PRESTON NORTH END 3-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City have never won an away league game on New Years Eve. Neither have they recorded a league victory at Deepdale since relegation from the Premiership and so it continued with a 3-1 defeat at Preston North End.
When the fixtures were announced,I like a number of City supporters had contacted the club suggesting an earlier kick off time for this game on New Years Eve may be beneficial to all concerned. Both City and Preston agreed and we were on the M6 heading to the North West bright and early,although not as early as one hardy City supporter who had left his home in Kent at 5.30am.
Micky Adams was forced to shuffle his pack after the injuries to Robert Page,Richard Duffy and the suspension of Michael Doyle and in came Matt Heath,Kevin Thornton,Andy Impey and James Scowcroft for Dele Adebola who only lasted an hour of the midweek game against Crewe.
Preston who had their midweek game at Plymouth Argyle postponed very late on, laid siege to the City goal from the out set.
Five corners were won by the home side in the opening fifteen minutes whilst City, in their unprofessional looking kit of black shorts and sky blue shorts,could only manage a long kick from keeper Marton Fulop.
Two more corners for Preston followed before Lewis Neal attacked down the left and centred for Adam Nowland to beat Fulop to the ball and tap into the net in the 25th minute.
Marton Fulop punched away a deflected Chris Sedgewick shot for a corner as City's failure to control the ball when they could get it,meant they were always under pressure.
In the 39th minute,Preston went further ahead. This time,Patrick Agyemang got into the penalty area. Andy Whing, who was having a nightmare half,let Agyemang get past him before shoving him over. Referee Lee Probert,a replacement for the ill Steve Tanner awarded a penalty. Up stepped Canley Kid Graham Alexander to fire past Fulop and make it two-nil.
Don Hutchison, in what could be his last game for City if his wage demands prove to be out of Micky Adams budget, saw his deflected free kick go out for a 44th minute corner. This brought a huge cheer from the 800-900 City support. Unfortunately, James Scowcroft header was well wide.
Preston should have been down to ten men when Youl Mawene brought down City's only striker in Gary McSheffrey. Mawene had already been cautioned but he was only given a talking to.
Boosted by this left off,Preston went straight up the other end. Agyemang crossed from the left,a header inside the six yard box deflected the ball into the path of Chris Sedgewick who drove the ball into the net at the end of a very miserable first half.
Some City fans took that as a cue to leave. It was a first half that bad that the Preston keeper Carlo Nash stayed on the pitch having a kick about, in order to stay warm after not touching the ball in the opening 45 minutes.
Micky Adams used the break to make changes and threw on Marcus Hall and Stern John.
With Andy Whing looking happier at centre half and Andy Impey having a fine game, City looked better.
A 48th minute attack saw Gary McSheffrey break through. Unfortunately,his lofted ball failed to get over the arms of Nash who parried the ball away.
Agyemang crashed a 54th minute shot off the post with Stern John hitting the side netting at the other end.
The Trinidad & Tobago international striker was well received by the travelling Sky Blue support and in the 57th minute,his name was being chanted when he pulled a goal back for the Sky Blues.
A Claus Jorgensen free kick had been initially blocked,the ball was played back in by McSheffrey,Scowcroft headed on for Stern John to come from in front of his marker and stab the ball past the advancing Nash.
Did it spark a fightback? Did it hell as like. City went back to their normal selves whilst Preston did the bare minimum.
Coventry City have never won an away league game on New Years Eve. Neither have they recorded a league victory at Deepdale since relegation from the Premiership and so it continued with a 3-1 defeat at Preston North End.
When the fixtures were announced,I like a number of City supporters had contacted the club suggesting an earlier kick off time for this game on New Years Eve may be beneficial to all concerned. Both City and Preston agreed and we were on the M6 heading to the North West bright and early,although not as early as one hardy City supporter who had left his home in Kent at 5.30am.
Micky Adams was forced to shuffle his pack after the injuries to Robert Page,Richard Duffy and the suspension of Michael Doyle and in came Matt Heath,Kevin Thornton,Andy Impey and James Scowcroft for Dele Adebola who only lasted an hour of the midweek game against Crewe.
