STEVENAGE FC 0-1 COVENTRY CITY
City: Murphy (GK), Christie (Garner 87), Webster, J. Clarke, Adams, Thomas, Fleck, Moussa, Barton (Willis 76), L. Clarke, Wilson. Subs: Burge (GK), Rankin, Maddison, Manset, Haynes.
Stevenage: Day (GK), Ashton, Dunne, Freeman, Tansey (Morais 55), Smith, Tounkara (Akins 68), Doughty, Hartley, Shroot (Lopez 58), Deacon. Subs: Arnold (GK), Wedgbury, Jones, Andrade.
HT SFC 0-1 CCFC FT SFC 0-1 CCFC ATT 3,325
Goals Leon Clarke 32
Referee G.Scott Booked Tansey, Deacon, Thomas
Man Of The Match - Jordan Clarke
------------------------------
Coventry City had to work hard but won 1-0 at Stevenage.
A good turn out of 1168 City supporters, although not a sell out, were in this Hertfordshire town to see Steven Pressley name the same side, which had lost to Brentford. On the bench for this trip to a town the other side of Luton, was youngster James Maddison who, had been given a squad number following his good showing for City U18's with a midweek hat-trick adding to his good performances this season.
City, in their yellow away kit on a pitch, which was in excellent condition, attacked the home terrace nearest the main road for the first half on a cloudy afternoon that threatened but did not deliver rain.
Graham Westley's side were the first to show with an Ashton header going over in the second minute. City countered through John Fleck who drilled wide from the edge of the area and then Moussa fired wide.
Stevenage won a eighth minute corner which Andy Webster and Conor Thomas combined to clear.
With Greg Tansey booked for time-wasting over taking too long at a free kick. City pressed in the 12th minute and Callum Wilson blazed over after getting into a good position on the left hand side of the area.
Now, the City support had been saddened by the loss of one of our number due to leukaemia on Thursday and there was an excellent minute's applause by the City fans in the 15th minute, and to their credit some Stevenage fans in the side terrace, to mark the loss of City fan Ross Emslie.
The noise of the City support lifted the team and Barton had a shot blocked for a corner and then another flew in from Thomas which former City trialist Chris Day did very well to get a hand to and push away.
Boro won a corner and Freeman and Dunne fired wide before a great move in the 28th minute saw Leon Clarke and Adam Barton combine to give Clarke a shot from which he fired over
The chances continued with Moussa jinking his way in for a shot on the half hour mark and Leon Clarke firing wide but in the 32nd minute, the striker made no mistake with a great strike after picking up on a Shroot back pass to put City a goal up.
Day made a great save to push over a Moussa drive two minutes later against a Stevenage side which looked dangerous going forward but did not really threaten the City goal.
Cyrus Christie got City, whose manager had ditched his suit for a red t-shirt and black shorts, going with a shot which went not far wide as the second half recommenced.
Then in the 51st minute, referee Mr Scott incurred the deserved wrath of the City support when he gave nothing after Callum Wilson was hacked down by Jon Ashton after using his speed to get inside the area.
This was a hard working performance from City with some excellent work in midfield from Fleck, Moussa and Thomas, supported by Christie, Barton and Adams, fine games at the back from Jordan Clarke and Andy Webster whilst Leon Clarke and Callum Wilson looked for what scraps there were against a Stevenage side now set up not to concede.
In the 66th minute, good work from Wilson played in Adams, whose cross was teed up by Wilson for Leon Clarke to volley over.
With the floodlights on, Westley used all of his three substitutes and in the 76th minute, Jordan Willis came on for Adam Barton who left to good applause from the City fans who were enjoying some banter with the Stevenage keeper.
At the other end, Joe Murphy used his legs to perfection to clear to thwart Ashton following a free kick for the home side who had a spell of pressure around the 80th minute mark.
Christie had taken a knock to his ankle and was replaced by Louis Garner, who made his league debut for the last couple of minutes of normal time and the six were added on.
This had not been the greatest of City performances but it was more than enough to merit a very welcome and deserved victory and one which takes City’s run of away wins in the South in the first week of October to eight, a run stretching back to 1965/66.