COVENTRY CITY 3-1 CRAWLEY TOWN
City; Murphy (GK), Clarke (Reckord 80), Wood, Edjenguele, Christie, Bailey, Jennings, Fleck, Baker (c), McGoldrick, McDonald (Moussa 68).Subs: Dunn (GK), Cameron, McSheffrey, Ball, O'Donovan.
Crawley Town: Jones (GK), Sadler, Hunt, Bulman (Ajose 70), Adams, Jones, Davis, Clarke, Alexander (c) (Akinde 82), Simpson, McFadzean.Subs: Kuipers (GK), Connolly, Torres, Walsh, Cooper.
HT CCFC 2-0 CTFC FT CCFC 3-1 CTFC
ATT 8862
Goals John Fleck 8, McGoldrick 45 & 64, Billy Clarke 55,
Referee S.Rushton
Booked None
Man Of The Match David McGoldrick and nominations for Edjenguele and Baker.
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David McGoldrick scored twice as Coventry City beat Crawley 3-1.
The bookies had this game as close as the odds they were offering on the US Presidential Elections and that was what must have kept the Crawley fans away as they had only sold 91 tickets by yesterday and had 228 actually in the ground, which for a team third in the table and on a new ground, was a poor show.
Mark Robins made four changes from the team that beat Arlesey Town and his charges attacked the sparsely populated away end for the first half.
The visitors in a red kit similar to something worn by Birmingham City in the 1970's had the first two chances of the game before Coventry took the lead in the eighth minute when John Fleck got on the left of the area and scored with a low drive that squirmed under the keeper.
The goal enabled City to get over their early usual bout of nerves and whilst Richie Barker's team could pass the ball round well and work hard, they but did not unduly trouble either Joe Murphy, who made some good punches away, or the City defence which had all four defenders putting in a good shift.
In the 33rd minute, the Sussex based team did get on decent chance on the North Stand goal but Gary Alexander fired well wide.
Crawley won a corner three minutes later, Edjenguele cleared initially, the ball came over to the left and fell for Billy Clarke who did a shot which Murphy bravely blocked with his body.
McDonald headed wide at the other end before the boos were ringing out for a lunge on David McGoldrick by McFadzean. The loanee was thankfully ok as he was on his feet to score City's second when he slotted home from close range.
Crawley had a shot at Murphy and Fleck fired over as the second half started frantically. In the 55th minute, the 228 Crawley fans had the chance to make some noise when the ball cannoned off Edjenguele and went to Billy Clarke who drove home from the edge of the area.
2-1 became 3-1, nine minutes later and saw the City support going mental when David McGoldrick got the ball twenty yards and brilliantly curled high in to the net to score the third and certainly the goal of the month winner for November unless someone comes up with a real worldy.
Chants of "Sign Him Up" echoed around the ground as Mark Robins made his first substitution bringing on Moussa for Cody McDonald who worked well even if he did not have a massive amount of service, due to the amount of possession Crawley were getting.
Jordan Clarke went off to good applause for a good shift ten minutes from time and although there was a late flurry from the visitors and the now obligatory piece of wastefulness from Carl Baker, City were able to take a well earned victory.