IPSWICH TOWN 3-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
City J.Murphy, Keogh, Hussey, Christie (Cameron 75), Cranie, Baker (off 93), Bigirimana (McSheffrey 43), Bell, Clingan, McDonald (O'Donovan 69), Jutkiewicz. SNU Dunn, Thomas
Ipswich Stockdale, Sanko (Delaney 35), Cresswell, Bullard, Bowyer, Edwards, Collins, Leadbitter, Andrews, Scotland (Emanuel-Thomas 85), Chopra (D.Murphy 82). SNU Lee Barrett, Ainsley
HT ITFC 2-0 CCFC FT ITFC 3-0 CCFC ATT 15,550
Referee Craig Pawson Booked Bell
Goals Martin Cranie (OG 6), Keith Andrews (14), Jason Scotland (66) Man Of The Match - The City fans for turning up. ______________________
Coventry City fans spent a wasted Monday night watching a poor Sky Blues side go down to a 3-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.
We travelled on a cloudy late afternoon, down the A14 to see if City could repeat the 3-1 victory from the 1960''s when City won 2-0 at home and played Ipswich away in their next game.
However, a look at the Ipswich teamsheet which might have had age on their side but had quality with the likes of Bullard, Bowyer, Scotland, Andrews and Chopra meant that this was going to be a tough game.
City, who had Joe Murphy back in goal after over-coming a hamstring strain, did not help themselves by going a goal down after only six minutes when Martin Cranie dived to head the ball past his own keeper from a Cresswell cross.
That goal came just as two City supporters of the officially recorded 185 (although I counted 120 including Joe Elliott and Gary Hoffman on kick off) were ejected for drinking alcohol in view of the pitch.
There might not have been many of us who paid up to a scandalous price of £33.50 for on the day admission but we were pretty noisy informing the home fans who made their tractors and we saw Michael Chopra waste three good chances before Ipswich scored a second in the 15th minute.
The assistant on the Main Stand side was not up with play and when the ball came through, as the City supporters appealed for off-side, loanee from Blackburn Keith Andrews got the ball on the right and was able to beat Murphy on his right with ease.
It was not surprising that City were two goals down. Sammy Clingan was all over the place, Bell and Baker did not know who they were supposed to pick up and even our two normally reliable youngsters tonight were finding it hard going.
Chopra and Bullard were allowed more chances by a City team which could have been six goals down before the half hour mark.
By the end of the half, City who had to replace Gael Bigirimana with Gary McSheffrey, did create one chance of note when Cody McDonald had a header from a corner cleared off the line.
Attacking the end nearest where the City supporters were for the second half, McSheffrey and McDonald who became the 112th City forward who has failed to score in his first two matches, both had chances.
In the 66th minute, the game was well and truly over when Jason Scotland was given the freedom to waltz through and score past Murphy for Ipswich''s third.
In a Portman Road ground, whose exterior had been part of the Tour Of Britain cycling race on Saturday, Andy Thorn replaced McDonald who is clearly going to need more match practice before he starts hitting the sort of goals we have all seen on You Tube once more, with Thorn also sending on Nathan Cameron for his first league outing of the season.
The game moved on with little for the City support either in the ground or those watching on tv or the internet at home and abroad, until the 88th minute when substitute O'Donovan and Jutkiewicz having headers cleared off the line.
City won another corner before three minutes of time were added on. At the end of that, Carl Baker looked to have caught his studs in the grass and went down. Referee Mr Pawson stopped the game immediately and a motorised stretcher came on. Baker was lifted on to it and transported off the pitch to compound a miserable night.
This match report is dedicated to Graham Emery, Ted Boscott and Les Williams who have all passed away in the last week.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM