COVENTRY CITY 2-3 PORT VALE
City: Burge, Stokes, Pennington, Martin, Phillips, Fleck, O'Brien (Jackson 77), Samuel, Barton (Odelusi 62), Tudgay (Williams 62), Nouble. Subs: Charles-Cook, Webster, Turgott, Finch.
Port Vale: Neal, Dickinson, Robertson, Williamson (Dodds 76), O'Connor, Brown, Moore (Daniel 81), Marshall, Veseli, Inniss (McGivern 35). Pope. Subs: Johnson, Yates, Birchall, Lines.
HT CCFC 1-2 PVFC
FT CCFC 2-3 PVFC
ATT 9446
Goals Jim O'Brien 4, Tom Pope 40, Mark Marshall 44, Samni Odelusi 69, Michael O'Connor 75
Referee M. Russell.
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If Tony Mowbray did not know that he was in for a challenge at Coventry City, he does now after the Sky Blues were beaten by Port Vale.
There was optimism in the air as we made our way into the Ricoh Arena for Coventry City's first game with new manager Tony Mowbray in charge.
Mowbray had said that he did not possess a magic wand but his intent was to get the team playing attractive football that supporters would want to watch but there was only a crowd of 9,446 in the Ricoh Arena on a sunny but blowey afternoon in Coventry to see the new manager name a team which had Frank Nouble in for Samni Odelusi.
Former City defender and now Vale boss Robert Page named a side for their first visit to the Ricoh Arena, which included former short tern contracter Mark Marshall in socks over tights, former loanee Carl Dickinson and former trialist Chris Neal who was picking the ball out of the net with less than four minutes gone when Jim O'Brien scored from twenty yards with a strike that flew into the net.
The goal delighted the City support and Tony Mowbray stood in his technical area, in his club issue black coat.
In the 15th minute, Carl Dickinson's pleas of innocence fooled nobody and he was booked for a foul on Nouble which brought a free kick that was headed wide.
Samuel on his right, sent a deflected shot into the side netting for a corner that was in the general direction of Chris Stokes but cleared.
Tom Pope got in a 22nd minute header at the other end and then flung himself at a cross.
Vale won two corners and a third in the 26th minute before a great Pennington header, a neat ball from Tudgay allowed Nouble to win a corner.
Tudgay fired over under pressure but Vale were able to win another corner on the half hour mark which Pope headed over.
A bad challenge left Ryan Inniss needing treatment and after the loanee from Palace was booked, in the 35th minute, he was stretchered off and replaced by Ryan McGivern.
Aaron Phillips got in a great header to get the ball back to Burge and Arron Martin did a good job to stop Marshall but in the 40th minute, Tom Pope was left all alone and beat Lee Burge on his left hand post to equalise. Whether he was offside or not was irrelevant as the goal was given.
A couple of Port Vale fans took the goal as their cue to try and charge towards the City support.
Four minutes later and Vale were in front when Chris Stokes allowed Mark Marshall to get past him and drive low past Burge on his left to see the Sky Blues fall behind.
Samuel on his right fired just over from twenty yards but there was plenty for Tony Mowbray to discuss at the break.
City had the first couple of attacks in the second half, watched on by Robert Page who was being passed notes by one of his substitutes.
Aaron Phillips drove well wide in the 52nd minute and a minute later, Pope won a corner as did Marshall.
City were giving away possession away far too easily despite the good work of John Fleck.
Mowbray sent on Samni Odelusi and Luke Williams in the 62nd minute to try and get a goal.
Marshall drove at Burge, but in the 69th minute, City attacked and there was Samni Odelusi who scored with a low shot, which prompted a sky blue flare being let off under the scoreboard.
However, parity was restored for less than six minutes as the visitors got a free kick, conceded by a City team who have conceded the most free kicks in League One, in front of their own fans and Michael O'Connor curled it round the wall and in past Burge.
Luke Williams, who has yet to impress at the Sky Blues, curled a free kick over from the blue line rutted into the pitch but it was not enough and City were beaten.