COVENTRY CITY 3-0 BARNSLEY BY KEV MONKS
Date 23/10/10 At THE Ricoh Arena
Team
Westwood, Keogh, Turner, R. Wood, Cranie, Clingan, Gunnarsson (Baker 74), McSheffrey (Clarke 83), Carsley, Platt, Jutkiewicz (O'Donovan 90+1)
SNU Ireland, M.Doyle, Cameron, McPake
Barnsley
Steele, Shackell, N.Doyle, Foster, Lovre (Neumann 70), Hammill, Trippier, Butterfield, Arismendi (O'Brien 46), Hill, C.Wood (Dickinson 57). SNU Preece, Colace, Potter, Gray
HT CCFC 1-0 BFC FT CCFC 3-0 BFC ATT 14,573
Goals Gary McSheffrey (9), Carl Baker (85), Jordan Clarke (90+1)
Referee Anthony Bates Booked Turner, Dickinson
Man Of The Match Gary McSheffrey took the votes
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Sammy Clingan in this morning's Coventry Telegraph posed the question as to why Coventry City had not beat a team three or four nil for a good while and this afternoon, he got his answer when Barnsley were given their tradition beating at the Ricoh Arena.
For Barnsley, things did not start well with their team coach being delayed by a crash on the M1, which meant that they did not get to the ground until around 45 minutes before kick off and within the opening ten minutes they were a goal down to an unchanged Sky Blues side with Marlon King not even on the bench.
The match which kicked off at 3.05pm in pouring rain after the sun had been replaced by black clouds saw City against a Barnsley side playing in a tribute to Fiorentina kit with white shirts and purple shorts.
Lukas Jutkiewicz fired the first shot of the match over the bar at the away stand end but after eight and a half minutes that stand saw the first goal of the afternoon when a cracking ball was knocked on by Platt to GARY MCSHEFFREY on the left who beat former Sky Blue Luke Steele in the Barnsley goal with a low drive to put Coventry a goal up.
"This should be a goal fest" we mused but the Barnsley defence and midfield especially the excellent Jacob Butterfield, stood firm. They put Clive Platt, who was not as much as an aerial threat as he was against Cardiff on Tuesday night, under just enough pressure to force him to head a well worked move that involved a McSheffrey cross before Butterfield got the ball inside the area and hit a shot which Keiren Westwod superbly dived to his left to push away for a corner.
Lee Carsley again took care of the messy stuff in midfield allowing Clingan and Gunnarsson to have more involvements in the attacks as City looked for a second goal.
That almost game in the 25th minute when a Westwood free kick eventually was played in for Platt inside the penalty area. However, Luke Steele pulled off a tremendous save and Barnsley got away with it.
City certainly had the better of the play in the opening forty five minutes with Clingan, Jutkiewicz, Turner all having chances and Richard Wood who commanded the defence well along with Turner and Cranie, a possible penalty before the crowd were introduced to members of the City teams plus guests that were involved in the 1970 Fairs Cup matches against Trakia Plovdiv and Bayern Munich the break.
There were "Sky Blue Army" chants from the back of the CT Stand which City attacked for the second half as the second period got underway.
Jutkiewicz, Platt and Richard Keogh who again found the space to make numerous raids on the visiting defence combined for an early corner and then another, which had to be headed a yard off the line by Chris Wood.
McSheffrey missed the far post with a 56th minute looping header and as the stewards in the away ends were keeping an eye on a group of Barnsley fans who were keeping themselves warm by jumping up and down amongst other things, Jutkiewicz fired wide yet again and Hammill being left unmarked to fire wide.
At this point, something was needed from the Sky Blues to spark some energy and vitality back into the side as Barnsley were looking more likely that they had some idea where the net actually was.
It wasn't until the 74th minute, that the City bench made their first change when Carl Baker came on for Aron Gunnarsson and nine minutes later, Gary McSheffrey who had switched to the right flank when Baker came on, was replaced by Jordan Clarke.
Some of the City supporters in a 14,573 crowd which included a long- standing reader of my match reports from Brisbane in Australia, were starting to head for the exits.
They must have wished they had stayed as with five minutes left, CARL BAKER got the ball and took it into the penalty area. With the Barnsley defence mere spectators, Baker composed himself before firing an unstoppable shot past Steele and then celebrating in front of the City support in Block 27.
The black glove wearing Liam Dickinson fired wide at the other end but as the game went into time added on by referee Mr Bates who had done well to last the whole game at the Ricoh Arena, Covsupport News Service's Young Player Of The Year for 2009/10 JORDAN CLARKE got the ball on the right of the area and thumped an absolutely cracking shot which flew into the net.
Clarke again raced off towards Block 27 to celebrate his first ever first team goal before being mobbed by his team-mates and celebrate a good three points for the Sky Blues and another day of misery in Coventry for Barnsley.