Team
Westwood,Osbourne,Dann,Fox,Ward,Beuzelin,Tabb (Hall 88),Gunnarsson,Mifsud, Morrison (Eastwood 80),Best (Simpson 85)
SNU Marshall,Doyle
Birmingham
Taylor,Hunt,Jaidi,Ridgewell,Quedrue,Larsson,Carsley,Augustien (Quashie 59).McFadden,Phillips (Bent 65), Jerome (Osuzu Abeyu 70)
SNU Taylor,Doyle
HT BCFC 0-0 CCFC FT BCFC 0-1 CCFC
Att 17,215
Ref A.Bates
Booked Dann,Tabb
Goals Clinton Morrison (52)
Man Of The Match - Keiran Westwood took the votes but there plenty of candidates.
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman made two changes with Michael Doyle replaced by Jay Tabb coming in for Freddie Eastwood.
Birmingham had Lee Carsley in their starting line up which included new loan signing Nicky Hunt.
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CITY SUPPORT
Considering this was on television, there was a reasonable turn out fof around a thousand for this local game which saw me home at the same time it takes to get home from the Ricoh Arena.
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Coventry City rode their luck, defended when they had to and won 1-0 at Birmingham City in a thrilling game.
With no place for Michael Doyle and Freddie Eastwood in the starting line up, the Sky Blues never let the home side settle in front of a 17,215 crowd.
City attacked the Railway End where the Coventry support was and had the first real chance on the third minute when a good move saw Leon Best head at Maik Taylor.
After both sets of supporters had indulged in some community singing, Best and Clinton Morrison held the line very well whilst Aron Gunnarsson was absolutely everywhere and Michael Mifsud was proving to be a right handful.
Against his former club, Morrison nearly scored from a move he started when he fired just over in the ten minute. From the resulting goal kick, Alex McLeish's side went upfield and won a corner which Isaac Osbourne cleared off the line.
The singing from the City support continued with some of the followers for some bizarre reasons incorrectly calling the fans to our right "Yam Yams"
In the 15th minute, there was a loud gasp from the City fans as Jay Tabb ran in from the left and played a ball to Clinton Morrison who thumped the bar from twelve yards.
Although there was undoubted quality in the Birmingham side, the Sky Blues were for once, not giving them the opportunity to use this to good effect. Elliott Ward and Scott Dann both had fine games and were always first to the ball to clear when needed.
Former Coventry City player Lee Carsley was the one Blues player on form. The midfielder who has a son at Coventry City's Academy, worked hard in midfield and on his only sortee into the penalty area, made Keiren Westwood get down to a 35th minute drive.
In the 36th minute, the cry from both sets of supporters was "penalty". Kevin Phillips who had been kept quiet, went to ground much to the disgust of the home support.
City broke. Clinton Morrison got inside the area. The City fans were close to the incident and could see a hand round Morrison which saw the striker go down.
No penalty was given and after Dann & Tabb were booked, Coventry went into the half-time break being the better side but without having found the net.
Cameron Jerome had a couple of chances early in the second half but in the 52nd minute, the City supporters in the ground and probably wherever those had gathered to watch the game on tv, were going absolutely mental when Coventry took the lead.
City had won a corner which Danny Fox took, Beuzelin flicked on and there was Clinton Morrison to head high into the net from close range.
"It's a long time to hold on," said a mate of mine and so it proved.
In the 56th minute, Keiren Westwood made one of the best saves I have ever seen a City keeper make when a corner from Sebastian Larsson who showed why Arsenal let him go,was headed on by Carsley. Westwood threw himself across the goal and somehow got a his left hand to palm the ball away. Jerome got to this loose ball but fired into the side netting and City had escaped.
Alex McLeish started to make changes to try and appease a restless home support. Off went Augusten,Kevin Phillips and Cameron Jerome.
Just before the Blues final substitution, Westwood made another cracking save when he denied James McFadden after Beuzelin had been disposessed.
With Freddie Eastwood waiting to come on, Jay Tabb was set up on a plate by Leon Best but failed to give City a 76th minute two goal cushion when he blasted over from close range.
Marcus Bent found the side netting and Jaidi got in a header which Westwood brilliantly saved.
Eastwood did come on with ten minutes left to replace Clinton Morrison who had run himself into the ground.
Leon Best found the side netting in the 82nd minute. Birmingham broke once more and won a corner. Franck Quedrue, who spent the game slagging off his team-mates when his performance was as poor if not more so, touched the ball forward.
It got to the line and Keiren Westwood brilliantly stopped it from fully crossing the line. We could do see that the ball had not crossed the line and then referee cross his arms and then spray them wide to indicate no goal but the Birmingham fans were jumping up and down in celebration whilst their players protested.
Robbie Simpson came on as did Marcus Hall. Mifsud dragged a low shot wide but Birmingham kept pressurising.
In stoppage time, Larsson fired well over when it looked easier to score and when Qunicy Owusu curled wide, you knew it was to be the Sky Blues night and our first victory at St Andrews in a league game since 1985.