TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR RESERVES 2-2 COVENTRY CITY RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Reserves put in their best performance of the second half of the season to earn a well deserved point at Tottenham Hotspur.
Alan Cork brought Neil Wood and keeper Jonny Tuffey back after the pair had missed Tuesday's defeat at Watford and kept faith with Craig Reid and Vijay Sidhu up front as Eddy Johnson was against conspicuous by his absence. With Johnson well down the first team pecking, it seems fair to assume that we won't be seeing the loanee from Manchester United in a sky blue shirt again.
There was a further change before kick off with Stuart Wall pulling his groin and Ben Turner had to deputise.
Clive Allen who appeared at Highfield Road last week in the Micky Gynn Testimonial fielded a strong side that included former Sky Blue Jonnie Jackson and Egyptian International Mournir El Hamadaoui.
With Micky Adams watching on,amongst a crowd of around 300 at Broadhall Way, it was the North Londoners who drew first blood in the seventh minute when Mark Yeates jinked his way through the defence to fire low into the net from eight yards.
Tonight however,the Sky Blues were in no mood to roll over and die and they started to fight back.
Liam Davis fired wide from a 12th minute,defence splitting ball from Liam Nicell.
City's pacy left winger had another chance eight minutes later, A thirty yard run from the industrious Kevin Thornton,saw the young Irishman checked and he knocked the ball back for Davis to blast wide.
In the 25th minute, Thornton was pulled back by Mark Yeates who was cautioned. The resulting free kick from Neil Wood produced a corner and then a free kick.
Kevin Thornton sent the kick deep into the penalty area, Spurs keeper Robert Burch flapped at it and conceded a corner. This time, Neil Wood delivered the ball deep to the far post for BEN TURNER to nod into the net.
Referee Mr Beck harshly cautioned Paul Ifil for a trip on Davis on the 39th minute as the rain set in for the night.
Ben Turner who was having a fine game keeping the league's top scorer Lee Barnard under control, headed wide just before the break as City finished the half the stronger.
El Hamadaoui looked useful in spells and forced Tuffey into a diving save six minutes into the second with a close range effort inside the six yard box.
Despite himself and Craig Reid being marked by two Man Mountains in Goran Bunjevcevic and Rodrigo Defendi, Vijay Sidhu almost put the Sky Blues ahead in the 53rd minute when he raced onto a Nicell through ball and drilled wide.
It was a miss that proved costly as two minutes later,Spurs who had substituted defender Emil Hallfredsson, scored.
Jonny Tuffey,watched by his hero Pat Jennings, had done well to initially block a Hamadaoui shot. Unfortunately, he could not prevent MARK YEATES from drilling the ball home from fifteen yards.
All this did was kick start the Sky Blues, with Thornton and Wood shutting down the Spurs midfield.
In the 62nd minute, came the goal of the game and a contestant for City Reserves goal of the season. LIAM DAVIS picked up on a mistake by James O'Hara inside his own half. He ran through the Spurs defence for over thirty yards before smashing a piledriver high into the net from twenty five yards out.
The goal was well applauded by the fifteen City supporters and the majority of the crowd with Micky Adams who was sat next to Martin Jol,sporting a broad smile.
The Sky Blues were firmly now in the driving seat having stopped Spurs from playing and were creating chances of their own.
Liam Nicell fired wide and in the 72nd minute,Craig Reid followed suit,toe poking wide from ten yards.
Paul McCrink was brought on for Vijay Sidhu with nine minutes to go as another good move from Thornton saw him check back for Liam Nicell to drive wide.
Coventry City Reserves put in their best performance of the second half of the season to earn a well deserved point at Tottenham Hotspur.
Alan Cork brought Neil Wood and keeper Jonny Tuffey back after the pair had missed Tuesday's defeat at Watford and kept faith with Craig Reid and Vijay Sidhu up front as Eddy Johnson was against conspicuous by his absence. With Johnson well down the first team pecking, it seems fair to assume that we won't be seeing the loanee from Manchester United in a sky blue shirt again.
There was a further change before kick off with Stuart Wall pulling his groin and Ben Turner had to deputise.
