Own Goal Saves City's Day

Coventry

Westwood, Wright, Cranie, McPake, Wood, Gunnarsson (Deegan 56), Bell (Morrison 69), McIndoe, , Clingan, Baker, Best (Eastwood 74) SNU Konstanopolous, Grandison, Hussey, Barnett

Blackpool

Rachubka, Crainey, Southern, Evatt, Edwards, Vaughan, Taylor-Fletcher, Baptiste, Omerod (sent off 51), Adams (Demontagnac 86), Bannan (Burgess 80) SNU Gilks, Euell, Nardiello, Butler

HT CCFC 0-0 BFC FT CCFC 1-1 BFC ATT 16,019
Goals Barry Bannan (68), Alex Baptiste (own goal 81)

Referee D,Whitestone

Booked Adam Sent Off Omerod (51)

Man Of The Match Carl Baker, Richard Wood, James McPake and Michael McIndoe, all had nominations

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Coventry City kept their manager Chris Coleman happy by snatching a goal in the 81st minute to earn a draw against Blackpool.

Whilst there has been talk of some supporters not renewing their season tickets due to the football on offer from the Sky Blues, Chris Coleman's seemingly scare to lose tactics had not affected the gate too much and boosted by the usual Primary schools take up of tickets and supporters from Ireland including Ray The Jinx, Northern Ireland and Wales coming in, over 16,000 which included a thousand from one of Britain's worst seaside resorts watched the game.

We witnessed a rather turgid first half in which City, who attacked the sunny end that was the Jewson Stand , were nearly ahead inside forty seconds when Carl Baker, who was playing as an attacking midfielder in a very loose 4-5-1 formation which changed to 4-3-3 when City attacked was denied by the visiting keeper.

Blackpool, who have been inspired this season by manager Ian Holloway, who had to watch from the Main Stand, always looked threatening on the break.

Stephen Wright was first to concede a corner in the third minute and although the back four made some individual errors, they did a good job in keeping Adams and Barry Bannan, who had been indentified by the Sky Blues as a threat in check.

One of those defenders was James McPake and earlier this week, the Scot had commented that he wanted to be the first player to kick a ball out of the Ricoh Arena. He tried in the 19th minute but only succeded in finding the back wall of the Main Stand.

Although his long throw-ins were ineffective, Aron Gunnarsson worked hard in midfield, always read to chase, making up for the lack of width that David Bell had.

In the 28th minute, the hard work was almost undone when a mistake by Martin Cranie let in Keith Southern, who thankfully, scooped the ball wide of the far post.

The home crowd although pretty quiet were hoping for City to attack and in the 32nd minute, Leon Best, wriggled free of his marker but fired into the side netting.

Now Michael McIndoe has come in for some stick of late but today was one of his better games and a peach of a cross from the winger was headed over by Baker just before the break.

Whatever Ian Holloway, who got on well with many of the City supporters in Ibiza in 2005, during his tenure as QPR boss, lifted his side as they came out fired up for the second half.

Two minutes after the restart, Leon Best initially had a shot blocked before Blackpool broke to win a couple of corners. Then a further two minutes later, Bannan hit a lovely shot, which crashed against the underside of the bar before being cleared.

In the 51st minute, Blackpool won a corner. There was a melee of players and the next thing Aron Gunnarsson is on the ground in his own penalty area and referee Mr Whitestone, who had a good game, was producing a red card to send off Brett Omerod.

"Fight, Fight" sang the City fans, singing their first song of the afternoon as Omerod trudged off and Gunnarsson was helped to his feet, clearly looking like he was not in full command of his faculties.

The Icelander was replaced and Gary Deegan sent on. Now with Blackpool down to ten men, the feeling amongst the City support, which was minus one after an ejection from the scoreboard end, was that this was the time for change to 4-4-2 and bring on either Clinton Morrison or Freddy Eastwood to boost the attack.

The City management decided to wait and in the 65th minute, when Carl Baker was given no support as he attempted to break, sections of the City support made their opinions known.

There had been a few "Coleman Out" chants from some of the disgruntled in the Scoreboard End whilst the boos from others could be heard ringing round the Arena.

That got worse when the ten men from Blackpool took the lead, three minutes later, James McPake looked to have been shoved as he tried to head the ball away but it fell to Barry Bannan, who showed why City were right to be wary of him, with a tremendous 30 yard shot that bounced into the roof of the net.

Clinton Morrison was sent on for David Bell as City switched to 4-4-2 with Carl Baker taking up a better position on the right wing and in the 71st minute, there were boos as Leon Best was replaced by Freddy Eastwood. Whether those who booed, were booing the substitution or Best himself, I could not say.

What it did was to add more spirit to the City side and the presence of Eastwood started to unsettle the visiting defence that featured Coventrian Ian Evatt.

With fifteen minutes left, Stephen Wright got in a lovely cross that Morrison swept into Rachubka's arms and then the Scouser did well to play in Eastwood for a twenty yard volley that went not too far over.

The City fans, were urging the Sky Blues on and in the 81st minute, Carl Baker produced a wonderful bit of skill to find Gary Deegan on the edge of the area. The Irishman hit a shot, which first hit one defender and then Alex Baptitste before going into the net and bringing back a smile to the faces of the Sky Blue Army.

A minimum of seven minutes of time was correctly added and City survived to take the point and prevent Blackpool's first win at Coventry since 1936/37.