COVENTRY CITY 2-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City put in their best home performance of the season to see off high flying Wolves.
Leon McKenzie had a thigh injury so Iain Dowie made one change from the side that had drawn at Colchester and brought in Michael Mifsud.
Kick off was delayed by seventeen minutes due to heavy traffic around the ground but that did not affect the Sky Blues in the slightest.
Straight from the first whistle from referee Pete Walton (a man who knows the streets of Coventry well), City refused to let a Wolves side which included former Sky Blue settle and attacked them at will.
Michael Doyle had forced Wolves keeper Matt Murray into a second minute save and then,Mifsud in only his second start, got into the penalty area and was brought down by Jackie McNamara. It looked a cast iron penalty but Mr Walton was not of that opinion and waved away loud appeals from both the City supporters in a crowd of 22,099 and the players.
Mr Walton was probably trying too hard to be neutral and in the five minute.Michael Doyle was send crashing from an over the top challenge by Michael Kightly. Players started to square up to each other but things calmed down and the game continued.
Jackie McNamara was the first name in the book when he was cautioned in the 13th minute for a foul on Mifsud.
By now,Coventry were the better footballing side, passing crisply and moving the ball around the park at often a frenetic pace with Hughes and Doyle always involved.
It was the former City captain who was involved in the Sky Blues taking the lead in the 26th minute. The midfielder took a free kick from inside his own half and sent it very deep into the penalty area. A Wolves defender tried to head the ball back to his keeper. The ball bounced and there was Dele Adebola to thump the ball into the net.
The threat posed by Michael Mifsud was now becoming evident to all and in the 33rd minute, the Maltese international did very well to use his pace to get in a shot which Murray push away. Unfortunately, there was no-one following up and the loose ball was cleared.
It was approaching the half-time break and supporters were heading for the exits in order to get a beer or use the toilet when the game suddenly changed.
Rob Edwards was cautioned and in the 44th minute, Jackie McNamara was dismissed for a second bookable offence when he brought down Isaac Osbourne in front of the Main Stand.
A large Wolves following which I reckon was well over 4,500 did not have time to berate the referee as straight after the incident their side were level.
The visitors who had beaten local rivals West Brom on Sunday attacked down the right. The ball was sent to the far post. Andy Marshall did well to get a hand to Seyi Olofinjana's header but there was Michael Kightly who beat Ward to the loose ball and stroked it into the net for the equaliser.
That was the last of the action for Kightly as he was replaced at the break. A defender was what Mick McCarthy's side needed as the attacks from the Sky Blues kept coming.
City had two shots early on before a Hughes effort was deflected for a 49th minute corner.
When Wolves did get forward, there was no way they were getting past Colin Hawkins. At the opposite end, Neil Collins was dealing with the balls lumped high into the air in the direction of Michael Mifsud.
In the 63rd minute, Isaac Osbourne took a knock and had to be replaced by Chris Birchall. The midfielder who has been impressive in the last few reserve games, relished this opportunity of an outing and slotted straight into the side.
Four minutes later, Dowie's second change saw Jay Tabb replaced by Khalliol Fadiga, a touch quieter than Birchall, he like the rest of his team mates put in a worthwhile contribution.
It was on the ground that Michael Mifsud was proving a handful. He had a 67th minute shot pushed away for a corner and mirrored that two minutes later with a shot that was deflected.
Stephen Hughes took the flag kick in front of the CT Stand and sent it to the far post where Elliott Ward was waiting to sweep the ball into the net for City's first goal from a corner this season and the first in a second half since Iain Dowie took over.
Jay Bothroyd was sent on by the former Republic Of Ireland and Millwall boss. His appearance on the field of play was met by a string of boos and he abuse continued every time he touched the ball.
As attention from this excellent game was momentarily diverted by a Wolves fan being ejected from the CT Stand, Michael Doyle could have given City a greater margin of victory when he fired into the side netting and in the 83rd minute,drove straight at Murray from a Birchall cross.
Andy Marshall had been a virtual spectator for most of the second half but made a great stop from a Bothroyd effort.
Iain Dowie continued to urge his charges on whilst Mick McCarthy ended up grabbing one of his by the neck.
Deep in stoppage time, Michael Mifsud nearly had the goal his performance merited but he slipped when clean through.
Marshall saved from a late Bothroyd free kick as the City players,management and supporters savoured three points from their finest home performance this season.
HT CCFC 1-1 WWFC FT CCFC 2-1 WWFC
ATT 22,099
GOALS Dele Adebola (26), Michael Kightly (45), Elliott Ward (69)
Booked McNamara x2, Edwards,Kightly
Sent Off McNamara (44)
TEAM
Marshall,Virgo,Hawkins,Ward,Hall,Hughes,Doyle, Tabb (Fadiga 67), Osbourne (Birchall 63), Adebola, Mifsud SNU Steele, Page,Cameron
WOLVES
Murray, Edwards,Collins,Breen,McNamara (Sent off 44), Potter,Olofinjana,Keogh,McIndoe (M.Davies 78),S.Ward (Bothroyd 72),Kightly (Clapham 46) SNU Budtz,Craddock.