Much Needed Win For City

 

 

 

 

Coventry City might not be the entertaining team they once were but they did enough to get a 1-0 win over Colchester United and ease their relegation worries. 

 

City substitute keeper Reice Charles Cook tweeted on Friday that it was not right for fans to pay out so much money if players were not giving 100%. Whilst, this tweet was probably about one of the many games that are shown live on television every week in this country, Coventry City supporters can empathise with the sentiments expressed.

 

Many are perplexed as to how a City team which looked good enough on paper at the start of the season to compete for a top half place this season, were going into a game against Colchester United needing to win to help avoid being dragged back into the relegation zone and in some of the performances this season, one could be of the opinion that either the players were not giving their all or they are simply not up to the demands of League One football.

 

This was a game on survival Saturday where the City players needed to stand up and be counted and Tony Mowbray named a side which had the lesser spotted Reda Johnson making a rare appearance in City's defence in place of Arron Martin and John Fleck back in midfield for a City team playing a 4-4-2 formation.

 

On a sunny day where it was Kids For A Quid, which had little to no affect on the attendance, and supporters had double ticket checks forced upon them by the stewards, some of whom felt this was unncessary whilst others took this as an opportunity to display a bit of 'power' and with Cedric Roussell in the press box, City attacked the away end where there was four hundred or so Colchester fans, for the first half.

 

 

City had a Jim O'Brien header in the 12th minute caught by Sam Walker in a game which had George Moncur fire low at Burge a minute later.

 

Adam Barton fired wide in the 17th minute, as the Colchester fans made the noise in an otherwise quiet stadium, 

 

Eight minutes later and City mounted two attacks with the second winning a corner which was easily cleared by the U's defence.

 

Another poor effort from the Sky Blues, who have not won a game in April since 2011 when they beat Millwall and only taken ten points in April out of 66, sailed wide. 

 

Proschwitz joined the list of those missing the target for a City side who have struggled for goals this season and not scored in the last two matches in what again has been a poor League One.

 

This was a game that needed a goal to bring it to life and into the 35th minute, it happened when Jim O'Brien got through and planted a low drive into the net from a Chris Stokes cross.

 

The goal lifted City and they started to attack more and won a corner in the 38th minute and five minutes later.

 

Proschwitz headed wide from an O'Brien cross following that corner for the Sky Blues who deserved their lead at the break.

 

Two minutes in and Lee Burge had to be alert after Moncur cut in. Moncur was involved again finding Gavin Massey for a shot which Burge pushed away for a corner.

 

Mowbray furiously pacing his technical area, watched on as Nick Proschwitz, a player clearly not as good at jumping into the air as Grand National winner Many Clouds, wasted a great chance when he got through in the 55th minute and fired into the side netting with the goal at his mercy.

 

Burge blocked again to concede a 59th minute corner.

 

James Maddison was sent on with Colchester making two changes and was involved in a move which saw Frank Nouble blast over.

 

Adam Barton, who like most of the City midfield had struggled with some of the passing, was replaced by Arron Phillips and Odelusi came on Jim O'Brien.

 

Brindley fired wide with a right footed shot in the 78th minute before Maddison had a shot from the edge of the area pushed onto the cross bar by Walker.

 

City then won a corner which sailed over everyone and was put out by Chris Stokes, who again showed that he is still getting used to the pace of League One football.

 

Colchester won an 83rd minute corner which saw Szmodics thankfully missed.

 

Odelusi won a free kick that but all that brought was an injury for visiting keeper Sam Walker who collided with a defender.

 

Five minutes were added on but City had done enough to take a vital three points. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service