COVENTRY CITY 0-0 READING FC BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Westwood, Wright, Dann, Turner, Fox, Henderson (Osbourne 60), Beuzelin, Gunnarsson, Eastwood (Hall 85), Best (Simpson 46), Morrison. SNU Marshall, Ward
READING
Hahnemann, Kelly, Bikey, Duberry, Armstrong, Little (Matejovsky 67), Cisse, Harper (S.Hunt 67), Tabb (N.Hunt 81), Kitson, Long SNU Federici, Pearce
HT CCFC 0-0 RFC FT CCFC 0-0 RFC ATT 17,218
REFEREE Trevor Kettle
BOOKED Turner, Wright, Fox, Morrison, Bikey, Harper, Tabb
MAN OF THE MATCH Scott Dann and Keiren Westwood took the votes
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman made two changes from the team that beat Doncaster Rovers. Danny Fox came in for Marcus Hall whilst Leon Best replaced David Bell.
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Coventry City's one hundredth league and cup match at the Ricoh Arena will go down as one of the poorest the ground has seen since it opened its doors in August in 2005.
You would have thought Reading who had made overtones in their local press in midweek that they did not want another season in the Championship and that Steve Coppell who recently passed the 1,000th game mark could be facing an exit from the Madejski Stadium, would have been chomping at the bit to get at the Sky Blues and take the points off them but no.
We sat in the Ricoh Arena in bright sunlight for the first half and witnessed a dour opening forty five minutes. Neither goalkeeper was really tested in a game which started with good applause from the City faithful including a good mate from San Francisco for Jay Tabb who started for the Royals after impressing in a midweek reserve game against Lewes.
Leon Best and Clinton Morrison, who had been back at Selhurst Park in a charity game last Sunday, got in some good lay-offs and knock downs but apart from Danny Fox failing to reproduce his goal earlier in the season at the Madejski with a 24th minute free kick, there was little to get the 17,000 crowd going until the 28th minute when Mr Kettle, whose mistakes have annoyed those who watched City Reserves back at Highfield Road, made completely the wrong decision in giving Reading a corner.
Even the Biscuitmen looked purplexed at this decision which eventually turned into a second and third corner that were correctly awarded.
Shane Long was a nuisance for Reading and such a pest that Ben Turner took him out in the 37th minute and became the first caution of the afternoon. Long then incurred the wrath of the Tescos Stand just before the break when he went down in an attempt to get Turner sent off.
Up front with Long was Dave Kitson, now when he last played against City when Reading were promoted to the Premier League, Kitson was a massive handful. Today, that sort of threat looked like something confined to the history books as Kitson seemed more interested in having his say with the referee rather than trying to get his team a victory.
Leon Best was replaced by Robbie Simpson at the break and still, Coventry failed to seriously threaten the Reading goal when they attacked the CT Stand.
Mr Kettle had a spell of flashing his card, everytime a player went down. Some very easy and some deserved. In total, six players were booked in the second half including Jay Tabb.
It was noticeable, how many City fans did not even bothing coming back up for the first part of the second half of the game and stayed on the concourse to see how their horses were going in the Grand National.
State Of Play was my tip but the state of play on the pitch was that nothing had really happened by the time those who had watched the race had returned to their seats.
Copppell tried to change things with a 67th minute double switch and after Beuzelin had fired wide from seven yards in the 79th minute with City's best chance. Jay Tabb left to good applause.
With for once ineffective Jordan Henderson already replaced by Issac Osbourne, Coleman took the other wingman and equally ineffective Freddie Eastwood, off to bring on Marcus Hall and keep things tight at the back and ensure that City earned a point from a game that was best forgotten by all those who saw it.