COVENTRY CITY 1-2 CARDIFF CITY
City: Burge, Willis, Pugh (Haynes 50), Webster, Fleck, McQuoid (Maddison 68), Swanson, O'Brien, Daniels (Miller 61) Clarke, Finch. Subs Allsop, Thomas, Phillips,Lawton.
Cardiff: Moore, John, Bo-Kyung, Eikram, Connolly, Gunnarsson, Ralls, Maynard, Theophiile, Burgstaller (Harris 65), Barnum-Bobb (Daehil 66). Subs Velikinja, Wilson, James, O'Sullivan, Owen.
HT CCFC 0-1 CCFC FT CCFC 1-2 CCFC ATT 1382
Goals Guido Burgstaller 4, Ryan Haynes OG 80. Shaun Miller 83
Referee S.Hooper
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Coventry City went out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City.
“Freeee Coventry City” as Jerry Dammers would have put it if he was asked to write a song about the plight of the Sky Blues. If you look at some of the words in Dammers' song 'Free Nelson Mandela', there are lines that dovetail with what has happened over the last few years to the Sky Blues.
"Thirty five years in captivity, are you so blind you cannot see" is one that strikes a cord or is that a chord!
Ok, the Sky Blues have not been in exile for thirty five years but another season of football at Sixfields, a ground so bad it was told by the Football League to improve its facilities is one that many supporters cannot or won't stomach.
The club has lost so many supporters after leaving the Ricoh Arena, that it needs to be back in Coventry asap, to prevent many more from saying enough is enough and if SISU, whose demands for 100% of the matchday income for games at the Ricoh Arena are a main stumbling block to the club's return, persist with more court action or their demands of every bit of matchday income, then they can be accused of being so blind that they cannot see.
So with the Sky Blues being no nearer a return to the Ricoh Arena, Coventry City, on the day of its 131st birthday, took on Cardiff City in a League Cup tie at Sixfields, amidst a protest organised by the Sky Blue Trust.
Being live on Sky and having the new East Stand not even built and North Stand closed, the gate was always going to be low as per most League Cup First Round ties and the amount of those who did go into in Sixfields, some 1384, as a Coventry City side managed by Steven Pressley, who is a prime target for Huddersfield Town as their next manager, was about the amount expected.
That side saw four changes with a debutant for Jack Finch, and starts for Billy Daniels, John Fleck in midfield and Lee Burge in goal.
Cardiff, whose fans were applauded for singing that they will always be blue in reference to the Bluebirds playing in all red due to the plain daft demands of Vincent Tan, were the first cheering as Guido Burgstaller was left unmarked on the left to score with less than four minutes gone.
As the 359 Cardiff fans sang "They Want To Go Home" in support of the Sky Blues, the Bluebirds had a shot go wide and two corners.
Jim O'Brien, my man of the match, showed some lovely touches before former Sky Blue Aron Gunnarson fed Eikram for a fourteenth minute shot and then another four minutes later.
After Josh McQuoid, was hacked down by Matt Connolly who was booked, Cardiff won a corner and Danny Swanson had been given a lecture by the coat wearing Steven Pressley, Lee Burge made a cracking save to deny Barnum -Bobb in the 25th minute.
McQuoid did fire a tame effort at Moore but City were always giving the ball away and it was Cardiff who had the majority of the possession.
In the 35th minute, the Cardiff support in another great display of supporter comradeship started "They Want To Go Home" which was joined in by the City support and the hundred or so on the Hill who also joined in "They will Always Be Blue"
Cardiff were straight on the attack at the second half in front of a crowd of 1,382 so five minutes, Pressley sent on Ryan Haynes for Danny Pugh.
In the 52nd minute, Jack Finch, who had a good debut, played in O'Briien who crossed for Jordan Clarke to head wide. Burge saved from Eikram before McQuiod fired wide in the 56th minute but two minutes later, Cardiff were up the other end, winning a corner.
In the 61st minute, Shaun Miller came on for Billy Daniels. The first City substitute Ryan Haynes produced the run of the game so far and put over a great cross for Clarke to head over.
Lee Burge played well dealing with what he had to do before both sides made changes. Ole Guunar Solskjaer sent on two players with Cov kid and another Academy product in James Maddison taking to the pitch in place of McQuoid.
Nicky Maynard had a shot beaten away by Burge. City went up the other end and Danny Swanson under pressure, pulled his 74th minute shot wide.
In the 78th minute, Miller blasted over with the goal at his mercy. But Cardiff went up the other end again and Kadeem Harris dived in to meet a cross but Ryan Haynes got the final touch and the Sky Blues were now two goals down.
However, the goals were not over and in the 83rd minute, a Haynes ball was met by Shaun Miller who scored beating Moore on this left hand side.
The Sky Blue Song rang out from those on the hill and captain Andy Webster went close in stoppage time but Coventry City’s time in the League Cup was over for another season..