COVENTRY CITY 0-0 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Schmeichel, Osbourne,Ward,Dunn,Fox, Mifsud,S.Hughes,Doyle (Simpson 60),Thornton, Tabb, Best SNU Marshall, Hall,Andrews,Gray
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY
Grant,Hinds,Beevers,Spurr,Wood,Songo'o (O'Brien 64),Kavanagh,McAllister ,Small,Tudgay (Showumni 79),Burton (Bolder 82) SNU Burch,Gilbert
HT CCFC 0-0 SWFC FT CCFC 0-0 SWFC ATT 19 283
REFEREE J.Singh BOOKED Ward, Small,Grant,Songo'o
MAN OF THE MATCH Scott Dann took the votes from Stephen Hughes and Kevin Thornton.
____________________________
STARTING FORMATION
Chris Coleman made only one change from Tuesday night with Kasper Schemichel given his debut after joining on loan from Manchester City on Thursday. Andy Marshall went on the bench
Best
Tabb Thornton Doyle S.Hughes Mifsud
Fox Dann Ward Osbourne
Schmeichel
____________________________
CITY SUPPORT
For a vital six pointer, I would have thought that more City supporters might have turned up. Sheffield Wednesday turned up in numbers with over 2,700 being officially recorded as having a ticket for the game. Iconic Wednesdayite "Tango" was down the front with his shirt off.
___________________________
Coventry City hosted a Legends Day and could have done with the goalscoring talents of some of those who attended as again they failed to find the net in a 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
Chis Coleman's charges had gone into this vital six pointer after losing despite a superb display at Wednesday's cross town rivals on Tuesday and the City boss had been able to procure the services until the end of the season of Kasper Schmeichel, whom was given his debut.
On a wet afternoon at the Ricoh Arena, we had Billy Bell belt out "Jerusalem" before the teams entered the field of play. Both sets of supporters were pumped up for the game but it was clear from the outset that the Sky Blues had lost the belief and resoluteness they had displayed at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night.
Instead, it was a very scrappy first half. Elliott Ward was cautioned with less than three and a half minutes gone on the watch of referee Mr Singh, for shoving Hinds into the Tesco Stand advertising hoardings.
The Sky Blues fought well in midfield but again lacked any idea when it came to the final third. Thirteen minutes had passed when Kasper Schmeichel got his first touch of the ball with a simple catch and it was another twenty nine minutes before he had to use his hands again.
Brian Laws side were never scared to get stuck in and battle. However,some of their challenges were reckless to say the least and Wade Small was lucky to still be on the pitch after clattering Danny Fox from behind five minutes after picking up a yellow for an eighteenth minute foul on Stephen Hughes.
Wednesday, in their orange away kit, had their keeper booked for a shove on Thornton and then Richard Wood was booked for a very late challenge on Michael Mifsud who yet again was struggling with his first touch.
Thankfully, Wednesday got over this spat and like the Sky Blues tried to play football. They won their first corner in the 38th minute and four later, Kapser Schmeichel was forced to block a Songo'o cross as Burton and Tudgay ran in.
Fox went wide with a long drive as the game went into the half-time break.
It was an interval that saw former City players from the last sixty years introduced to the crowd. The list was too many to mention here but those who walked round the pitch including Mo Konjic were given standing ovations by both the Coventry and to their credit, the Sheffield Wednesday supporters.
The City support which won praise for the way they observed the minute's silence for Wednesday and Sheffield United Legend Derek Dooley on Tuesday night, gave the team plenty of support in the second half.
It was a better performance from the Sky Blues really should have been ahead in the 55th minute. Michael Mifsud got to a Tabb ball inside the area. Probably out of desperation for a league goal, he failed to look up and spot the totally free Michael Doyle as he drove into the side netting.
Doyle was incensed and a minute later, he clashed heads with Richard Hinds and got up. Doyle was obviously in some distress as he raced back to the centre circle and removed his shirt. He was treated on the side of the pitch and returned to a good ovation only to last another couple of minutes before bineg replaced by Robbie Simpson.
Mifsud went on the left side of midfield, Simpson on the right as Chris Coleman charges kept their 4-5-1 formation.
Kevin Thornton who again worked hard, was becoming the best chance of getting a goal. In the 62nd minute, he had a low drive from a Simpson cross saved and fired across the face of the goal in the 67th minutes.
Mifsud too had chances to score. Grant beat away a 75th minute effort for a corner and then got to an effort from the Maltese international five minutes later with a cracking dive.
With Scott Dann in fine form in City's defence,it took until the 89th minute for Wednesday to have a shot and there won't be many keepers who will have an easier City debut as Graham Kavanagh blasted well wide of the goal.
Again we urged City to get a goal that would have given us another three points in our battle to beat the drop,especially as the likes of Leicester were winning, but it didn't come and we trudged out into the pouring rain knowing that two points had been thrown away and a goalscorer needs to be found by Messrs Coleman & Ranson.