COVENTRY CITY 0-1 AET HARTLEPOOL UNITED BY KEV MONKS
Date 12/08/09 At The Ricoh Arena. Carling Cup 1st Round
Team
Konstantopolous, Wright (Wilson 106), Turner, Grandison, Clarke (Cameron 104), Cain, Osbourne, Walker, McIndoe (Morrison 76), Eastwood, Jeffers SNU Quirke, Blackwell, Grogan.
Hartlepool
Flinders, Haslam, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, Jones, Fredriksen (Larkin 64), Sweeney, Monkhouse, McSweeney (Brown 62), Behan (Boyd 75)
HT CCFC 0-0 HUFC FT CCFC 0-0 HUFC ET1 CCFC 0-1 HTFC ET2 CCFC 0-1 HTDC ATT 6.055
Referee M.Haywood Booked Wright, Monkhouse
Goal Adam Boyd (105)
Man Of The Match. Isaac Osbourne, Jermaine Grandison, Ashley Cain, Jordan Clarke and Adam Walker all had nominatons.
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Coventry City are out of the League Cup at the first attempt after a 1-0 extra time defeat to Hartlepool United.
Going into the game, it looked like Chris Coleman had his excuses written early. Injuries and international matches may have meant that many of the battlers from Sunday's win over Ipswich Town were missing. But with the FIFA & UEFA blaming Football League insisting all matches in the first round of this competition were played, there was little that Coleman or anyone else could about it.
This left City having to field a team which would pretty much resemble a reserve team if we had one, against a full strength Hartlepool outfit who had drawn 0-0 at MK Dons on Saturday.
One time Hartlepool keeper and a man who said he would return to Victoria Park if the chance arose - Dimi Konstantopolous was in goal as part of seven changes from the team which had beaten Ipswich. Jermaine Grandison and Jordan Clarke started in defence, with Adam Walker and Ashley Cain slotting into midfield. Shaun (spelt this way not Sean) Jeffers and Freddie Eastwood started up front.
City could not even make the full requirement of seven substitutes and Clinton Morrison sat on the bench with five of City's U18 players.
With England live on terrestrial television and some City supporters in Amsterdam, plus the chance to see how Kieren Westwood and Sammy Clingan were getting on, via Sky Sports, the crowd for this game was not going to be massive.
6,055 (the lowest for a home League Cup tie since City moved to the Ricoh Arena) including 339 visitors made a good bit of noise as the match kicked off.
The Sky Blues attacking the visitors end, in the first half had most of the possession. Michael McIndoe, Freddie Eastwood with a flick header from a Cain and Adam Walker, denied by Flinders, all had chances in the opening fifteen minutes against decidedly uninterested Orange shirted opponents.
Unfortunately, City failed to create much before the break, despite the best efforts of the young players and the second half saw the City support finding their voices to try and lift the team.
Five minutes in and the visitors had the ball in the net after Dimi had made a good save. The flag had long gone before Denis Behan put the ball in the net.
Freddie Eastwood needs to start showing he knows where the net is. Tonight, would have been the perfect setting for a few goals to boost his confidence but his header from a Wright cross in the 56th minute went well.
Chris Turner sent on James Brown to try and make his side feel good before a move involving Walker, Eastwood and Ashley Cain saw the winger fire straight at Flinders in the 71st minute.
Adam Boyd replaced Denis Behan who had got nothing out of Jermaine Grandison all evening and in the 76th minute, the ineffective Michael McIndoe was replaced by Clinton Morrison.
The top scorer from last season may have been the hero on Sunday but tonight was not his night and he got in the way of shots more than he actually had on goal.
To be fair, the likes of Jeffers, Eastwood and Morrison were relying on scraps against a side that showed they could defend and break up the play in midfield.
Antony Sweeney wasted one good effort in the 88th minute and in stoppage time, sent a volley well over. Then Morrison had a great chance inside the area but he tried to give himself a massive turning circle and fired high over the CT Stand goal crossbar.
Extra time it was. A stunning drive from James Brown skidded past the post and saw Dimi bang his backside on the right hand post in an attempt to block the ball.
City went up the other end and won three corners. In the 104th minute, Jordan Clarke pulled up with cramp. He got himself off the field of play and was substituted by Nathan Cameron.
With news coming through that the winners would meet Burnley at home in the next round, the Monkey Hangers attacked. The ball came over to Adam Boyd on the left hand side of the area after being let in by Stephen Wright. He hit a shot first time with not much power and it looked like the keepers ball. But no! Somehow Dimi
Konstantopolous allowed the ball to get past his body and into the net.
From my angle, it looked a very soft goal - one that Kieren Westwood or many other keepers would have saved and one he certainly should have stopped.
Wright was replaced at the break by Callum Wilson and with the City supporters urging them on, the Sky Blues babes pushed forward.
Ashley Cain was not far wide with a drive from the edge of the area and in the 115th minute, a stunning save by Flinders who pushed the ball over the bar stopped a 25 yard pile driver from Adam Walker hitting the back of the net.
Jeffers blasted over from twelve yards as did Ben Turner in the dying seconds but it was not enough to prevent Coventry City from exiting this competition.