HULL CITY 0-2 COVENTRY CITY
SAT MAR 31 At KC Stadium
City: Murphy, Keogh, Cranie, Clarke, Hussey (Christie 61), Bigirimana, Clingan, Norwood, McSheffrey, Nimely (McDonald 66), Platt. SNU Dunn, Willis, Deegan
Hull: Mannone, Rosenior, Hobbs (Bradley 46), Cooper, Dawson, Evans, McKenna, McLean, Brady (King 55), Stewart (Cullen 77), Fryatt. SNU Gulacsi, Cairney.
HT HCFC 0-1 CCFC FT HCFC 0-2 CCFC ATT 17,279
Referee G.Salisbury Assts S.Clayton & M.Coy
Booked McLean, Stewart, Platt, McSheffrey
Goals: Liam Cooper (11), Cody McDonald (85)
Man Of The Match - Chris Hussey took the votes with nominations for Platt, Keogh and Murphy.
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CITY SUPPORT:
517 City fans made the trip to Humberside. They made some good noise throughout and backed the team very well.
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CITY TEAM NEWS:
Andy Thorn kept the team that started the second half of the Portsmouth game last week whilst Hull were without Koren and Dudgeon.
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DIRECTOR WATCH
SISU's Onye Igwe was present along with John Clarke, David Shortland, Lord Leigh and Steve Waggot.
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Coventry City are out of the bottom three for the first time since October thanks to a superb 2-0 victory at Hull City and other results going our way.
We travelled on the coldest day this week to the impressive KC Stadium with its sporting facilities, massive car park and even a home for goats, to see a City team take on a Hull side which had only won one of their last ten games.
Nicky Barmby's side came at City like a speeding bullet, forcing a third minute corner which Arron McLean headed wide and then was involved three minutes later, picking out former Leicester forward Matty Fryatt who got in a shot inside the penalty area on the left which Joe Murphy instinctively kicked away.
Murphy then headed away after possession had been lost before he dived to his left to push away a Brady shot for a corner.
This took us up to the eleventh minute. The Sky Blues were awarded a free kick. Clingan sent it forward to Clive Platt who knocked it down for Liam Cooper to head into his own net.
Platt who had been involved in the goal, today was immense. He won plenty in the air and was always able to play the ball round the likes of his markers.
At the other end, Chris Hussey was in fine form, making some cracking tackles and defending well to clear any threats that his fellow defenders who all worked hard did not deal with.
Talking of defenders, Richard Keogh had a header from a corner won by Nimely, who was getting harshly pulled up by the assistant on the main stand side for offside, caught by the home keeper.
Fryatt missed another chance from a cracking cross from McLean from the right before City hit back with Nimely winning a 36th minute corner and two minutes later, the indistrious Gary McSheffrey, on the turn, had a shot from twenty yards, brilliantly pushed over for a corner.
Nimely took a knock along with Hobbs at the end of the first period. The City loanee was able to start the second half but the Hull defender did not.
With Bigirimana growing in stature as the game went on, McSheffrey had two early chances at the start of the second half.
Keogh, Cranie, Hussey and Clarke, all continued to defend with fortitude when they needed to and keep blocking when the home side did go forward.
In the 64th minute, the City fans were fuming when McLean who had already been cautioned sent Keogh flying. Everyone expected a second yellow card for the former Peterborough player but Mr Salisbury just walked away with out even a word.
The effect of the knock on Nimely was clearly taking its toll and Thorn sent on Cody McDonald.
Hull went up the other end and Joe Murphy pulled off two superb saves including a second from McLean with twenty minutes to go.
As the City supporters taunted the home fans to our left with a chant that they weren't very good because City were winning an away game, Norwood who again, had a fine game in midfield, was denied by Mannone.
Chris Hussey received a standing ovation from the City supporters when he was replaced by Cyrus Christie with nine minutes left and four minutes later, the chants from the City fans turned from "Andy Thorn's Sky Blue Army" to "Can We Play You Every Week" when Cody McDonald got through on the right with a Norwood ball.
He was left with only the keeper to beat and beat him he did, thumping an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net before running over to the City supporters, who were going absolutely mental, to celebrate.
The Hull support which had been very quiet all game headed for home as City played down the minutes to record their first away win of the season and their first away win on March 31st which lift the Sky Blues to 21st in the Championship table.