COVENTRY CITY 2-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS FC BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Westwood, Wright, McPake,Turner,Fox,Bell,Doyle, Beuzelin,Henderson,McKenzie (Eastwood 77), Morrison (Best 86) SNU Marshall, Hall, Sawyer
WOLVES
Hennessey, Foley,Stearman, Berra,Ward, Kightly (Reid 34),Henry (Edwards 82), Quashie,Jarivs, Ebanks Blake, Iwelumo (Vokes 61). SNU Higgs, Keogh
HT CCFC 1-0 WWFC FT CCFC 2-1 WWFC ATT 21,167
GOALS Michael Doyle (23), Sam Vokes (71), Leon McKenzie (74)
REFEREE M.Oliver BOOKED Ward, Henry,Wright, Turner
MAN OF THE MATCH Jordan Henderson and Leon McKenzie tied the votes with nominations for Michael Doyle and Keiren Westwood
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman gave home debuts to Jordan Henderson, David Bell and James McPake. He dropped Marcus Hall and Freddie Eastwood to the bench.
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CITY SUPPORT
With many living outside Cov uncertain as to whether this game would be on to the snow plus the financial climate and City losing their last two matches, a sell-out crowd was never going to be on the cards. Wolves sold their allocation of 4,500 and had a bit more.
City supporters from South Wales, the South Coast, Wilstshire, Great Yarmouth, Kent, Northern and Southern Ireland joined those of us closer to Cov.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers have yet to record a victory at the Ricoh Arena and that record continued today with a 2-1 victory for Coventry City who were grateful to a last gasp penalty save from Keiren Westwood.
The first half was an intriguing rather than entertaining affair. With James McPake, who joined City from Livingston on Monday joining the sturdy Ben Turner at the heart of City's defence, the Sky Blues kept Wolves midweek hat-trick hero Sylvan Ebanks- Blake quiet and with Chris Iwelumo as ineffective as ever, Keiren Westwood in the goal nearest the CT Stand did not have a shot to save in the opening period.
Michael Doyle had a bad first ten minutes but then got into the match, making some good tackles as City in bright sunshine, closed down their opponents at every opportunity and looked for openings. Like many City supporters sat around me, I'm not convinced about David Bell on the left flank but in the 13th minute, the former Norwich man, more akin to playing on the right, drove low for Hennessey to push round for the Sky Blues first corner of the match.
The green booted Clinton Morrison had been involved in that move and in the 23rd minute, his ball forward into the penalty area fell for Leon McKenzie. Hennessey came out and McKenzie slipped the ball past him and onto the left hand post. The ball rebounded and there was Michael Doyle to tap the ball into the net and put City ahead.
Mick McCarthy's side may have been top of the league but they were looking positively ordinary as Jordan Henderson showed he was not afraid to tackle by getting involved in a collision with Christian Berra just before the break which left Wolves number 16, who should have done better with a header from a corner two minutes earlier, having to don a bandage around his head.
Wolves main threat in the second half came from Matty Jarvis down the left, who got past Stephen Wright on a number of occasions early on, whilst at the other end, tackles were flying in on Leon McKenzie, one of which earned a caution for Stephen Ward.
In the 55th minute, Westwood made a good stop to deny Iewlumo, who was replaced in the 61st minute by Sam Vokes. It was the Welshmen who levelled the game, ten minutes after coming on.
The visitors were starting to put on the pressure and I had just said to a very good friend of long standing that City needed asecond goal. Stephen Wright did well to head out for a corner and when the 71st minute flag kick came in, there was Sam Vokes at the back post to head into the net.
City went straight up the other end. Jordan Henderson fired across the CT Stand goalmouth and when the Sky Blues got the ball after Hennessey's goal kick, Leon McKenzie ripped into the Wolves back four but curled his effort over the bar.
The look on his face said it all but in the 74th minute, Leon McKenzie got through on the right after a lovely ball from Henderson. This time, he knew where the ball was going and a low drive saw the ball zip past Hennessey and make the net bulge.
The City support danced and sang in delight of a goal that the popular McKenzie had deserved. But the knock earlier in the half had taken its toll and McKenzie left to a standing ovation and was replaced by Freddie Eastwood who,against his former club got a standing ovation.
With nine minutes left, Hennessey made a terrific one handed save, diving to his left. to thwart Clinton Morrison who had span to collect a sublime Henderson cross about sixteen yards out. Morrison received good applause when he was replaced by the mask wearing Leon Best.
We were into the fourth minute of stoppage time when Wolves were awarded a penalty. I did not have a good view of it but Ben Turner was adjudged to have committed a foul.
Sylvan Ebanks-Blake put the ball on the spot and what I could see was the former Plymouth man looking around the crowd as if to work out where he was going to run to when he scored. The Wolves number nine hit his shot right down the middle but Keiren Westwood anticipated it and made a tremendous save.
The celebration from the City fans was more raucous then McKenzie's goal. Then the final whistle went, Westwood was mobbed by his team mates and we all went home very happy indeed.
This match report is dedicated to the memory of City supporter Paul Bennett from Market Harborough, a friend and much valued match report reader, who sadly lost his brave battle with leukemia on Monday.