LEEDS UNITED 2-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
When a side is second bottom of the table and struggling for wins, you can usually rely on the Sky Blues to oblige and so Coventry City got 2007 off to a bad start with a 2-1 defeat at 23rd placed Leeds United.
Micky Adams kept his team in a hotel over night for this dare not lose fixture and named Kevin Kyle and Adam Virgo up front with Isaac Osbourne in for the presumably injured Stephen Hughes. Jay Tabb also came in.
It was obvious from the start that Dennis Wise was determined to get one over on Micky Adams following his enforced departure from Coventry and on a cold,wet afternoon in a half full Elland Road stadium,Leeds attacked from the start.
Three early corners were attained by Leeds, Robert Page went into the book of referee Mr Pike and in the 14th minute,the ball was played out to unmarked David Healy on the edge of the area and the Northern Irish international drilled a low shot into the far corner of the net.
Now with this morning's papers saying that Micky Adams could face the sack if City were to lose this game, you could have expected some of the 400 strong City support which included supporters based in Northern Ireland, Germany and Norway to call for the managers head.
But the City support who had been forced to sit in seats with little leg room, burst into song with "Gangsters" and "The Sky Blue Song" plus a number of other songs that you all know well in a bid to urge the players to get back in the match.
Although a lot of the football played by City was hit and hope without good leadership, it seemed to work and Elliott Ward got to a 22nd minute corner and forced Neil Sullivan into a save.
Isaac Osbourne and Marcus Hall, both man of the contenders, were giving their all with the midfielder who has missed a fair bit of football in the last twelve months winning a 24th minute corner.
The hapless Kevin Kyle should have netted a minute later but the Scot whose transfer to Coventry has been construed by some as a mis-appropriation of club funds fired well wide. Thankfully this miss took a deflection and brought City their third corner in a couple of minutes.
Back came Leeds with a 23 yard free kick by Robbie Blake crashing against the bar.
The bar saved City seven minutes later when Kevin Nicholls went to ground very easily and Eddie Lewis thumped a free kick from 25 yards on the woodwork.
This was a massive let off for the Sky Blues and two minutes before the break, we were dancing around in celebration much to the concern of the Chav head steward as Kevin Kyle drove the ball from the left. Leeds keeper Neil Sullivan got a touch and the ball fell for Adam Virgo to run in and stroke the ball into the net with Sullivan stranded.
Many of the City support were still getting back from consuming a much needed warm drink at the break when the home side restored their advantage.
The 53rd minute goal resembled the one scored by City and Andy Marshall got a hand to a low shot but could not prevent the ball falling for Jonathan Douglas to bang into the net from close range.
The City boss, who is hopeful of bringing in a striker this week, went for a double switch and gave two more of his strikers in Dele Adebola and Leon McKenzie a chance to get amongst the goals.
Leeds finally stop time-wasting and going down after the slightest hint of contact when Moore and Blake were substituted.
The home fans who had been taunted with chants of "You're Not Famous Anymore" demanded more attacks from their team as did the noisy City support.
Dele Adebola wasted a great chance as did Leon McKenzie who headed a Currie cross.
In stoppage time,a diving header by Kyle grazed the far post but it did not go in and City were again booed off by sections of their support unhappy at only one point from a possible twelve over the Christmas/New Year period.
HT LUFC 1-1 CCFC
FT LUFC 2-1 CCFC
ATT 18,158
Goals David Healy (14), Adam Virgo (43),Jonathan Douglas (53)
Booked Page,Whing,Nicholls,Kyle,Douglas
Team
Marshall,Whing (Currie 68),Hall,Ward,Page,Doyle,Tabb (Adebola 55), Birchall (McKenzie 55),Virgo,Kyle,Osbourne
SNU John,Cameron
Leeds
Sullivan,Douglas,Healy,Lewis,Richardson (Westlake 61),Nicholls,Foxe,Moore (Kandol 73),Blake (Howson 74),Rui Marques, Elliott SNU Warner,Carole
When a side is second bottom of the table and struggling for wins, you can usually rely on the Sky Blues to oblige and so Coventry City got 2007 off to a bad start with a 2-1 defeat at 23rd placed Leeds United.
