Team
Westwood, Wright, Dann, Ward, Fox, Doyle, Beuzelin, Simpson (Hall 92), Eastwood (Best 77), Mifsud (Osbourne 70), Morrison SNU Marshall, Turner
Sheff Wed
Grant, Buxton, Beevers, Wood, McMahon, Tudgay, McAllister, O'Connor, Johnson, Jeffers (Smith 84), Clarke (Burton 68). SNU O'Donnell,Lekaj
HT SWFC 0-0 CCFC FT SWFC 0-1 CCFC
Att 16 119
Ref K.Friend
Booked Johnson,Ward, Eastwood, Wright
Goal Clinton Morrison (58)
Man Of The Match Stephen Wright and Keiren Westwood shared the votes in our car.
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman made changes. Jay Tabb,who is being linked elsewhere was not in the sixteen.
Leon Best and Isaac Osbourne were benched.
Stephen Wright started at right back with Freddie Eastwood and Clinton Morrison leading the attack.
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The season after a abandoned game, City have not lose to the opposition on the ground where the game was called off, outside of the top fligfht and this continued as Coventry City played better in the second half to leave Sheffield Wednesday with a 1-0 win.
We journeyed up the M1 after a week where people were texting in radio shows demanding the head of Chris Coleman whilst others were criticised for booing Leon Best, who had hit back via the written press.
Today, as per usual with away games, the Sky Blue Army (which numbered around 700), housed in the upper tier of the Leppings Lane away stand at Hillsborough, provided good backing for all the Sky Blue players.
These included Stephen Wright who started at right back and Freddie Eastwood up front.
Wearing black shirts and sky blue shorts, on a cold afternoon, made worse by a chilling wind, City should have been two goals down in the first ten minutes.
Leon Clarke's deflected shot after ninety seconds hit the crossbar and bounced away. This let off was followed by Clarke nodding a McAllister cross onto the roof of the net.
Again, the Sky Blues lacked leadership. This was a time for someone in midfield to put their foot on the ball and control things. But unfortunately, in the first period, City gave away too much possession with Guilly Beuzelin trying some lovely weighted balls which would have been brilliant had they reached the targets, and never got to the second ball.
One time City target Francis Jeffers had one shot fly wide in the 12th minute but the former England man looked well past his best and Elliott Ward was always out-witting him, whilst Stephen Wright made some excellent blocks and got forward well.
Keiren Westwood again, was in good form and palmed over a long ranger in the 18th minute.
City's first corner came after 24 minutes but that was cleared an The Owls broke upfield to win a highly dubious free kick given by a Leicestershire based referee who seemed to give everything the way of the home side.
With both sides relying on the offside trap and Westwood proving unbearable with a couple more saves, it was no surprise that it was goal-less going into the break.
City attacked the end, where the Coventry support, which contained a lot of our Northern supporters, plus travellers from as far as Ireland and Kent, were, in the second half.
It was evident that the Sky Blues management, who have to contend with budget cuts which will lessen the number and quality of players they want to bring in either before the loan window closes on Thursday and in the transfer market in January, had given the team a rocket that they probably needed.
Within thirty seconds of the restart, the hard working Robbie Simpson got in to the area and had his drive deflected for a corner. Clinton Morrison was first to meet the flag kick but his header was cleared off the line and post by City target Richard Wood.
Danny Fox was starting to get in overlaps but in the 54th minute, the whole City defence was caught napping as Johnson got through and fired past Westwood and out for a goal kick. There was a massive shout for a penalty from the Wednesdayites but Mr Friend chose to ignore the shouts and the Wednesday players who persisted in protesting.
A mistake from Beuzelin let in the home side in the 56th minute and the ball ended up in the net. However, there was a flag up and City had escaped.
Then out of nothing, they made Sheffield Wednesday pay big time for not putting away their chances.
Fox got in another cross and there was Clinton Morrison. The striker rose as did the City supporters not already stood up and his header went into the top of the net to Grant's right.
Morrison raced round to the City support who were going absolutely mental to milk the applause before celebrating with his team mates.
To shaw things up, Issac Osbourne was sent on with twenty minutes left. Michael Mifsud, who had not done too much wrong, was the man replaced in a move that many thought should have been Guilluame Beuzelin.
Another error by the Frenchman forced a superb save by Westwood, who dived to his right to push away for a 71st minute corner.
Whilst, we were gasping for breathe after someone let off a stink bomb at the back of the away stand, Freddie Eastwood, who had been cautioned for time wasting, was replaced by Leon Best.
The Nottingham born striker received plenty of applause and chants of his name as he came on and proceeded to get a couple of flick ons and give the Owls defence something to think about.
In the 83rd minute, you knew it was to be City's day when Deon Burton wasted an easy chance at the far post.
The stands in the home areas of the ground were now emptying at a rate of knots as the City support continued to sing.
City's third chance of the match came four minutes from the end of normal time when Isaac Osbourne was picked out. thanks to some good work by Best. Ossie's cross went to Morrison on the right but with a defender closing in, Morrison could only clip the ball a yard wide.
Marcus Hall joined the action in a period of stoppage time which saw another great chance missed at the other end but City held on to record their eighth victory at Hillsborough.