City Lose To Last Minute Goal

Last updated : 19 July 2008 By Kev Monks in Nyon
STADE NYONNAIS 1-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS

Team Westwood, Wright, Fox (Turner 75), Dann, Ward (Hall 46), Gray (McKenzie 69), Beuzelin (Thornton 75), Gunnarsson, Tabb (Mifsud 69), Best (Morrison 62), Simpson (Eastwood 46). Sub Not Used; Ireland

HT SN 0-0 CCFC FT SN 1-0 CCFC
Goal Gary Prado (90)
Booked Best
Attendance: 106 (27 Cov)
Man Of The Match Take your pick from Westwood,Gunnarsson or Scott Dann
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GROUND
Across the road from the headquarters of UEFA. Le Centre Sportif de Colovray has one single tier main stand with hard standing behind both goals and a grassy banked terracing on the other side. The ground is about 1/2 a mile from Lac Leman and Nyon is 23km north of Geneva.





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CITY SUPPORT
The Martigny four increased to 27 for this game. Nineteen had travelled from England.
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Coventry City went down to a late defeat in Nyon in the last game of their Swiss tour.

Chris Coleman said that he was going to play his strongest side against Nyonnais who play their football in the Swiss equivalent of the Championship - The Challenge League.

Bar Freddie Eastwood who was replaced just before kick off by Robbie Simpson, it was a strong City team.



Unlike Wednesday's game,City got their challenges in first with Leon Best pole axing a centre half in the opening seconds.The home side started to threaten and Keiran Westwood did well to deny De Souza in the 15th minute.

Skippered by Scott Dann,City's back four in a 4-4-2 formation, were mainly organised but were prone to breaches when the home side attacked down the flanks.



One such move came in the 23rd minute and resulted in a De Souza bicycle kick,which flew in, being ruled out for offside.

After Leon Best had been cautioned,De Souza was denied again. This time, it was the City skipper who got back to clear his lines. In the 36th minute, the crowd witnessed the first attempt on goal by the Sky Blues. Jay Tabb,who had been used on the right wing, made a good tackle to play in Best.

The striker, then played a one-two with Simpson, but when he got into the area and with Julian Gray totally unmarked,he ballooned a shot so high over the bar that it went out of the ground.

Chris Coleman made two changes at the break bringing on Freddie Eastwood and Marcus Hall. The Welsh international received little service from his midfield who were all tracking back to help an under pressure defence.




Stephen Wright made a superb clearance in the 52nd minute from a corner and two minutes later,Westwood got down to a Mieville header. In the 62nd minute,Clinton Morrison came on as the City support burst into a chorus of the Sky Blue Song.Leon McKenzie also came on as did Michael Mifsud,Thornton and Ben Turner.

The former Norwich striker had City's only shot of the second half, dragging the ball wide across the goal in the 77th minute.The home side upped the tempo winning two corners and forcing Westwood to save in the 89th minute.

In to the final minute, the home side won a free kick on the left which, was banged into the mixer for Gary Pardo to head into the net and condemn Coventry City to defeat.