Team
Murphy, Christie, Hussey, Keogh, Bell, Clingan, Bigirimana, McSheffrey, Jutkiewicz, O'Donovan. (Jeffers 85). SNU Dunn, Cameron, Thomas, McPake.
Biirmingham
Myhill, Carr, Davies, Caldwell, Ridgewell, Burke, Mutch, Gomis, Beausejour, Wood (Rooney 68), Fahey. SNU Dann, Spector, Doyle, D.Murphy.
HT BCFC 0-0 CCFC FT BCFC 1-0 CCFC ATT 19,225
Goal Keith Fahey 71
Referee A.Bates. Assistants C.Dunn & D.Grafton. Fourth official J.Farries.
Booked Bell
Man Of The Match Sammy Clingan took the votes in our car
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REPORT BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City for the first time ever had home and away opening league against Midlands sides but like the Leicester game, Coventry went down to a defeat.
With a home defeat to local rivals, an embarrassing cup exit and more non-committal statements from Paul Clouting which only helped to fan the flames of supporters who are not happy with the cut the costs and hope the team are good enough to stay up board directive, the Sky Blue support set off for St Andrews to see if City could get anything from this trip up the A45.
Coming at the end of a week where Birmingham had been in the headlines for the wrong reasons, it was good that the business of football had been allowed to continue and both sides wore black armbands to remember those who lost their lives in Winson Green.
With Richard Wood now out for five to six weeks with a thigh tear, Andy Thorn had to shuffle his pack and change his tactics but had Sammy Clingan back, after the midfielder's midweek international action had seen him miss the Bury game.
The City support which included Gary Hoffman, Joe Elliott and Daniel Gidney in the away end and looked to be around 1700 strong, were in fine voice and saw a City side give Birmingham as good as they got in the opening exchanges.
Coventry’s best chance against a Birmingham side without Marlon King whom some Biues fans have been saying could be out for six months to the rest of the season, came in the 16th minute with a Lukas Jutkiewicz shot on the turn.
On the half mark, Sammy Clingan had a free kick pushed round for a corner and nine minutes later, Myhill produced a temendous save diving to his right to deny McSheffrey, whilst at the other end, the hard working defence including the ever improving Cyrus Christie failed to let Birmingham have any penetration.
As the second half started, a mistake by David Bell let Brum attack down the left, Thankfully when the cross came in, Chris Wood was only able to turn the ball over the bar,
Although there was not as many raids on goal as some of the City support would have wished, the effort and application from the Sky Blues could not be faulted.
Myhill, who was visibly limping, saved from Jutkiewicz and just after the hour mark, Murphy pushed away a Gomis twenty five yarder. Then Chris Hussey hit a long ranger which half crossed the line before Myhill dealt with it. None of the City players appealed and although there were shouts of goal from the City fans, Mr Bates or his assistant were in any position to be able to tell if the whole of the ball had crossed the line.
McSheffrey and Jutkiewicz, had efforts on goal before Chris Houghton made a change and within three minutes of that substitution, Birmingham took a 71st minute lead when KEITH FAHEY fired past Murphy after a cross from the left by Gomis who for me was Birmingham's best player, had been headed by Adam Rooney onto the post.
As with the Leicester game, when City go a goal down, it looks to be game over and although Shaun Jeffers was thrown on in place of Roy O'Donovan as the City support called for SISU to get out of the club, for the third successive game, Coventry were a beaten side.
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