Shot Shy City Beaten At Bristol City

Last updated : 11 March 2009 By Kev Monks at Ashton Gate
BRISTOL CITY 2-2 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS

TEAM
Westwood,Wright,McPake,Turner.Hall,Henderson (Simpson 78), Beuzelin,Doyle,Eastwood (Bell 60),Morrison,Best SNU Ward,Osbourne, Marshall

Bristol City
Basso,Carey,McCombe, Fontane,Orr,Williams,Johnson,McIndoe,McAllister, John (Styver 63), Maynard (Adebola 63) SNU Weale, Sproule, Wilson.

HT BCFC 0-0 CCFC FT BCFC 2-0 CCFC Att 15,706
Goals Jamie McAllister (65), Lee Johnson (79)
Ref P.Crossley Booked Morrison, Carey, McPake
Man Of The Match - Keiren Westwood, Leon Best and Marcus Hall shared the votes.
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman named a team which saw James McPake back in defence and Guilly Beuzelin starting in midfield.

Bristol City boss Gary Johnson started with former Sky Blues Louis Carey and Stern John and had Dele Adebola on the bench.
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Coventry City never looked like scoring and went down to a second half defeat at Bristol City.

There was plenty of traffic around as we made our way down the M5 to Ashton Gate and managed to find somewhere to park for the first of two difficult away games in four days.

There was around seven hundred City fans in the away end with its restricted views, with supporters from as far away as Canada,Denmark, Cambridgeshire and Kent, joining City supporters from the Midlands, South West and Wales and as the match started, we were joined by Aron Gunnarsson, accompanied by his mum and brother.

The Ice Man didn't join in any of our songs but stood there with a big grin when the whole end sang his name.

He watched as City had plenty of the ball thanks to Beuzelin acting as playmaker and putting in some good passes early on.

It was Keiren Westwood who was the busiest of the two keepers in the first half. Apart from catching a James McPake header in the 11th minute, Brasso in the Bristol City goal had little to really do.

Gary Johnson's side who included former Sky Blues Stern John and Louis Carey and their fans who were all bouncing up and down in every stand in rotation, could have taken the lead in the 24th minute when Jamie McAllister got through but again Westwood was on hand to deal with the trouble.

Turner and McPake both made well time clearing tackles as the Robins took the game to the Sky Blues who were relying on the counter attack.

Just after the half hour mark, Keiren Westwood made four saves in the space of three minutes including a double save after Jamie McCombe header.

City continued to block and try to hold the home side until the 42nd minute when they were awarded a free kick. Jordan Henderson, who was tightly marked tonight, took the kick and Clinton Morrison got enough on it to send it into the net. We all started going mad including Aron Gunnarsson but a shirt pull had been spotted and the goal was disallowed by referee Phil Crossley

Two minutes of time were added on at the end of the first half and in the dying seconds saw the hard working Marcus Hall get back to hook the ball off the line after it had gone over Westwood's head.

There were no changes at the break by Chris Coleman. That game on the hour mark when David Bell came on for Freddie Eastwood, who had been on the left of a three pronged strike force.

One of his other strike partners wasted a good chance before Bell's entrance when he drove across the goal after good work from Wright and Henderson.

Dele Adebola came on for the home side in the 63rd minute and received some good applause from the City fans whom he had clapped a number of times as he warmed up.

In the 65th minute, the Sky Blues went a goal down when a corner was laid back to Jamie McAllister. His shot from twenty odd yards was sweetly struck and flew into the top of the net.

Another good save from Westwood diving to his left stopped McAllister from scoring again whilst the City support were suddenly plunged into darkness when the lights in the away end went out.

Thankfully,somebody found 50p for the meter but all we saw was Bell and Henderson go wide with efforts.

With eleven minutes left, City had a free kick. Beuzelin lost possession. Bristol City broke down the left and Lee Johnson was on hand at the far post to score.

Many of the Sky Blue Army took this as their queue to leave and who could blame them.

Yet again, the opposing keeper had had a very easy night of it and unless Chris Coleman either gets a goal scoring striker to play along with Leon Best or can get his midfield to treble their goals tally, any hope of making the play-offs now looks a pipe dream.