COVENTRY CITY 0-2 BRISTOL CITY BY KEV MONKS
Micky Adams has been summoned to appear before the board at 11am tomorrow morning (Wed) following Coventry City's 2-0 home FA Cup Replay defeat against Bristol City.
City had gone into the game with Micky Adams, who admitted to the CT that he picked the wrong team for Saturday's defeat by Crystal Palace, was again without Elliott Ward whose hamstring injury now requires specialist treatment.
City had gone into the game with Micky Adams, who admitted to the CT that he picked the wrong team for Saturday's defeat by Crystal Palace, was again without Elliott Ward whose hamstring injury now requires specialist treatment.
Ben Turner took over from Adam Virgo in defence with Michael Doyle back after suspension in midfield.
Like many others this was a game I was not looking forward to, some fed up with recent performances and results decided to give this game a miss but there were still 10.400 hardy City supporters in a 13,055 gate.
The visiting supporters arrived in party spirit whilst their team unbeaten in fourteen matches were under orders to frustrate City until such time that the crowd got on their backs.
It was a good tactic from Gary Johnson as his charges looked far more confident than the City players.
Jay Tabb, Isaac Osbourne and Michael Doyle all worked hard in midfield early on but lacked leadership whilst Luke Steele in goal clearly needs more games before he finds the confidence, City supporters are used to seeing from him.
The Sky Blues won a fifth minute corner but the visitors broke and a ball from the right found Enoch Showumni who knocked down for Lee Johnson on the edge of the area to rifle over.
It was a warning shot from the visitors who were organised with Scott Murray and Bradley Orr in form worthy of playing in a higher division.
Steele had to make a 12th minute save from Phil Jevons and another from Murray some seventeen minutes later.
Up to this point, both sides struggled to look for opening but suddenly, the Robins started to work out how to cut through City's midfield.
The City support was still singing but in the 38th minute and during a spell of heavy pressure from the Robins, Showumni who should have scored from a 33rd minute header knocked the ball into the path of Scott Murray who got in a low drive which went into the bottom corner and put the visitors ahead.
The singing continued for a bit then it was the away fans who made all the noise, taunting Micky Adams who stood with his arms folded across his chest with a chorus of "You'll be sacked by 10pm".
City were not surprisingly booed off at the interval but there was an air of optimism that the Sky Blues could turn this around as the second half restarted.
Micky Adams sent on Kevin Thornton at the break in place of Isaac Osbourne and the young midfielder was his lively self.
He won the second of two quick corners before firing over in the 49th minute.
Suddenly, the optimism was over when Bristol City,who included former Sky Blue misfit Louis Carey, now attacking the end where their 2,600 supporters were housed added a second.
Bristol surged forward, Murray on the right got round Thornton and centred to Enoch Showumni. The former Luton player rose and powered a headed past the stranded Luke Steele.
In the 58th minute, Micky Adams decided to gamble on one last throw of the dice when he replaced Kevin Kyle who was losing out to the giant Bristol centre half and Jay Tabb who had run himself into the ground with Dele Adebola and Chris Birchall. There were some boos at the decision to replace Tabb and more boos when Kyle left the pitch.
The change affected nothing and with twenty minutes to go, it was evident to all that the City players had given up on the game.
Had Lee Johnson not been greedy and gone for goal forcing Steele into a low save with Murray totally unmarked on his left, Bristol could have had a third.
The Bristol City fans were certainly enjoying themselves and launched into a chorus of "You're Shit And You Know You Are" only to be met by applause from many of the City supporters.
With ten minutes to go, many of the City supporters in the CT Stand decided enough was enough. An "Adams Out" banner was unfurled at the back of the stand. It brought a chorus of "We're sh*t and we're sick of it".
Micky Adams looked up from the pitch and stared at the City support in the stand to his left who were now making their annoyance at yet another very poor performance felt by chanting "Adams Out" and "Sack The Board"
At the other end,Stewards and police made their way down into the concourse in the corner under the scoreboard to stop some trouble between rival supporters.
In the dying minutes,Kevin Thornton only had Brasso to beat when the keeper was down on the ground. However, his shot was straight at the keeper and any last hope of a fight-back with five to play including stoppages was gone.
Some City supporters walked out before the end as chants which were aimed at the players as well as Micky Adams started up started up again.
New was coming through that Fourth Round opponents Middlesbrough had beaten Hull City. Not that it mattered as it was Bristol City who deservedly booked their place in Round Four.
The boos were loud and long on the final whistle which looks highly,highly likely to bring down the curtain on Micky Adams tenure as City manager.
HT CCFC 0-1 BCFC
FT CCFC 0-2 BCFC
ATT 13,055
Goals Scott Murray (38), Enoch Showumni (53)
Referee N.Mellor Booked Murray, Doyle
Team
Steele,Whing,Page,Hall,Turner,Doyle,Kyle (Adebola 58), John, McKenzie, Osbourne (Thornton 46),Tabb (Birchall 59) SNU Hughes,Virgo
Bristol City
Basso, Orr, Carey, McCombe, McAllister, Murray, Johnson, Skuse (Russell 46), Showunmi, Brooker (Keogh 81), Jevons (Myrie-Williams 41). SNU Fontaine,Weale.