HEREFORD UNITED 3-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
The world may not have ended at 7pm as one American media report suggested but Coventry City's League Cup hopes did as Hereford United cruised to an easy First Round victory against the Sky Blues.
This was the first time City had played Hereford at a competitive level since 1899 and for this first round Football League Cup tie, Micky Adams made only one change from the side that had drawn with Leicester City.
Dropped to the bench was Michael Doyle and in came Frankie El Idrissi.
657 City supporters had made their way to the city close to the Welsh border, famed for it's Cider production and after only 46 seconds,they were shaking their heads in disbelieve.
A mistake by Elliott Ward let in Stuart Fleetwood who kept his cool and finished from sixteen yards with a low drive.
City, who have been linked with Mpenza from Anderlecht (same agent as El Idrissi), were again leaderless and found great difficulty in directing their passes to a player on the same team, thus allowing Hereford to break as and when they wanted.
The world may not have ended at 7pm as one American media report suggested but Coventry City's League Cup hopes did as Hereford United cruised to an easy First Round victory against the Sky Blues.
This was the first time City had played Hereford at a competitive level since 1899 and for this first round Football League Cup tie, Micky Adams made only one change from the side that had drawn with Leicester City.
Dropped to the bench was Michael Doyle and in came Frankie El Idrissi.
657 City supporters had made their way to the city close to the Welsh border, famed for it's Cider production and after only 46 seconds,they were shaking their heads in disbelieve.
A mistake by Elliott Ward let in Stuart Fleetwood who kept his cool and finished from sixteen yards with a low drive.
City, who have been linked with Mpenza from Anderlecht (same agent as El Idrissi), were again leaderless and found great difficulty in directing their passes to a player on the same team, thus allowing Hereford to break as and when they wanted.
There was glimmer of hope when, in the sixteenth minute,Stephen Hughes struck a post followed by El Idrissi being denied a penalty and the Moroccan curling wide.
Although Chris Birchall had the occasional promising run down the right, City's failure to take hold of the game was starting to become worrying.
Dean Beckwith should have scored in the 25th minute when he turned Hall inside the area and found the side netting.
Stuart Fleetwood was giving Elliott Ward a torrid time and the striker used his speed to get past Ward and drill just wide ten minutes before the break.
Two minutes later and with the City supporters making it very clear where any bid for Sheffield United's Adie Akinbiyi should be shoved, Andy Whing arrived very late for a challenge,the ball broke to Fleetwood who raced through but thankfully fired wide.
Whing was cautioned for the challenge and just before the break,Stephen Hughes joined him in the book of Mr Probert.
The booing of the Coventry players who were lucky not to be going in at half-time five goals down, plus whatever Micky Adams said did nothing to get the team going at the start of the second half.
Efforts by Birchall and a corner won by Whing led to nothing. The League 2 new boys bided their time,knowing that if they kept closing down their opponents, possession would soon be theirs.
And so it proved as in the 56th minute. Andy Marshall and Andy Whing both went for the same ball, Stuart Fleetwood got in between them and tapped into an empty net.
There was a chant of "Why Did You Sell McSheffrey" from the City supporters who cheered two minutes later when Dele Adebola held off Trent McClenahan inside the area and turned to rifle the ball into the net.
Kevin Thornton was sent on for Andy Whing but in the 63rd minute,Fleetwood had his hat-trick when he was left alone by Ward to round Marshall for an easy goal which restored Hereford's two goal margin.
That was it as far as the City fans were concerned. They quite rightly had had enough and turned on the club. "We're So Sh#t,It's Unbelievable" was one chant with some stood behind me resorting to singing songs demanding the head of City's £200k a year Managing Director Paul Fletcher who will attempt to explain his reasons for the Gary McSheffrey sale at a forum tomorrow night (Wed).
Fleetwood pulled up in the 72nd minute and left to good applause from all four sides of the Edgar Street ground with chants of "Sign Him Up" from the very disgruntled City support.