Micky Adams kept his team in a hotel over night for this dare not lose fixture and named Kevin Kyle and Adam Virgo up front with Isaac Osbourne in for the presumably injured Stephen Hughes. Jay Tabb also came in.
It was obvious from the start that Dennis Wise was determined to get one over on Micky Adams following his enforced departure from Coventry and on a cold,wet afternoon in a half full Elland Road stadium,Leeds attacked from the start.
Three early corners were attained by Leeds, Robert Page went into the book of referee Mr Pike and in the 14th minute,the ball was played out to unmarked David Healy on the edge of the area and the Northern Irish international drilled a low shot into the far corner of the net.
Now with this morning's papers saying that Micky Adams could face the sack if City were to lose this game, you could have expected some of the 400 strong City support which included supporters based in Northern Ireland, Germany and Norway to call for the managers head.
But the City support who had been forced to sit in seats with little leg room, burst into song with "Gangsters" and "The Sky Blue Song" plus a number of other songs that you all know well in a bid to urge the players to get back in the match.
Although a lot of the football played by City was hit and hope without good leadership, it seemed to work and Elliott Ward got to a 22nd minute corner and forced Neil Sullivan into a save.
Isaac Osbourne and Marcus Hall, both man of the contenders, were giving their all with the midfielder who has missed a fair bit of football in the last twelve months winning a 24th minute corner.
The hapless Kevin Kyle should have netted a minute later but the Scot whose transfer to Coventry has been construed by some as a mis-appropriation of club funds fired well wide. Thankfully this miss took a deflection and brought City their third corner in a couple of minutes.
Back came Leeds with a 23 yard free kick by Robbie Blake crashing against the bar.
The bar saved City seven minutes later when Kevin Nicholls went to ground very easily and Eddie Lewis thumped a free kick from 25 yards on the woodwork.
This was a massive let off for the Sky Blues and two minutes before the break, we were dancing around in celebration much to the concern of the Chav head steward as Kevin Kyle drove the ball from the left. Leeds keeper Neil Sullivan got a touch and the ball fell for Adam Virgo to run in and stroke the ball into the net with Sullivan stranded.
Many of the City support were still getting back from consuming a much needed warm drink at the break when the home side restored their advantage.
The 53rd minute goal resembled the one scored by City and Andy Marshall got a hand to a low shot but could not prevent the ball falling for Jonathan Douglas to bang into the net from close range.
The City boss, who is hopeful of bringing in a striker this week, went for a double switch and gave two more of his strikers in Dele Adebola and Leon McKenzie a chance to get amongst the goals.
Leeds finally stop time-wasting and going down after the slightest hint of contact when Moore and Blake were substituted.
The home fans who had been taunted with chants of "You're Not Famous Anymore" demanded more attacks from their team as did the noisy City support.
Dele Adebola wasted a great chance as did Leon McKenzie who headed a Currie cross.
In stoppage time,a diving header by Kyle grazed the far post but it did not go in and City were again booed off by sections of their support unhappy at only one point from a possible twelve over the Christmas/New Year period.
HT LUFC 1-1 CCFC
FT LUFC 2-1 CCFC
ATT 18,158
Goals David Healy (14), Adam Virgo (43),Jonathan Douglas (53)
Booked Page,Whing,Nicholls,Kyle,Douglas
Team
Marshall,Whing (Currie 68),Hall,Ward,Page,Doyle,Tabb (Adebola 55), Birchall (McKenzie 55),Virgo,Kyle,Osbourne
SNU John,Cameron
Leeds
Sullivan,Douglas,Healy,Lewis,Richardson (Westlake 61),Nicholls,Foxe,Moore (Kandol 73),Blake (Howson 74),Rui Marques, Elliott SNU Warner,Carole