Clive Allen who appeared at Highfield Road last week in the Micky Gynn Testimonial fielded a strong side that included former Sky Blue Jonnie Jackson and Egyptian International Mournir El Hamadaoui.
With Micky Adams watching on,amongst a crowd of around 300 at Broadhall Way, it was the North Londoners who drew first blood in the seventh minute when Mark Yeates jinked his way through the defence to fire low into the net from eight yards.
Tonight however,the Sky Blues were in no mood to roll over and die and they started to fight back.
Liam Davis fired wide from a 12th minute,defence splitting ball from Liam Nicell.
City's pacy left winger had another chance eight minutes later, A thirty yard run from the industrious Kevin Thornton,saw the young Irishman checked and he knocked the ball back for Davis to blast wide.
In the 25th minute, Thornton was pulled back by Mark Yeates who was cautioned. The resulting free kick from Neil Wood produced a corner and then a free kick.
Kevin Thornton sent the kick deep into the penalty area, Spurs keeper Robert Burch flapped at it and conceded a corner. This time, Neil Wood delivered the ball deep to the far post for BEN TURNER to nod into the net.
Referee Mr Beck harshly cautioned Paul Ifil for a trip on Davis on the 39th minute as the rain set in for the night.
Ben Turner who was having a fine game keeping the league's top scorer Lee Barnard under control, headed wide just before the break as City finished the half the stronger.
El Hamadaoui looked useful in spells and forced Tuffey into a diving save six minutes into the second with a close range effort inside the six yard box.
Despite himself and Craig Reid being marked by two Man Mountains in Goran Bunjevcevic and Rodrigo Defendi, Vijay Sidhu almost put the Sky Blues ahead in the 53rd minute when he raced onto a Nicell through ball and drilled wide.
It was a miss that proved costly as two minutes later,Spurs who had substituted defender Emil Hallfredsson, scored.
Jonny Tuffey,watched by his hero Pat Jennings, had done well to initially block a Hamadaoui shot. Unfortunately, he could not prevent MARK YEATES from drilling the ball home from fifteen yards.
All this did was kick start the Sky Blues, with Thornton and Wood shutting down the Spurs midfield.
In the 62nd minute, came the goal of the game and a contestant for City Reserves goal of the season. LIAM DAVIS picked up on a mistake by James O'Hara inside his own half. He ran through the Spurs defence for over thirty yards before smashing a piledriver high into the net from twenty five yards out.
The goal was well applauded by the fifteen City supporters and the majority of the crowd with Micky Adams who was sat next to Martin Jol,sporting a broad smile.
The Sky Blues were firmly now in the driving seat having stopped Spurs from playing and were creating chances of their own.
Liam Nicell fired wide and in the 72nd minute,Craig Reid followed suit,toe poking wide from ten yards.
Paul McCrink was brought on for Vijay Sidhu with nine minutes to go as another good move from Thornton saw him check back for Liam Nicell to drive wide.
Two minutes from the end, a coat of paint stopped City from taking all the points that this performance deserved. Liam Nicell was involved again working with Andy Hall to get over a cross which Liam Davis rose to nod on to the crossbar before agonisingly being cleared away with Craig Reid set to pounce.
A win would have been brilliant but to hear Spurs fans leaving the ground, saying that their side were lucky to get a point made our efforts to get there worthwhile.
HT THFC 1-1 CCFC FT THFC 2-2 CCFC
ATT 300
GOALS Mark Yeates (7 & 51 mins)
Ben Turner (27 mins)
Liam Davis (62 mins)
BOOKED Mark Yeates,Phil Ifil
MAN OF THE MATCH - Kevin Thornton, Liam Davis and Ben Turner were the pick of a very good bunch.
TEAM
Tuffey,Hall,Lynch,Wood,Turner,Bains,Nicell, Thornton,Reid,Sidhu (McCrink 81),Davis SNU Wall,Ogarro,Layfield,Stringfellow.
SPURS
Burch,Ifill,Hallfredsson (McKie 55),Jackson, Bunjevcevic,Defendi, Limbersky (15 Dilveski 82),O'Hara (McKenna 71),Barnard,
El Hamadaoui,Yeates SNU Eyre,Malcolm