HINCKLEY UNITED 0-8 COVENTRY CITY
SAT JULY 14 At Greene King Stadium
City: Dunn, Clarke, Hussey, Malaga, Edjenguele, Daniels, Henderson, Baker, McSheffrey, O'Donovan, Garner.
City Second Half: Burge, Wood, Phillips, Pegg, Klibane, Willis, Thomas, Elliott (Garner 72, Flieck, Jeffers, Roberts.
Hinckley: Furlong, Lane (Hollis 68), Dudley, Bragoli, Towers, Richards-Everton, Wilkin, Blankley,Bradley, Giertl, Shilton. Subs Lister, Luke, Lee Hildreth, Shaw, Downes, Headley, Browqn, Hollis, Abdul, Peet.
HT HTFC 0-3 CCFC FT HTFC 0-8 CCFC ATT 1872
Referee Martin Dexter Assts Michael Scriven, Matt Law.
Booked None
Goals: Gary McSheffrey (3), Lewis Garner (31), Roy O'Donovan (35), Will Roberts 57,63, Jordan Willis 65 , Arron Phillips 81, Shaun Jeffers 85
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CITY SUPPORT: An excellent turn out of City supporters.
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CITY TEAM NEWS: No sign of Richard Keogh or Cody McDonald. David Bell was sat in the stand.
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WEATHER
A cloudy day. Threatened to rain but held off until after the game.
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After a close season as miserable as the weather, Coventry City got their season off to a great start with an 8-0 victory over Hinckley United.
On a cloudy afternoon at the Greene King Stadium in front of a bumper crowd who had snapped up all the programmes twenty minutes before kick off, City took the lead in the third minute when Gary McSheffrey raced through and slipped the ball past Scott Furlong from six yards into the bottom corner.
Hinckley, who fielded former Sky Blue Sam Shilton and had Lee Hildreth on the bench, were split in the 11th minute when a Hussey through ball picked out Roy O'Donovan who fired wide with only the keeper to beat.
As the home fans in the Main Stand briefly attempted to make some noise from a variety of instruments including cow bells, which was making a change from the dulcet tones of City boss Andy Thorn who was booming out instructions to his players for all his worth, Baker sent a 19th minute ball over to Gary McSheffrey who slotted home, only for there to be a flag on the main stand side.
Hussey had a good run and shot in the 20th minute before youngster Joe Henderson who was playing in midfield, fired wide two minutes later.
The two French central defenders were not needed in the early exchanges and when they were, Edjenguele showed to be comfortable in the air and on the deck, whilst Malaga, who signed on a three year deal, knew how to pass the ball to a player wearing the same coloured shirt.
Chances continued to be created In the 25th minute, Lewis Garner, starting his second year as a City player, went close with a good run and shot and two minutes later, Roy O'Donovan rounded Furlong but Jack Lane got back and cleared. about a yard off the line to stop City going two goals up, which they deserved to be on the balance of play.
The second goal did arrive in the 32nd minute, courtesy of Lewis Garner, who raced onto a Baker through ball and beat Furlong to the delight of the City support and three minutes later, there was another goal when Garner played a ball to send Roy O'Donovan on his way and this time he made no mistake to put City three goals up.
City were in complete control and O'Donovan hitting the bar with a header from a Hussey cross just before the interval, summed up how much domination, the Sky Blues had in the first half.
The Sky Blues completely changed their team at the break as did the home side who retained their Conference North place due to Darlington's financial problems. Thorn and Richard Shaw sent on new boys Kevin Kilbane, John Fleck and Stephen Elliott, who was involved straight away crossing for Shaun Jeffers to head a 47th minute cross wide.
Will Roberts was another of the youngsters on display and the Welshman got to the edge of the area in the 57th minute and scored with a low shot in the bottom corner in front of a crowd of 1872.
It was five when Will Roberts headed home in the 63rd minute in a move involving Kilbane and Jeffers who delivered a great cross and two minutes later, Fleck won a corner, Jeffers had a shot parried away and Jordan Willis volleyed the loose ball home.
Lee Burge did drop one shot and had to scramble the ball off the line but this was comfortable stuff from the Sky Blues. The only down side of the afternoon was when Stephen Elliott who had a problem with his right shoulder, had to be replaced Lewis Garner.
Roberts fired wide, Jeffers fired over before Arron Phillips race down the left and beat Furlong for City's seventh in the 81st minute. Time continued to tick away and there were were four minutes left when Shaun Jeffers got on the scoring act when he drilled a low shot into the bottom corner for City's eighth goal and an excellent afternoon's work with plenty of promise shown from every City player who played.