CHESTERFIELD FC 2-3 COVENTRY CITY FC
City: Burge, Willis, Pennington, Martin, Stokes, Fleck, Ward, Barton, Tudgay, Nouble (Jackson 91), Samuel (Odelusi 58) Subs: Charles-Cook, Webster, Thomas, Turgott, Finch.
Chesterfield: Lee, Evatt (Dieseruvwe 84) Ryan, Banks (Ariyibi 70), Hird, Darikwa, Jones (Humphreys 46), O'Shea, Clucas, Roberts, Lavery. Sub: Chapman, Carter, Raglan, Onowigin.
HT CFC 1-1 CCFC
FT CFC 2-3 CCFC
ATT 7,205
Goals Marcus Tudgay 8, Jay O'Shea 42, Samni Odelusi 64, Frank Nouble 75, Aribiyi 85
Referee D.Whitestone
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Coventry City got their first win for Tony Mowbray with a superb 3-2 victory in their first ever league visit to the Proact Stadium in Chesterfield.
At the end of a week which had seen another new loanee in Grant Ward, a midfielder\defender come in after Luke Williams had been recalled by Middlesbrough, the Sky Blue Army set off up the M1 or by train to the Proact Stadium for Coventry City's first ever league visit.
It was a great turn out with 1,164 City fans making the trip with plenty of support from London, the south as well as our northern support and those who travelled from Coventry & Warwickshire.
City with three changes from the team that drew with Bradford City, had Jordan Willis back in defence, with latest loanee Grant Ward in midfield and Dominic Samuel up front.
Chesterfield managed by Paul Cook had the better of the early exchanges against a City side in white shirts and socks and sky blue shorts.
With Leyton Orient two goals up, City had slipped in the bottom four. However, in the eighth minute, Jordan Willis got in a cross and there was Marcus Tudgay to rise and send a looping header into the net and give City a lead and take them out of the bottom four.
Chesterfield had two attacks before Nouble fired wide in the 17th minute.
Two minutes later and Stokes made a good block to concede a corner. Two more corners for the Spirites followed as well as a shot which Burge dealt with confidently.
Just before the half hour mark and City had three corners and from a free kick, Chesterfield had a corner which Burge caught on his line following a header from Cov kid Ian Evatt.
Willis got in a great block to concede a corner as Roberts shot. That was cleared but in the 42nd minute, Jay O'Shea got the ball on the edge of the area and drove in a shot. It took a deflection and crept past Burge on his left hand side and into the net.
City had been hanging on a bit at the end of the first half but for the second half, the Sky Blues attacked the end where the City fans were for the second half and three minutes in, Nouble was down that end winning a corner as the sun came out on a cold afternoon.
Chesterfield should have increased their lead with a 51st minute cross which ended up as a corner thanks to a great save from Burge.
The City support kept singing as the City players worked hard but achieved very little. Things clearly needed changing so Tony Mowbray sent on Samni Odelusi for the last 32 minutes and within six minutes, it had worked when Barton on the right found Ward who drove the ball in for Samni Odelusi to score from close range.
Chesterfield won a 69th minute corner before Odelusi had a shot blocked and Stokes came in to fire at the keeper.
Burge made a good save with sixteen minutes left. City got the ball up to Frank Nouble who calmly took on Lee and stroked the ball past him into the empty net before celebrating with the City support.
Some jubilant City supporters tried to get on the pitch but were stopped by the stewards with one ejection.
Every pass was being cheered for a City team which conceded three corners in the last ten minutes.
With five minutes left, Aribiyi was allowed to get down the left and pull a goal back with a low finish to set up a grandstand finish.
Barton had a goal ruled out for offside before Jackson came on for Nouble who went off to a great reception.
Chesterfield had a late spell of pressure but thankfully, City were able to hold on and take a much needed win much to the delight of the City support who cheered the team off.