KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 1-5 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City finished their pre-season with a fine 5-1 victory at Kidderminster Harriers.
Originally Wolves should have been the opponents for this game but problems at the Molineux based club saw them withdraw and City agreed to step in,on the same night as they were due to send a team to Hinckley United.
At the time,it was agreed, Micky Adams thought that he would be able to field two very strong teams simultaneously. However,the game against Boavista robbed him of Wayne Andrews and Robert Page and with no new signings and the injuries to Giddings and Bischoff,both sides were make do.
At the well kept Aggborough Stadium which used to host league football until May 2005 and one where I have never seen the Sky Blues play, the Coventry side consisted of a strongish side plus two trialists in Moussa N'Diaye and Faygal El Idrissi (although Faygal Gliorissi was the name given on the 20p teamsheet).
The Conference side fielded a reasonable side with new signing Jeff Kenna starting.
In the ninth minute, Mark Yates' team took the lead. Michael Blackwood got round the back of David McNamee and lashed the ball into the net from an acute angle as City's defence stood and watched.
Both trialists who played on either flank seemed to like taking free kicks. Moussa blasted a free kick over in the 13th minute and five minutes later,Faygal El Idrissi had his free kick saved by Steve Taylor.
In the 23rd minute,City were level when Faygal El Idrissi who was showing a good bit of promise, sent a low 20 yard drive off the far post and into the net.
Ten minutes later and the 61 City fans in the terrace and seats were cheering when a free kick from Faygal El Idrissi was flicked on by Matt Heath for Dele Adebola to head in from close range.
City kept up the pressure and in the 43rd minute, Michael Doyle finished off a neat five man move only for referee Ollie Langford to rule out the goal for offside.
However, seconds later it was 3-1 to City when Dele Adebola beat the offside trap and lifted the ball over Taylor into the net.
With Micky Adams watching the second half from the Main Stand and the wind gaining strength and causing a breeze that whistled round an Aggborough Stadium that was less than a third full.
News was now filtering around the terrace that City were 2-1 up at Hinckley thanks to goals from Hutchison and Tabb and the good news continued in the 63rd minute when Marcus Hall crossed from the left and up rose Dele Adebola to head home from four yards and complete a hat-trick.
Adebola left the pitch to a good ovation from the City support ten minutes later when the Nigerian was replaced by Liam Davis.
City continued to look good on the ball, passing it with accuracy and purpose and always looking to send the team forward at every opportunity.
A well worked move in the 76th minute saw , Faygal El Idrissi was set free to bear down on goal and hit a shot which Taylor superbly saved with his feet.
Coventry City finished their pre-season with a fine 5-1 victory at Kidderminster Harriers.
Originally Wolves should have been the opponents for this game but problems at the Molineux based club saw them withdraw and City agreed to step in,on the same night as they were due to send a team to Hinckley United.
At the time,it was agreed, Micky Adams thought that he would be able to field two very strong teams simultaneously. However,the game against Boavista robbed him of Wayne Andrews and Robert Page and with no new signings and the injuries to Giddings and Bischoff,both sides were make do.
At the well kept Aggborough Stadium which used to host league football until May 2005 and one where I have never seen the Sky Blues play, the Coventry side consisted of a strongish side plus two trialists in Moussa N'Diaye and Faygal El Idrissi (although Faygal Gliorissi was the name given on the 20p teamsheet).
The Conference side fielded a reasonable side with new signing Jeff Kenna starting.
In the ninth minute, Mark Yates' team took the lead. Michael Blackwood got round the back of David McNamee and lashed the ball into the net from an acute angle as City's defence stood and watched.
Both trialists who played on either flank seemed to like taking free kicks. Moussa blasted a free kick over in the 13th minute and five minutes later,Faygal El Idrissi had his free kick saved by Steve Taylor.
In the 23rd minute,City were level when Faygal El Idrissi who was showing a good bit of promise, sent a low 20 yard drive off the far post and into the net.
Ten minutes later and the 61 City fans in the terrace and seats were cheering when a free kick from Faygal El Idrissi was flicked on by Matt Heath for Dele Adebola to head in from close range.
City kept up the pressure and in the 43rd minute, Michael Doyle finished off a neat five man move only for referee Ollie Langford to rule out the goal for offside.
However, seconds later it was 3-1 to City when Dele Adebola beat the offside trap and lifted the ball over Taylor into the net.
With Micky Adams watching the second half from the Main Stand and the wind gaining strength and causing a breeze that whistled round an Aggborough Stadium that was less than a third full.
News was now filtering around the terrace that City were 2-1 up at Hinckley thanks to goals from Hutchison and Tabb and the good news continued in the 63rd minute when Marcus Hall crossed from the left and up rose Dele Adebola to head home from four yards and complete a hat-trick.
Adebola left the pitch to a good ovation from the City support ten minutes later when the Nigerian was replaced by Liam Davis.
City continued to look good on the ball, passing it with accuracy and purpose and always looking to send the team forward at every opportunity.
A well worked move in the 76th minute saw , Faygal El Idrissi was set free to bear down on goal and hit a shot which Taylor superbly saved with his feet.
Andy Marshall at the other end was never duly worried by the home side and spent his time watching the occasional shot flash wide of the goal.
Six minutes from time, City went nap thanks to Stern John collecting a through ball, holding off a defender and unselfishly cutting back for Moussa N'Diaye to tap in to an empty net.
For me, I could have watched this performance all night, stood on the terrace with good company but after Stern John's stoppage time header from a Davis cross narrowly missed the goal, the referee blew for full time and the players left to good applause for a job well done.
HT KHFC 1-3 CCFC
FT KHFC 1-5 CCFC
ATT 834
Goals Michael Blackwood (9).Faygal Gliorissi (23),Dele Adebola 33,44,63,Moussa N'Diaye 84.
Team
Marshall,McNamee,Hall,Heath,Ward,Hughes,N'Diaye,Doyle,Adebola (Davis 73) John, El Idrissi
SNU Belford,Gooding,Lorougnon,Lynch
Kidderminster
Taylor,Kenna (Eaton 78),Harkness (Hurren 46),Creighton,Whitehead (McGrath 54),Sedgemore Sturridge (Russell 65),White (Reynolds 46),McClen (Smikle 65),Blackwood,Penn.
SNU Howarth,Bevan
City beat Hinckley United 2-1 at the Marston Stadium with goals from Don Hutchison and Jay Tabb after Heggs had given the Conference North side a first half lead.
Scott Ward,Andy Whing,Ben Turner,Claus Jorgensen,Kevin Thorton,Don Hutchison,Jay Tabb and Andy Morrell all played.
