OLDHAM ATHLETIC 3-2 COVENTRY CITY
CITY: Charles-Cook, Foley, Nathan Clarke (C), Rawson, Haynes, Reilly, Rose, Gadzhev, (Kwame Thomas 68) George Thomas (Lameiras 86), Reid, (Jones 71) Tudgay. Subs: Burge (GK), Dion Kelly-Evans, Turnbull, Bigirimana.
Oldham: Ripley, Wilson, O'Neill. Peter Clarke. Gerrard. Flynn, (Ngoo 59), Amadi-Holloway (Green 18), Taylor, Hunt, Fane (Banks 59) McLoughlin. Subs: Kettings. Croft,, Oseyi, Obadeyi.
HT OAFC 1-1 CCFC FT OAFC 3-2 CCFC ATT 3,766 GOALS – Kevin Foley own goal 7, Marcus Tudgay 9, Peter Clarke 66, Ryan McLoughlin 70, Kwame Thomas 76
You get no luck when you are bottom of the league and this was proved as Coventry City went down to a 3-2 defeat at Oldham Athletic.
After booking their place at Wembley on Tuesday night, it was back to the day job for the Sky Blues who went into this game staring relegation in the face and taking on an Oldham side who have been bottom themselves and still deep in relegation trouble themselves.
Russell Slade made changes from the team which has lost to Millwall with Reece Charles-Cook back in goal and Vladimir Ghadzev in midfield.
On a bitterly cold day at Boundary Park, and after Coventry's first number one hit Mouldy Old Dough had blasted out of the tannoy, the Sky Blues started off on the backfoot, having to defend a free kick and a corner in the opening seconds.
The game burst into life in the seventh minute, Oldham got down the right through Flynn and past Clarke and the ball went in off Kevin Foley and into the net.
The chants of "Carlisle On A Tuesday Night" were still going round the away end when Marcus Tudgay ran through and hit a cracking shot which flew past Ripley on his left to get City level.
The goal was celebrated by the City support which was around the five hundred mark and included supporters from Glasgow, Somerset and Brighton. who watched on as a number of Oldham players needed treatment including Holloway who had to be replaced in the 18th minute.
Oldham were making the City defence work and forced a corner in the 24th minute after a Gerrard free kick had gone straight into the wall.
After a minute's applause for an Oldham fan who sadly passed away, a City corner came to nothing. However, on the half hour mark, Callum Reilly ran and thumped a shot on to the underside of the bar.
Reilly, who again worked hard, sent a ball across the box, leading to a 33rd minute corner.
City escaped following a Charles-Cook fumble but were back defending a 37th minute free kick despite the best attempts of Ghadzev to give the ball back.
That eventually led to a 39th minute corner which City were able to clear against a Oldham side who had a Chris Taylor shot and a corner before City had a spell of possession at the end of the first half.
The feeling amongst the City support at half time was that City could win this game and if Ghadzev could improve his passing, the Sky Blues could be more effective.
Four minutes in and a good move saw Reid find the full of running George Thomas who hit a shot which was deflected onto Ripley's right hand post for the first of two corners.
Oldham had a shot and Reid sent a free kick in to the wall as City continued to look for the break against a Latics side that had used all their substitutes with half an hour to go.
The changes lifted the home side and their support and they were the ones creating the chances and in the 66th minute, the ball came over. Reece Charles-Cook was clearly fouled and so the City players stood expecting a free kick but Peter Clarke bundled the loose ball home.
The City support fumed at the referee as Ghadzev was replaced but in the 70th minute, it was 3-1 when Ryan McLoughlin got through to fire home.
City had a corner and free kick scrambled away and in the 76th minute, a goal to celebrate when Kwame Thomas rose to head into the net.
The Sky Blues tried to get an equaliser with Kwame Thomas and Reilly having shots on goal but it was another defeat and the latest in a run of fourteen games without a win.
