COVENTRY CITY 0-2 PRESTON NORTH END
City: Allsop, Willis, Webster (Miller 73), Fleck, Swanson (Coulibaly 63), O'Brien, Jackson (McQuoid 63) Tudgay, Clarke, Hines, Haynes. Subs: Burge, Pugh, Miller, Phillips, Finch.
Preston: Jones, Wiseman (Woods 84), Clarke, Wright, Humphrey (Reid 71) Kilkenny, Gallagher (Robinson 75) , Garner, Buchanan, Brownhill, Browne, Subs: Stuckmann, Laird, Wood, King, Hayhurst
HT CCFC 0-0 PNE FT CCFC 0-2 PNE ATT 10,006
Goals Tom Clarke 61, Joe Garner 65 pen
Referee - T.Robinson
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A poor Coventry City side went down to a 2-0 home defeat to Preston North End.
Back at the Ricoh after two winless games on the road and amid a furore about a consortium from London Wasps trying to buy a 90% share in the Ricoh Arena, Coventry City took on Preston North End.
With City supporters from as far away as Italy, Republic Of Ireland and Northern Ireland including my best mate whose daughter Molly was the mascot with her younger brother Harry taking a keen interest, the Sky Blues took to the field with a side that was without Frank Nouble and Conor Thomas and had Ryan Haynes back in for Danny Pugh.
The crowd might not have massive in numbers but there was plenty of noise as the teams entered the pitch.
Preston in a yellow kit, could have had a penalty in the fifth minute when Scott Wiseman went down.
Simon Grayson's side won a corner two minutes later before Danny Swanson was booked for a foul, which set the tone for the afternoon from Mr Robinson, who was happy to brandish cards at any opportunity but not deal with those who regularly clocked up fouls.
Ryan Allsop took some stick from some of the City fans for punching a cross which he should have caught and then got an ironic cheer from some in the North Stand when he got down to another cross.
Dressed in his usual mac, Steven Pressley paced around his technical area as Bailey Wright planted a header from a free kick onto the bar.
City defence was called upon to make two good tackles in the 22nd minute as the Preston fans appealed for a penalty after Joe Garner went down.
City had been concentrating on their attack in training but it was the Lillywhites who had been doing most of it before Tudgay sent a header wide just before the half hour mark.
On a pitch which was a lot better than for City's last two games at the Ricoh Arena, Preston continued to work the right flank, only being stopped by some more good blocking.
To be honest, this was pretty turgid stuff and the half-time whistle came as a relief.
City looked more positive at the start of the second half with a surging run by Ryan Haynes down the left, providing Jackson with a shot that was blocked.
Preston, who had Chris Humphrey playing some neat football but could proving he struggled with crossing, should have opened the scoring in the 58th minute when Andy Webster was rounded and Ryan Haynes dived into clear ahead of Humphey.
Haynes was booked for a foul which gave Preston a free kick on the right. The free kick from Gallagher came over and fell for Tom Clarke to bundle in and give Preston a 62nd minute lead.
Steve Pressley looked furious and immediately sent on Mo Coulibaly and Josh McQuoid but in the 65th minute, the boos rang out from sections of the City support as Preston doubled their advantage when Joe Garner was fouled and then got up to slot the ball past Allsop who dived the right way before celebrating with 783 Preston fans.
Shaun Miller became Pressley's third substitute when he came on in the 73rd minute before Hines and Coulibaly joined the list of bookings.
Haynes put in a cross and Allsop saved a corner before Wiseman was booked and then quickly replaced by the emotionless Simon Grayson.
There was two minutes remaining when City won a corner which Tudgay sent wide and that was enough to start the City support heading for home, unhappy with another defeat.