Micky Adams had called for a hero to emerge from the Sky Blue players after Friday's bore draw and the only City player ready to grasp the mantle was Kevin Thornton .
The young Irishman had a 79th minute shot pushed over for a corner and struck the bar from outside the area two minutes from time.
It was not enough and the blowing of the final whistle finally put us out of our misery and led the players in no doubt that this was again not good enough.
Stuart Fleetwood was giving Elliott Ward a torrid time and the striker used his speed to get past Ward and drill just wide ten minutes before the break.
Two minutes later and with the City supporters making it very clear where any bid for Sheffield United's Adie Akinbiyi should be shoved, Andy Whing arrived very late for a challenge,the ball broke to Fleetwood who raced through but thankfully fired wide.
Whing was cautioned for the challenge and just before the break,Stephen Hughes joined him in the book of Mr Probert.
The booing of the Coventry players who were lucky not to be going in at half-time five goals down, plus whatever Micky Adams said did nothing to get the team going at the start of the second half.
Efforts by Birchall and a corner won by Whing led to nothing. The League 2 new boys bided their time,knowing that if they kept closing down their opponents, possession would soon be theirs.
And so it proved as in the 56th minute. Andy Marshall and Andy Whing both went for the same ball, Stuart Fleetwood got in between them and tapped into an empty net.
There was a chant of "Why Did You Sell McSheffrey" from the City supporters who cheered two minutes later when Dele Adebola held off Trent McClenahan inside the area and turned to rifle the ball into the net.
Kevin Thornton was sent on for Andy Whing but in the 63rd minute,Fleetwood had his hat-trick when he was left alone by Ward to round Marshall for an easy goal which restored Hereford's two goal margin.
That was it as far as the City fans were concerned. They quite rightly had had enough and turned on the club. "We're So Sh#t,It's Unbelievable" was one chant with some stood behind me resorting to singing songs demanding the head of City's £200k a year Managing Director Paul Fletcher who will attempt to explain his reasons for the Gary McSheffrey sale at a forum tomorrow night (Wed).
Fleetwood pulled up in the 72nd minute and left to good applause from all four sides of the Edgar Street ground with chants of "Sign Him Up" from the very disgruntled City support.
Micky Adams had called for a hero to emerge from the Sky Blue players after Friday's bore draw and the only City player ready to grasp the mantle was Kevin Thornton .
The young Irishman had a 79th minute shot pushed over for a corner and struck the bar from outside the area two minutes from time.
It was not enough and the blowing of the final whistle finally put us out of our misery and led the players in no doubt that this was again not good enough.
HT HUFC 1-0 CCFC
FT HUFC 3-1 CCFC
ATT 3404
Goals Stuart Fleetwood (1,56,63), Dele Adebola (58)
Booked Whing,Hughes
Team
Marshall,Whing (Thornton 59),Hall,Ward,Heath,Hughes,Cameron,Birchall,El Idrissi,John,Adebola SNU Osbourne, Hutchison,Doyle,Jorgensen
Hereford
Tynan,Travis,Rose,Mkandawire,Purdie,Ferrell,Sills,Fleetwood (Williams 72),Giles,McClenahan,Beckwith.SNU Wallis,Connell,Gulliver,Lewis.
FT HUFC 3-1 CCFC
ATT 3404
Goals Stuart Fleetwood (1,56,63), Dele Adebola (58)
Booked Whing,Hughes
Team
Marshall,Whing (Thornton 59),Hall,Ward,Heath,Hughes,Cameron,Birchall,El Idrissi,John,Adebola SNU Osbourne, Hutchison,Doyle,Jorgensen
Hereford
Tynan,Travis,Rose,Mkandawire,Purdie,Ferrell,Sills,Fleetwood (Williams 72),Giles,McClenahan,Beckwith.SNU Wallis,Connell,Gulliver,Lewis.