City Sunk By Swansea Sub

Swansea

De Vries, Williams, Taylor, Rangel, Tate, Gower, Pratley (Dobbie 71), Dyer (Agustien 90+4), Beattie (Moore 71), Sinclair, Britton. SNU Richards, Van der Gun, Allen, Mc-Kalamby

HT CCFC 0-0 SCFC FT CCFC 0-1 SCFC ATT 13,418
Goal Stephen Dobbie (76) 

Referee Keith Stroud Booked Stephen O’Halloran

Man Of The Match David Bell took the votes
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Sometimes the better team does not always win the match and Coventry City’s 1-0 defeat to Swansea City at the Ricoh Arena tonight was a prime example of this.

City skipper Lee Carsley, who won’t be ready for another two weeks had called for his team mates to go on a run of form following the 2-1 win over Palace a fortnight ago and despite the bookies writing off City’s chances, there was hope that we could get something from the game on a clear evening at the Ricoh Arena or the home to 15,000 highly charged often drunk men in a confined space, according to one tweet from a CT journalist today in response to the club calling for the vile Marlon King chants to cease.

King, who was been attracting interest in his services for next season according to rumours, was named in the starting line up which saw David Bell back in the team by Aidy Boothroyd who could also be out of the club next season if new owners are found by the back-tracking Leonard Brody and his SISU cohorts, if even more rumours have any credence.

For the final home midweek match of the season, City attacking the Jewson Stand, were the better side for the first half. Although they did rely on Nathan Cameron, who had another solid game, early on to hoof the ball forwards, the likes of David Bell were instrumental in getting City on the attack.

After Stephen O’Halloran had been booked by the normally card happy referee Mr Stroud, who had been intimidated earlier this season at the Ricoh Arena by Leeds players, Cameron, O’Halloran and Wood made some good defensive tackles and blocks.

Lukas Jutkiewicz was playing up front and he looked City’s best hope of a goal in the opening thirty minute having one shot wide before firing at De Vries.

Now Swansea under their last few managers have been a good footballing team but lowered their normally high standards by resorting to plan cheating when Darren Pratley went down a yard in front Keiren Westwood. The CT Standers, which included a number of Japanese tourists, clamoured for the referee to take some action but Pratley got off scot free despite the City supporters in a crowd of 13,418 and some of the players protests.

Marlon King, who at times resembled Clinton Morrison in the amount of arm waving he was doing when a decision did not go City’s way or he did not get the pass he wanted, making a cracking turn in the 27^th minute to lose his marker inside the area before firing over.

This led to a corner. In came Richard Wood and it looked a goal but De Vries got to it to concede another corner which eventually, Aron Gunnarsson who worked hard in the centre of midfield along side Martin Cranie, fired wide from.

In the 38^th minute, David Bell let rip with a 25-yard screamer, which De Vries somehow tipped over the bar and again Gunnarsson was just over from the resulting corner.

Now Craig Beattie might not be eligible for the 2012 Olympics football team but he certainly has a chance of joining Tom Daley with a blatant (and pointless as it was ignored by the referee) 42^nd minute dive.

Just before the break, Beattie followed that up with another dive, which included a bit of hand beating on the pitch for good measure.

As the second half restarted, it was the City supporters who were screaming for a penalty when De Vries tugged the shirt of Carl Baker as a David Bell cross from the right came in. The quite rightly livid Baker also tried a bit of thumping the ground but yet again Mr Stroud was not interested.

The City supporters who by now were starting to find their voices, let the referee know what they thought of him for this decision and a drop ball, a few seconds later.

In the 58^th minute, there was a huge ironic cheer from the City fans when Mr Stroud gave City a free kick. Marlon King curled it round the wall but De Vries was able to get to his right to save.

Jutkiewicz, who was working hard for the Sky Blue cause had two efforts either side of a 61^st minute shout for a penalty when the ball struck the hand of James Beattie following a free kick.

Brendan Rogers, who like Aidy Boothroyd is a former Watford manager, made a double change in the 71^st minute and one of his substitutes Stephen Dobbie had only been on the pitch for a minute when he was involved in a move which saw him hit the post and then the other substitute Luke Moore twice hit the bar.

Then in the 76^th minute, Swansea struck. A ball came into the area and fell for the more or less unmarked STEPHEN DOBBIE to hook past Westwood and into the net, before running over to celebrate with the 1200 visiting supporters, who were going mental in the away end.

Gary McSheffrey was sent on for Carl Baker, but Swansea shut up shop. Although a stoppage time corner for which Keiren Westwood came up for, caused a bit of excitement, Swansea had made City pay for not taking their chances.