COVENTRY CITY 2-1 YEOVIL TOWN
City: Allsop, Willis (Hines 73), Clarke, Webster, Johnson, Thomas, Fleck, Haynes, McQuoid, (Jackson 46) O'Brien, Nouble (Phillips 90) Subs: Burge, Pugh, Swanson, Tudgay.
Yeovil: Weale, Smith, Edwards (Ralph 73), Martin, Sokolik, Dawson, Hayter (Grant 50), Leitch-Smith, Foley (Moore 73) Price, Nugent. Subs: Krysiak, Twumasi.
HT CCFC 1-0 YTFC FT CCFC 2-1 YTFC ATT 11.085
Goals Reda Johnson 6, Sam Foley 51, Simeon Jackson 67
Referee D.Whitestone
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Coventry City worked hard and beat Yeovil Town 2-1 at The Ricoh Arena.
With Steven Pressley, Neil MacFarlane and Darren Murray tied down on new deals, the Sky Blues took on Yeovil Town in their second game back at the Ricoh Arena.
There were queues of ninety minutes plus as supporters tried to get a ticket or get their season tickets as City took to the field with Josh McQuoid replacing Marcus Tudgay.
That City team faced a Yeovil side who had won at Bradford City last week and was a side which included former City loanee Arron Martin.
The match was not delayed and the game kicked off just after 3pm with City attacking the end where the few hundred Yeovil fans.
The hard working Jordan Clarke got in an early shot and then City won a third minute corner which was punched away by Weale who then caught a volley from O'Brien.
Another two corners on the other side followed two minutes later and the second of these fell for Reda Johnson to volley past Weale from close range and delight those in the ground who were singing the name of Steven Pressley, who was in a 1960's style mac with trousers and brown shoes.
With everyone who wanted a ticket now in the grounds and the crowd looking to be around the 13,000 mark although a figure of 11.085 with 485 visiting supporters was officially announced, City kept pressing and in the tenth minute, O'Brien crashed a volley against the bar before Nouble leant back and fired over
Joe Edwards won himself a free kick 24 yards out. Sam Foley took the kick and Allsop got down to smother.
Frank Nouble was proving a handful and was unlucky not to score in the 26th minute when he flicked wide after a neat run.
In the 31st minute, Yeovil hit the woodwork thanks to Leitch-Smith’s attempt at the North Stand end with a bicycle kick. James Hayter reacted first but sent his shot wide of Allsop's left hand post.
Yeovil had Sokolik head over before there was a minute's applause for former Coventry runner Lesley Bates, whose family had booked the Ricoh for an event and match today and had to make concessions to their booking in order for this game to go ahead.
City won a corner and Hayter headed wide as the half ended with City ahead.
Simeon Jackson, who had been away with the Canadian national team came on for McQuoid for a second half which started brightly with Nouble having an effort saved and then a corner. But out of nothing, Yeovil, who went in the game not having lost to City in a competitive match, drew level in the 51st minute when Sam Foley got on the end of a short pass.
With the City support booing Nathan Smith for an un-punished elbow on Jordan Clarke, the tackles started to fly in and Jim O'Brien was the victim of one seething tackle around the hour mark.
But In the 67th minute, the Sky Blue Song was echoing around the Ricoh Arena when Nouble won a header and sent the ball across the face of the goal for Simeon Jackson, who set two goals up for his country on Tuesday night, to tap past Weale, who had initially parried.
With Jordan Willis taking a knock, Seb Hines was sent on for the last seventeen minutes, seconds after Gary Johnson made a double switch replacing Edwards, who had played well and the Glovers goal-scorer Sam Foley.
Reda Johnson continued to get in headers to stop Yeovil attacks as did Webster, although Allsop probably should have called when the Scot cut out an 83rd minute cross.
O'Brien, who was in midfield with the excellent John Fleck and the industrious Conor Thomas, teed up Jackson for a shot in the 86th minute which produced another corner which had to be taken again.
Nouble continued to give the Yeovil defence problems before leaving to a standing ovation in the 90th minute of a game which brought City a deserved victory.