HINCKLEY UNITED 0-3 COVENTRY CITY |
Wed JULY 20TH AT Greene King Stadium, Hinckley |
TEAM: Murphy, Keogh, Hussey, Cranie, Clingan, Christie, Bell, Baker, Jutkiewicz, O'Donovan, McSheffrey 2ND HALF: Dunn, Phillips, Cameron, Wood, McPake, Bigirimana, Ruffles, Thomas, Wilson, Jeffers, Eastwood. SNU Daniels & Rankin HINCKLEY: Haystead, Oddy, Turner, Gooding, Roper, Everton, Gray (Emerson 70), Kerry, Kolodynski, Hendrie, Bryne. Subs Used Hull, Parry, Williamson, Newton, Hodgson, Rowley. HT HTFC 0-1 CCFC FT HTFC 0-3 CCFC ATT 1112 REFEREE Ian Dudley Assistants Andrew Wood, Sean Richardson GOALS Roy O'Donovan (2), Freddy Eastwood (61), Conor Thomas (73) ____________________________________________________________________ REPORT BY KEV MONKS Coventry City put in two good shifts to win 3-0 at Hinckley United tonight. A good turn out of City supporters, which was at least seven hundred strong, delayed kicked off for ten minutes and they including Joe Elliott saw Andy Thorn made one change with Roy O'Donovan who scored twice against Nuneaton on Saturday starting up front with Lukas Jutkiewicz.
City were straight on the attack on a pleasant evening at the Greene King Stadium with Gary McSheffrey doing well to keep the ball in play in front of the Main Stand and then hit a shot which Haystead saved going down to his right. When the ball came back, David Bell fired wide. The resulting goal kick was cleared upfield. City cleared it and Roy O'Donovan was sent on his way. The Irishman got the call on his left and drove it low into the net to give the Sky Blues a third minute lead. Hinckley boss Dean Thomas who had included former Sky Blues Robert Oddy and Andy Gooding in his starting eleven along with City supporter Ian Roper who had once got on the scoresheet for the Sky Blues with an own goal at Walsall, was barking out instructions to his players but it was to no avail.
Playing a diamond 3-5-2, Cyrus Christie was having a stormer. The Coventry born youngster was relishing his role in the back three and was able to get forward at will. Apart from a couple of blocked shots, it was all City. David Bell was having shots whilst Christie was winning corners. In the 29th minute, Coventry were close to doubling their tally when Chris Hussey who also enjoyed a large amount of freedom to attack, found Lukas Jutkiewicz who sent a rasping shot from the edge of the area. It looked like a goal but Haystead got his fingers to it and was able to push the ball onto the bar and out for a corner. Hussey and Christie were whipping in crosses before Tom Bryne forced Murphy into a save in the 39th minute. As we went into the break, O'Donovan had a shot blocked and Christie forced another corner. It was all change at the break with a complete new Sky Blue eleven starting the second half. Ben Williamson went wide in the 49th minute. The young Sky Blues plus Richard Wood, Freddy Eastwood and James McPake for his first game in seven months looked a bit tentative but when Shaun Jeffers headed wide, they were on their game and there was only one team in it. Eastwood won a 52nd minute corner, which Callum Wilson headed over. Then Ruffles, who was using his speed to get at the home defence fired a left footed shot at the keeper. In the 57th minute, Arron Phillips went charging down the right wing. He got into the area and hit a cracking shot which bounced down off the underside of the bar before it was cleared to the applause of Andy Thorn and Steve Harrison as well as the City support. Surely another goal was on the cards? And so it proved when Chris Dunn picked out Freddy Eastwood, who was the last City player to score at Hinckley, with a 61st minute long ball and the Welshman firmly fired into the net in a low drive to put City 2-0 up. Seconds later, Eastwood was cursing his luck when he drew the keeper out but had his shot cleared off the line. Chris Dunn had one save to make and did it well, diving to get down to a drive from Dan Newton but in the 73rd minute, Conor Thomas was left alone with the ball on the edge of the area and lofted it high into the net for his first major goal for City's first team and the Sky Blues third goal of the evening. With James McPake making one crunching tackle that echoed around the ground and some Hinckley fans heading for home and being told to turn left out of the car park by the stadium announcer who then had to say that this only applied to those driving! Those still left in the ground, witnessed a storming run by Nathan Cameron which included a step over and even shocked a few of his team mates as he delivered a wonderful cross and were able to give the City players who played in this game the applause that their efforts merited. Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM
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