COVENTRY CITY 1-2 BURNLEY BY KEV MONKS
Team
Konstantopolous,De Zeeuw,Ward,Davis (S.Hughes 81),Osbourne,Doyle,Tabb (Simpson 86),Gray (Adebola 68),M.Hughes,Mifsud,Kyle (sent off 55) SNU Borrowdale,Thornton
Burnley
Jensen,Alexander,Harley,O'Connor (Mahon 58),Gudjonsson (Spicer 74),Akinbiyi (Jones 80),Elliott,McCann,Blake,Varga,Unsworth SNU Kiraly,Jordan
HT CCFC 0-0 BFC FT CCFC 1-2 BFC
Goals Ade Akinbiyi (10), Michael Doyle (25), Robbie Blake (67)
ATT 17,347
Ref Eddie Ilderton Booked Alexander,Blake,Kyle X2,Harley,Varga,Ward, De Zeeuw
Sent Off Kyle 55
Man Of The Match Michael Hughes took the votes from Liam Davis and Michael Doyle
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Starting Formation
Iain Dowie changed the team which had lost to Leicester,making five changes. One change included Leon Best who has handed in a transfer request and deemed not to be in the right frame of mind and another was Ben Turner who picked up a hamstring injury in training and could be out for six to eight weeks.
MIFSUD KYLE
GRAY DOYLE M.HUGHES TABB
DAVIS WARD DE ZEEUW OSBOURNE
KONSTANTOPOLOUS
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CITY SUPPORT
If you believe the attendance figure given out of 17,347 including 1100 visitors from Turf Moor then this was a reasonable turn out especially after the disaster that was Leicester City. However, it did not look like that many in the ground and no-one I spoke to afterwards thought the actual people in the stadium was near the 17,000 mark.
Supporters from Wales,Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland all made the pilgrimage.
Steve Staunton, David Cross and Terry Gibson were amongst the former players in attendance.
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"Disgraceful" was on the politer words used by the frustrated City supporters who trooped out of the Arena after being let down by a Sky Blues side which ended up beaten 2-1 at home by Burnley.
With Leon Best dropped and Ben Turner injured, Iain Dowie rang the changes in an attempt to get City's dreadful home form back on track on a wet afternoon.
City might have taken the lead in the third minute when Michael Mifsud used his pace to clear the home defence and fire a shot which Brian Jensen beat away. Michael Hughes came in to follow up and his shot was deflected for a corner.
Burnley fielded Canley kid Graham Alexander. The Scot was cautioned in the eighth minute but two minutes later was on the right side to deliver a telling ball for Ade Akinbiyi. The former Sheffield United striker was left alone by the City defence and drilled the ball past Konstantopolous for the opening goal of the game.
It was not the start we needed and some of the City support opted for abusing players rather than trying to encourage them to get a goal and get back in the match.
Jensen again denied Mifsud but in the 25th minute, the City support were on their feet when Michael Doyle scored. The captain had been involved in the initial shot which Jensen got to. Michael Hughes tried his luck, only for Jensen to block again. Kevin Kyle stabbed at the ball, Jensen parried again but this time, there was Michael Doyle to bang the ball with his left into the net from closeish range.
At times, it looked like City's defence didn't know who they were supposed to be picking up. Arjan De Zeeuw was again slow and had to be covered by Ward and Osbourne, whilst Liam Davis,who played at left back after playing there twice in recent reserve games made the odd good tackle and was always looking to go forward.
One example of this came in the 30th minute when Wade Elliott was allowed to skip through as De Zeeuw stood and watched him. Thankfully, Elliott's shot was straight at the City keeper otherwise, the Sky Blues would have been another goal down.
Just before the break,Robbie Blake was cautioned for time wasting and Kevin Kyle incurred the wrath of some sections of the SBA when he was booked for shoving Alexander.
City started the second period slightly better but in the 55th minute, found themsleves down to ten men when Kevin Kyle saw yellow then red for a needles challenge on Alexander. It was not just the Burnley support who were shouting off and a number of City supporters around me were clearly heard demanding that this time Kyle went.
Down to ten men, City actually looked better. Michael Hughes and Doyle held the midfield ground and pushed forward, even firing just over in the 57th minute and helping to set up Liam Davis for a long range effort two minutes later.
In the 64th minute, the boos from the City support rang out. This time, it was for a penalty that was not given after Michael Mifsud was upended by David Unsworth. Speaking to City supporters after the game, those in the stands used by City fans were all adamant that a penalty was what Mr Ilderton should have awarded.
More boos followed when a free kick was wasted after a bad foul by Jon Harley and even more came in the 67th minute when Burnley went back in front for the second time in the match.
It was a good move on the break from the visitors. Michael Doyle lost the ball, Akinbiyi made the most of it and went forward. He played the ball inside and it was knocked on to Robbie Blake who swept the ball into the net from eight yards.
The away fans celebrated as a few in the Jewson Stand tried to get over to them but were blocked by the stewards. It was the Burnley support who gave a good reception to former Claret Dele Adebola when he replaced Julian Gray shortly after the goal.
The striker who could be offered a new contract did won a corner before another possible new contract contendee in Stephen Hughes replaced Davis.
Like Adebola, Hughes won a corner and Michael Mifsud had a shot on the turn go wide but that was it from the Sky Blues and another unacceptable defeat sees them down to 19th in the table.