,Hall,Ward, Page, Osbourne,Cameron, Hughes,Tabb (McKenzie 46 Fadiga 68),Kyle,Mifsud (Adebola 46) SNU Steele,Turner
Preston
Henderson,Alexander,St Ledger,Chilvers (Wilson 46), Hill,Davidson,Soley (Whaley 79), Pugh,Sedgwick, Nugent (Agyemang 59),Ormerod SNU Lonergan,Ricketts