COVENTRY CITY 1-2 WEST HAM UNITED BY KEV MONKS
Team
Marshall,McNamee,De Zeeuw,Turner,Hall,Tabb, Doyle, Osbourne,Gray (Simpson 46),Mifsud,Best (Kyle 70) SNU Thornton,Cairo,Ward
West Ham
Wright, Neill,A.Ferdinand (Gabbidon 84) ,Upson,McCartney,Bowyer,Noble (Pantsil 61), Mullens (Spector 46),Etherington,Boa Morte,Cole SNU Green,Reid
HT CCFC 0-0 WHUFC FT CCFC 1-2 WHUFC
Att 23,968
Goals Jay Tabb (67), Marcus Hall OG (71), Carlton Cole (92)
Referee Rob Styles
Booked Osbourne,McCartney,Neill,Spector
Man Of The Match - This was an excellent team performance with Michael Mifsud just shading the votes.
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STARTING FORMATION
Iain Dowie made changes to the team which had beaten Colchester on Saturday. Jay Tabb returned with Kevin Kyle dropped to the bench. Again, Michael Mifsud started wide right.
Best
Gray Doyle Osbourne Tabb Mifsud
Hall Turner De Zeeuw McNamee
Marshall
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CITY SUPPORT
For a game that was live on television, this was an excellent turn-out of City supporters. 4,470 West Ham fans filled the away end and the only areas where there were noticeable spaces was the Corporate area and a segregation block between the Tescos and Jewson Stand. No way did it look that there was nine thousand spare seats that the attendance figure of 23,968 was announced.
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Battling Coventry City went down to a late controversial defeat at home to West Ham in the League Cup.
Having seen off Manchester United in a never to be forgotten game at Old Trafford, there was an air of expectancy especially when West Ham announced that Craig Bellamy was not going to make the trip.
There was enough police and stewards on duty as we made our way through packed traffic loaded streets to the Arena as it was, never mind the numbers they would have needed to have protected the foul mouthed dwarf if he had got onto the pitch.
The Premiership side who stay up last season at the expense of Sheffield United, only had one fit striker in Carlton Cole and also fielded former Binley Woods resident Matthew Upson and Lee Bowyer.
"Up and at em" was Iain Dowie's, a man well known to the visiting supporters, game plan and it worked well in the first half.
In what was a scintillating opening period by the Sky Blues, Michael Mifsud recovered from an early knock and terrorised West Ham down the right.
The Maltese international was hacked down in the 15th minute and was fouled a minute later for a free kick which Julian Gray headed at Richard Wright in the Hammers goal.
Attacking the Jewson Stand end, City dictated the play. Michael Doyle linked well with the front runners whilst Osbourne,Tabb and McNamee who was always trying to get forward worked hard.
In the 22nd minute,Mifsud won a corner and played in Leon Best whose shot across the face of the goal had to be dealt with by Wright.
Two more City corners followed before former Millwall defender Lucas Neill talked himself into a booking from Rob Styles whose style of refereeing won him few friends tonight.
In the 36th minute, another City free kick saw a ball from Michael Doyle out to Mifsud. The ball back in was met by the head of Doyle but Wright was able to claim it.
West Ham may have relied upon the counter attack in the first half but they were quickly at City after a half-time break which had seen Robbie Simpson come on for Julian Gray and The Hammers bringing Spector (No Wall of Sound for him as he entered the pitch!!) in place of Hayden Mullens.
Leon Best did well to get out of a West Ham sandwich and turn in to the 48th minute to flick the ball out to Jay Tabb who volleyed over.
West Ham started to win corners but on the hour mark, it was the Sky Blues who had the ball in the net. Michael Mifsud was the man who made space to get in a shot which beat Wright quite easily. Unfortunately, the assistant referee spotted Mifsud in what he deemed to be an offside position and ruled out the goal.
However, seven minutes later, the City supporters were going absolutely mental when the Sky Blues went ahead. Ben Turner played the ball back in to Isaac Osbourne. It was a sublime cross and there was Jay Tabb on the left hand side of the goal to head the ball firmly into the net.
"We're All Going To Wembley" sang the City support but it was too premature as three minutes later, the visitors drew level.
The ball got knocked back to Luis Boa Morte who drove the ball into a crowded penalty. Marcus Hall stuck out a leg but all it did was deflect the ball into the net.
McCartney fired into the side netting from a corner and substitute Kevin Kyle, who came on just after the City goal,fired wide.
We moved into stoppage time. Many City supporters were preparing themselves for extra time and possible penalties but with two out of the three allotted minutes gone, City's run in the League Cup was ended in controversial fashion.
Kevin Kyle never got close enough to put off Wright who hoofed the ball forward. There was a clear handball by a West Ham player as the ball found Carlton Cole on the left.
The striker who once hit a hat-trick against City Reserves for Chelsea, was able to shove Ben Turner out of the way and stroke the ball past Marshall and into the bottom corner.
The away fans went ballistic whilst we stood staring into a cold night sky not believing that this had happened in a collective gutted feeling.
Seconds later, the whistle went and our League Cup win was over for another season.