Preston who had their midweek game at Plymouth Argyle postponed very late on, laid siege to the City goal from the out set.
Five corners were won by the home side in the opening fifteen minutes whilst City, in their unprofessional looking kit of black shorts and sky blue shorts,could only manage a long kick from keeper Marton Fulop.
Two more corners for Preston followed before Lewis Neal attacked down the left and centred for Adam Nowland to beat Fulop to the ball and tap into the net in the 25th minute.
Marton Fulop punched away a deflected Chris Sedgewick shot for a corner as City's failure to control the ball when they could get it,meant they were always under pressure.
In the 39th minute,Preston went further ahead. This time,Patrick Agyemang got into the penalty area. Andy Whing, who was having a nightmare half,let Agyemang get past him before shoving him over. Referee Lee Probert,a replacement for the ill Steve Tanner awarded a penalty. Up stepped Canley Kid Graham Alexander to fire past Fulop and make it two-nil.
Don Hutchison, in what could be his last game for City if his wage demands prove to be out of Micky Adams budget, saw his deflected free kick go out for a 44th minute corner. This brought a huge cheer from the 800-900 City support. Unfortunately, James Scowcroft header was well wide.
Preston should have been down to ten men when Youl Mawene brought down City's only striker in Gary McSheffrey. Mawene had already been cautioned but he was only given a talking to.
Boosted by this left off,Preston went straight up the other end. Agyemang crossed from the left,a header inside the six yard box deflected the ball into the path of Chris Sedgewick who drove the ball into the net at the end of a very miserable first half.
Some City fans took that as a cue to leave. It was a first half that bad that the Preston keeper Carlo Nash stayed on the pitch having a kick about, in order to stay warm after not touching the ball in the opening 45 minutes.
Micky Adams used the break to make changes and threw on Marcus Hall and Stern John.
With Andy Whing looking happier at centre half and Andy Impey having a fine game, City looked better.
A 48th minute attack saw Gary McSheffrey break through. Unfortunately,his lofted ball failed to get over the arms of Nash who parried the ball away.
Agyemang crashed a 54th minute shot off the post with Stern John hitting the side netting at the other end.
The Trinidad & Tobago international striker was well received by the travelling Sky Blue support and in the 57th minute,his name was being chanted when he pulled a goal back for the Sky Blues.
A Claus Jorgensen free kick had been initially blocked,the ball was played back in by McSheffrey,Scowcroft headed on for Stern John to come from in front of his marker and stab the ball past the advancing Nash.
Did it spark a fightback? Did it hell as like. City went back to their normal selves whilst Preston did the bare minimum.
Claus Jorgensen's set pieces were at best often woeful whilst the only thing Andy Morrell who replaced Kevin Thornton,got right was getting the home keeper booked.
Both sides won corners at the end but the damage had been done and the last game of 2005 ended in defeat.
HT PNEFC 3-0 CCFC
FT PNEFC 3-1 CCFC
ATT 10,496
Goals Adam Nowland (25), Graham Alexander (39),Chris Sedgwick (44),Stern John (57)
Both sides won corners at the end but the damage had been done and the last game of 2005 ended in defeat.
HT PNEFC 3-0 CCFC
FT PNEFC 3-1 CCFC
ATT 10,496
Goals Adam Nowland (25), Graham Alexander (39),Chris Sedgwick (44),Stern John (57)
Booked Mawene,Osbourne,Nash
Team
Fulop,Whing,Shaw (Hall 46),Heath,Osbourne,Jorgensen,
Team
Fulop,Whing,Shaw (Hall 46),Heath,Osbourne,Jorgensen,
Impey.Hutchison (John (46),Scowcroft,Thornton (Morrell 56),McSheffrey SNU Ince,Adebola
Preston
Nash,Alexander,Davis,Mawene (Lucketti 46),Jones,Neal,Sedgewick, Hill,Agyemang,Nugent (Hibbert 81),Nowland (Davidson 64)