COVENTRY CITY 1-1 CRYSTAL PALACE BY KEV MONKS

Date 21/11/09 At The Ricoh Arena     Championship

Coventry

Westwood, Wright, Barnett, Wood, Van Aanholt, Bell, Cork, Gunnarsson, McIndoe, Best, Morrison (Madine 93) SNU Cain, McPake, Konstantopolous, Grandison, Cranie, Eastwood


Palace

Speroni, Butterfield, Fonte, Davis, Hill, Danns (N'Daiye 89), Derry, Ambrose, Lee (Andrew 69), Sears (John 69), Erti SNU McCarthy, Moses, Clyne, Carle


HT CCFC 0-1 CPFC FT CCFC 1-1 CPFC ATT 18,499

Goals Darren Ambrose (27) , Leon Best (47)

Referee J.Singh Booked Fonte, Lee, Davis, Best, Wright

Man Of The Match Nominations for McIndoe, Best and Bell

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Crystal Palace's run of victories at the Ricoh Arena ended when Coventry City came back to earn a 1-1 draw.

Against one of his former sides, City boss Chris Coleman had demanded nothing short of a victory and on a wet afternoon in front of a crowd, only boosted by masses of free school tickets at the Ricoh Arena, he gave a debut to his latest loanee Richard Wood.

Also back were fit again Keiren Westwood and David Bell whilst James McPake got a place on the bench.

Against a Palace side in their Barcelona-esque kit and one with Stern John on the bench, City attacked the Jewson Stand in the first half.

With forty five seconds gone, a fumble by Speroni set up a City corner and six minutes later the visitors tested the Sky Blues defence with a 25 yard drive from Derry followed by a free kick by Ambrose.

When City did attack, again they looked better doing so on via the flanks and on the deck, rather than playing the aerial ball in windy conditions, which did not work early on.  

In the 20th minute, Westwood made a great save, diving to his right to deny Danns before Gunnarsson and then the Republic Of Ireland international, a yard off the line scrambled the ball away. 

In a half littered with free kicks, Crystal Palace delighted their support including one rather mouthy individual who had been shouting the odds outside the ground before kick off in an attempt to impress his girlfriend, when they took a 27th minute lead.  

Palace got the ball on the right through Freddie Sears following a good move. The loanee from West Ham sent a direct ball to the far post where the lurking Darren Ambrose tapped in. 

Just before the break, Bell won a corner which Gunnarson went over with but it was no surprise that City were booed off. 

However, within 85 seconds of the second half, City had levelled thanks to a superb cross from McIndoe on the left for Leon Best who rose to powerfully head home from six yards. 

The game sprang to life. Speroni dropped a Bell free kick, Clinton Morrison, whose love of Palace yesterday in a statement could be seen as a come and get me plea, charged in as did Richard Wood, but it was cleared away. 

As the rain poured down, the lively David Bell in a City team playing far more positively and purposefully, fired wide. 

Palace boss 'Colin' Warnock went for a double change with twenty minutes left, bringing on Stern John who got an indifferent reaction. 

Leon Best made some great runs during the match and on the hour mark, he was sandwiched by Darren Ambrose and Fonte to set up a free kick that produced two corners. 

Westwood was in the right position to catch a few headers before the Sky Blues won a 79th minute corner. 

The home fans gasped as Morrison's effort was deflected for a corner and the noise from the City support continued.  

Morrison had a brief contratonte with Neil Warnock before Westwood made a double save and City took a deserved point from the game.