COVENTRY CITY 0-2 QUEENS PARK RANGERS BY KEV MONKS
Date 28/12/10 At Ricoh Arena
Team
Westwood, Keogh, McPake (Eastwood 86), Wood (O'Halloran 70), Cameron, Doyle, Carsley, Bell (Wilson 70), King, Platt, McSheffrey. SNU Ireland, Jutkiewicz, Cranie, Baker
QPR
Kenny, Hill, Derry, Walker, Faurlin , Gorkss, Connolly, Smith (Clarke 81), Mackie, Taarabt (Rowlands 84), Helguson (Orr 90). SNU Cerny, Agyemang, Hulse, Tofas
HT CCFC 0-0 QPR FT CCFC 0-2 QPR ATT 17,678
Referee N.Swarbrick Booked Helguson, McSheffrey, Faurlin
Goals Keiren Westwood OG (48), Tommy Smith (60)
Man Of The Match Nathan Cameron took the votes
Coventry City's record this season of not being able to beat their fellow top six clubs continued when they went down to a 2-0 defeat to Queens Park Rangers.
City's last match of 2010 brought the league leaders plus Sky TV to the Ricoh Arena on a grey, damp lunchtime. City boss Aidy Boothroyd had said that he was making changes after the Boxing Day defeat at Cardiff and he brought back David Bell and Clive Platt to the starting line up whilst adding fit again Stephen O'Halloran and Callum Wilson to the bench.
There was a good crowd of 17,678 with City supporters from as far away as Sweden inside the Ricoh Arena to hear Jim Twyneham deputising for John Dalziel welcome the teams onto the pitch. QPR, managed by Neil Warnock, took to the Ricoh Arena turf in a kit not too dis-similar to Yeovil Town's and they had Clint Hill in their side despite him being sent off in their demolition of Swansea in their last match because the appeal was not until Thursday.
There had not been many City supporters predicting anything other than a defeat in our pre-match drinking venue but the Sky Blues started a lot better than they had done at Cardiff.
Nathan Cameron was a rock in the City defence making some good clearances, after City had won their first corner in the ninth minute.
Worryingly was the lack of clinical finishing from the Sky Blues. Marlon King should really have done better with a ninth minute tame effort at Paddy Kenny.
Clive Platt, again was ineffective, mainly thanks to getting no protection from the referee who got some stick for only producing a yellow card for an elbow by Heidar Helguson on Richard Keogh and then booking McSheffrey when Kyle Walker went down very easily.
McSheffrey, who will now be suspended for Saturday's home game against Ipswich as that was his fifth booking, carried on and watched on as a 26th minute cross from the left by King was met by the head of Platt. This forced Kenny into a rare save.
McSheffrey fired over before Kenny saved from a Wood header from a corner. City won two more corners, the second of which came in the 37th minute and saw Wood's header cleared off the line by Faurlin.
City had done well keeping the likes of Taarabt and Mackie quiet but three minutes into the second half, the West Londoners took the lead.
The goal came from with a stunning eight pass move with a City player nowhere insight which saw Kyle Walker get the ball on the right of the area. He got round the back and was tracked by McSheffrey who could not take him down otherwise he would have been sent off. Having got free, Walker hit a shot that KEIREN WESTWOOD got his hand to but could only push into the net.
Heads went down amongst the City players and even the female City supporter to my left who had been downing glasses of wine in full view of the pitch and two stewards went quiet.
More was to follow as the West Londoners who had the majority of the possession and did not have to break into second gear, added a second on the hour mark. QPR had a free kick and after a few of their players had touches, the ball went out to Taarabt towards the Main Stand side. He sent over a wonderful cross with the outside of his right foot for TOMMY SMITH to get in a flick header that went into the bottom of the net.
2-0 down, Aidy Boothroyd should have made changes but he waited until a McSheffrey cross shot had been hacked away by Faurlin and Wood had followed up and the City fans taking umbrage with the referee with a massive chant of "You Don't Know What You're Doing"
Freddy Eastwood was the man many City fans wanted on but Boothroyd in his wisdom, opted to take off Richard Wood, who for me had a good game and give a debut to Stephen O'Halloran, who had been injured since appearing in City's pre-season friendly at Nuneaton.
He also gave youngster Callum Wilson who had overcome a shoulder injury sustained in the pre-season friendly at Hinckley, an outing and played the striker on the right side of midfield in place of David Bell, who had been pretty quiet.
City continued to be as clueless as they had been prior to the changes and again relied on hoofball rather than any passing football on the deck.
Eastwood did finally come on in the 86th minute but by then it was too late and City ended 2010 with a defeat.