DERBY COUNTY RESERVES 2-1 COVENTRY CITY RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Reserves run of poor form under Alan Cork continued with a late goal sending the Sky Blues to a 2-1 defeat at Derby County.
The City Reserves team boss and his side kick Darren Robinson fielded a reasonably strong team which included Andy Hall,Liam Nicell and Craig Reid all of whom have done enough in my opinion to earn a contract for next season.
It was Reid who had the first real chance of the game against Steve Taylor's side in the 11th minute, when he recovered to regain his composure and hit a stunning drive from sixteen yards against the crossbar.
Thornton won back the ball after it had been initially cleared and centred for Reid to get a deft touch and send the ball across the face of the goal and wide.
Andy Whing and Stuart Wall were doing well in defence for the Sky Blues,limiting the Rams to a couple of corners.
On the half hour mark, City cleared a corner and broke through Kevin Thornton who found Liam Davis on the left. The young winger cut the ball back for Neil Wood who fired over from long range.
City's main problem was keeping the ball in midfield and two minutes later, James Vincent raced through after picking up on a astray pass. He advanced towards the goal but Jonny Tuffey dived to his right to palm away the effort.
Derby brought on Mitchell Hanson at half-time and took the lead 76 seconds into the second period when German international Marco Reich curled in a free kick which was stabbed home from close range by Dan Martin.
Coventry had Andy Hall booked by referee Steve Dorr, but were level in the 63rd minute when Stuart Wall headed in at the far post from a Neil Wood corner delighting the dozen or so City supporters who found themselves surrounded by children whom the Rams had let in free in the stand opposite the Main one.
Coventry City Reserves run of poor form under Alan Cork continued with a late goal sending the Sky Blues to a 2-1 defeat at Derby County.
The City Reserves team boss and his side kick Darren Robinson fielded a reasonably strong team which included Andy Hall,Liam Nicell and Craig Reid all of whom have done enough in my opinion to earn a contract for next season.
It was Reid who had the first real chance of the game against Steve Taylor's side in the 11th minute, when he recovered to regain his composure and hit a stunning drive from sixteen yards against the crossbar.
Thornton won back the ball after it had been initially cleared and centred for Reid to get a deft touch and send the ball across the face of the goal and wide.
Andy Whing and Stuart Wall were doing well in defence for the Sky Blues,limiting the Rams to a couple of corners.
On the half hour mark, City cleared a corner and broke through Kevin Thornton who found Liam Davis on the left. The young winger cut the ball back for Neil Wood who fired over from long range.
City's main problem was keeping the ball in midfield and two minutes later, James Vincent raced through after picking up on a astray pass. He advanced towards the goal but Jonny Tuffey dived to his right to palm away the effort.
Derby brought on Mitchell Hanson at half-time and took the lead 76 seconds into the second period when German international Marco Reich curled in a free kick which was stabbed home from close range by Dan Martin.
Coventry had Andy Hall booked by referee Steve Dorr, but were level in the 63rd minute when Stuart Wall headed in at the far post from a Neil Wood corner delighting the dozen or so City supporters who found themselves surrounded by children whom the Rams had let in free in the stand opposite the Main one.
With Andy Gooding and Vijay Sidhu who netted twice for the Academy at West Ham on Saturday coming on, Coventry had a 77th minute Eddy Johnson effort fly just past the post and two minutes later, Wall attempted to repeat his goalscoring feat by meeting a corner at the far post. Unfortunately, this time he headed wide.
Azariah Ogarro came on with nine minutes left for the industrious Kevin Thornton as the Sky Blues looked good for a point.
However, in the last minute, Derby snatched a win when Oliver Allen played found Richard Davies who squared for a combination of Giles Barnes and Lee Holmes (who was credited with the final touch) banging the ball in from five yards.
HT DCFC 0-0 CCFC FT DCFC 2-1 CCFC
ATT 120
GOALS Dan Martin (47)
Stuart Wall (63)
Lee Holmes (88)
Booked Andy Hall
Man Of The Match - Andy Whing shaded the votes from Stuart Wall,Kevin Thornton and Liam Davis
TEAM
Tuffey,Hall,Lynch (Gooding 72),Wood, Whing,Wall,Nicell,Thornton (Ogarro 81),Johnson,Reid,Davis (Sidhu 71) SNU Turner,Bains
Derby
Miller, Booth, Vincent, Turner (Nix 84), Mills (Hanson 46), Martin, Reich, Barnes, Holmes, Allen, Davies. Subs not used: Richardson, Meredith