Coventry City Lose For The First Time At StadiumMK

Last updated : 18 March 2017 By CNS Sport
MK DONS 1-0 COVENTRY CITY
 
City: Burge (GK), Willis (C) (Dion Kelly-Evans 60), Rawson, Clarke, Stokes, (Haynes 73), Stevenson, Reilly, George Thomas, Lameiras, Jones, Tudgay (Vernam 43).  Subs: Charles-Cook (GK), Turnbull,  Bigirimana, Reid.
 
MK Dons: Martin, Baldock (Downing 83), Lewington. Walsh, Upson, O’Keefe, Reeves. Williams, Agard (Ngombo 70), Muirhead (Potter 76), Barnes. Subs: Nicholls, Bowditch, Brittain, Tilney.
 
FT  MKD 0-0 CCFC    FT MKD 1-0 CCFC    ATT 9,060 Goals Stuart O’Keefe 51
 
Coventry City lost for the first time at StadiumMK, going down to a 1-0 defeat at MK Dons.
 
A trip to Milton Keynes Dons is normally an invasion for the Sky Blue Army but with the way things are, numbers were massively down from the 5000+ City are used to taking to StadiumMK.
 
This gave MK Dons a chance to treat the City support like crap and put them well away from the pitch up in the gods of an excellent stadium with way more police and stewards on duty that were actually required. Ok I understand what happened at Northampton and against Sheffield United but to tar every City supporter with the same brush is asking for trouble and too often we have seen situations over the years whereby football supporters treated like animals have responded accordingly.

To be fair being that high up was not a bad view if you like an elevated view of the ground but seating the away fans as away as possible did nothing for the atmosphere and as the City players warmed up they were clearly straining their necks trying to pick out friends, family and City supporter.

Mark Robins again changed the team with George Thomas, Ruben Lameiras and Jodi Jones all starting along with fit again Jordan Willis on a wet afternoon.

There might not have been the numbers but the City support including one on a stag do wearing a Leicester top, were in fine voice as City attacked the far end for the first half,

MK Dons found it easy to pass the ball round early on and had their first shot in the 17th minute by George Williams against a City side which lacked movement and the ability to pass or retain possession.

Yet again, it was a case of waiting for the opposition to score in a first half performance that was better than those in the second half against Bradford City and the whole of the Southend game on Tuesday night but not by much.

Lacking a leader and anyone who could put their foot on the ball, it was always the home side who were the bigger threat.  MK Dons had a minute corner and had O’Keefe fire at Burge after Nathan Clarke and George Thomas both needed treatment.

Joe Walsh got booked, Jones fired a tame effort at Martin before the Dons had a 37th minute corner and another two minutes later which saw Burge save from Walsh.

Marcus Tudgay had been completely ineffective but he was fouled and treated and then went down again, leaving Mark Robins no choice but to send on Charles Varnam.

The Dons had another two  corners as the game went into four minutes of time added on. In that time, Jodi Jones had a shot pushed into the side netting for a corner by Martin . That was cleared and George Thomas put the ball into the net long after the whistle had gone.

The bored rigid City support cheered but it was goal-less at the break.

MK Dons started the second half on the attack with two corners. The second of which fell to Stuart O’Keefe who blasted high into the net in the 51st minute.

The “League 2 Tour chants and the abuse of the City fan in a Leicester shirt continued from the disgruntle City support who were also asking when City would score a goal, something they had not done since Mark Robins was appointed.

With the home side now having shut up shop for the day, Dion Kelly-Evans came on after an hour for Jordan Willis and six minutes later ” We’ve Had A Shot” was the chant as Callum Reilly drove at Martin from the edge of the area.

Ryan Haynes came on for Stokes for a City side who were only a goal down but playing like they were five or six down and put in a cross which won a 74th corner.

Reilly drove over from 25 yards and Haynes crossed and Jones had his 77th minute shot pushed round for a corner.

Like everything else this came to nothing and MK Dons got back on with their time wasting before this dreadful football match between a poor side and one very bad side in the Sky Blues ended with yet another defeat and City taking another step toward League Two football.