COVENTRY CITY 0-3 BRISTOL CITY BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Westwood (Marshall 16), Fox,Dann,Ward,Gunnarsson,Beuzelin,Tabb,Miffsud (Simpson 73),Morrison,Gray,Eastwood (McKenzie 46) SNU Turner,Doyle
Bristol City
Brasso, Orr,McAllister,Fontaine, Carey (Webster 63),Maynard (Sproule 80),McIndoe,Skuse,Adebola (Brooker 75),Wilson,Johnson SNU Weale,Trundle
HT CCFC 0-1 BCFC FT CCFC 0-3 BCFC ATT 17,994
GOALS Dele Adebola (16), Michael McIndoe (53), Steve Brooker (90)
REFEREE P.Dowd
Booked Johnson,Fox, Morrison
Man Of The Match Jay Tabb, who worked extremely hard took the votes
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STARTING LINE-UP
Chris Coleman was again without Stephen Wright and kept the team which had started at Barnsley a week ago.
Gary Johnson included former Sky Blue Dele Adebola and Louis Carey in his starting eleven.
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CITY SUPPORT
With City top of the league going into the day, you would have thought that a gate of around the 20,000 mark would have been achieved.
However,with the Newcastle game on Tuesday and the problems many supporters have had in getting tickets this week plus the poor Bank Holiday travel, it was probably not a surprise that there was only a crowd of 17,994.
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WEATHER
A bit like the game really. It was bright and sunny to start but went very cloudy by the final whistle.
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How Bristol City must love playing at the Ricoh Arena. Three times they have now visited the foisted upon us home of the Sky Blues and now for the third time, they have left with a victory without conceding a goal.
With Stephen Wright still out with an Achilies injury and no replacement on the immediate horizon, Chris Coleman named the same team which had gone top of the league last week. It was a team which included Michael Mifsud who was roundly abused by the 1894 visiting supporters in the Jewson Stand end which City attacked in the first half whilst the City support cheered and sang when Dele Adebola's name was announced to the around half full stadium.
When the game started, it was boos and abuse for the City support and cheers from the Bristolians for Dele Adebola as the Nigerian put the visitors ahead in the 16th minute. A ball came into the area, Adebola jumped up with Scott Dann as keepe Keiran Westwood came out to attack the ball. For some reason,Westwood hesitated rather than steaming out to punch the ball away and crashed to the ground. Adebola got up and raced into the six yard box. As the ball dropped down, he hooked it into the empty net.
Some of the City support in the CT Stand criticised the referee Mr Dowd and Adebola. But from the angle I had, I saw nothing untowards as did those who saw the goal again on the concourse monitors at half-time.
Westwood looked in trouble and remained very still on the deck as Club Doctor Moss Gold and the medical staff raced to treat the custodian. He did get to his feet but Doctor Gold decided that Westwood was not fit enough to continue and Andy Marshall took over in goal. Westwood emerged after the game with his hand bandaged up.
Again,City looked unbalanced with Gunnarsson doing a steady job at right back as Bristol pushed forward. Jay Tabb was clearly up for this game and the midfielder ran and battled exceedingly well in the centre of midfield. He was often the target for late tackles but always got up and carried on battling.
Up front, City were quiet. Freddie Eastwood who picked up a bot of a knock,playing for Wales in midweek and a groin strain early in the ame offered little,whilst Clinton Morrison could have had a 35th minute penalty when he was pulled down.
This decision riled many of the City support who were furious when an even less conspicuous trip by Scott Dann was picked up on by the Premier Leage match official,who was clearly enjoying the abuse he was receiving.
Also riled by this decision was Chris Coleman who was banished to the stands for his comments to the fourth official.
Steve Kean gave the orders from the dug-out as Dele Adebola again had the ball in the net but thankfully was clearly offiside.
City's best chance of the half came in first minute of the four added on for stoppages when Michaael Mifsud got in a low drive that Brasso just got down to push away for a corner. Morrison then flicked wide before Mifsud got in another cross, Morrison sent the ball forward and in a scramble it was kicked off the line as the half ended.
We all expected the riot act to be read at the break and City to come out all guns blazing. Leon McKenzie had been sent on for Eastwood to add a bit of fire power but it was the visitors who went further ahead some eight minutes into the second half.
Dele Adebola played the ball over to Michael McIndoe on the left and a low drive beat Marshall to get the away supporters,who had prompted a big police presence, dancing wth delight.
Five minutes after the goal and the Robins attacked once more, Maynard got on the left handside of the area and hit a shot which forced Marshall to dive to his left and push round for a corner. That was excellent from the former Millwall keeper but in the 62nd minute, he lost possession to Maynard and Elliott Ward had to head off his own goal-line.
Even the introduction of Robbie Simpson for Mifsud in the 73rd minute, did not help City against a side which had lost Louis Carey to an injury.
Adebola followed him in the 75th minute as the Sky Blues tried to get into the final third but could never find a way through.
It took another of Gunnarsson's long throw-ins to set up a move in the 81st minute when the ball went to Julian Gray on the far left of the area. His cross was perfectly delivered to McKenzie but from 14 yards his header went over.
The amount of City supporters in the ground grew less and less and a good number missed a City corner cleared upfield for Marshall to save from McIndoe,then a counter-attack from the Sky Blues fell to Clinton Morrison on the edge of the six yard box. The Republic Of Ireland international flicked the ball onto the right hand post and City's hopes of getting back into the game vanished.
Even more fans left before Bristol City compounded the victory in the last minute when Steve Brooker was allowed to get in a turn and fire the ball past Marshall.
A bad day at office it might have been but City will have to perform a lot better against the better sides in the division if they are to do anything this season.