ROSS COUNTY 1-0 COVENTRY CITY
WED JULY 18 At Grant Street Park, Inverness
City: Dunn, Clarke, Hussey, Thomas, Wood, Malaga, Kilbane, Baker, O'Donovan (Jeffers 46), Fleck, McSheffrey. Subs Murphy, Roberts, Henderson, Edjenguele,
Ross County: 1 Michael Fraser (off 82, 2 Ross Tokely, 3 Marc Fitzpatrick (off 46), 4 Grant Munro (off 65), 5 Scott Boyd, 6 Rocco Quinn (off 46), 7 Stuart Kettlewell, 8 Martin Scott,(off 75) 9 Chris McMenamin (off 46), 10 Steven Ross (off 75),11 Iain Vigurs. Subs Mihael Kovacevic (on 46), 13 Joe Malin (on 82), 14 Paul Lawson (on 46), 15 Mark Corcoran (on 65), 16 Gary Glen (on 46), 17 Steven Craig (on 75), 18 Russell Duncan (on 75)
HT RCFC 0-0 CCFC FT RCFC 1-0 CCFC ATT EST 350 .
Referee Ian Brines. Assts Billy Baxter & Gavin Harris.
Goals: Steven Craig (84)
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CITY SUPPORT:
Again no programmes were printed for this game which saw around 25 City supporters in attendance.
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CITY TEAM NEWS:
Andy Thorn went for a more experienced side tonight, dropping all the youngster and bringing in Wood, Malaga, Kilbane, Baker in addtion to those who featured last night at Brora Rangers.
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WEATHER
It has been a very wet and miserable day in Inverness.
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Coventry City worked hard but were beaten by a late goal against Ross County in Inverness.
Due to pitch renovations at Dingwall, this game took place at Grant Street Park, the home of Inverness Clacnacudin. There was a good crowd inside the ground as City in their away kit took to the field.
The side promoted to the Scottish Premier League had most of the ball early on as it finally stopped raining.
Good play from Jordan Clarke won City their first corner in the eighth minute,and two minutes later, Ross won their first corner which was cleared by Kevin Malaga for va throw and then a second cleared by Chris Hussey.
Chris Dunn dealt with a lot shot from Chris McMenamin in the tenth minute.
City forced two corners before Roy O'Dononvan created some space for a 15th minute low shot which the keeper got down to.
Carl Baker whipped in a telling cross after some good play in the 21st minute and just missed McSheffrey coming as City went looking for their fourteenth goal of pre-season.
A foul on Kilbane who did some great running and chasing brought a free kick on the half hour mark. Baker had a cross cleared and in the 30th minute, a twenty yarder from O'Donovan was pushed over for a corner. Gary McSheffrey hit a deflected shot seconds later and that was nodded over by Richard Wood, who got back to block McMenamin.
Ian Vigurs sent a 35th minute harshly given free kick well over.and five minutes later, another timely tackle from Jordna Clarke on McMenamin which Grant Munro headed wide.
Both sides fashioned long range efforts. Gary McSheffrey fired over the bar and out of the ground at the open end, followed by Dunn saving a twenty five yarder from Steven Ross.
There were eight seconds left of the first half when Fleck was hauled down and Ross cleared the free kick to see the game goal-less at the break.
The floodlights were on for the second half and after one half of Les Bleu Brothers William Edjenguele had shown how he could ping a thirty yard ball, City took to the field for the second half with Shaun Jeffers on for Roy O'Donovan.
In the 55th minute, City won a corner. The ball went to Carl Baker on the edge of the area and his shot was blocked for another.
Conor Thomas worked hard in a city side that won a free kick on the hour mark which McSheffrey who was lively, fired at the keeper.
Jeffers played a great ball to Baker who won a 66th minute corner before a ten pass move fell for Thomas to get in a shot which Miichael Fraser had to push over for a corner.
Baker sent a free kick at Fraser and another came in the 73rd minute when Shaun Jeffers was sent crashing. Nothing came from that but in a tight match against a good side, City kept working hard..
Iain Vigurs had a 76th minute free kick deflected for a corner followed by Richard Wood doing well to head away for another.
With six minutes to go, substitute Steven Craig got the ball on the edge of the area and beat Dunn with a low curler to give Ross a win.