COVENTRY CITY 3-1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY BY KEV MONKS
In a dramatic game,Coventry City beat nine man Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 at the Arena.
Having lost their last three games, under-fire City manager Micky Adams was without Elliott Ward and Stern John who picked up an ankle injury whilst training for Trinidad's game in midweek
Again,there was no Stephen Hughes and rumours suggest that the midfielder plus a number of other City players are on a wanted list drawn up by former Sky Blue Dennis Wise who is now manager of Leeds United.
Marcus Hall slotted in at centre half with Clive Clarke whose City supporting father was in the crowd at left back Chris Birchall went wide right whilst Dele Adebola partnered Leon McKenzie up front.
After a supporter led initiative to play Hi Ho Silver Lining to remember two Sheffield Wednesday fans killed on the M69 after the corresponding fixture last season was well received both sets of supporters, the game on an afternoon growing colder by the minute kicked off.
Leon McKenzie just missed on a cross from Jay Tabb in the second minute but it was the visitors under new boss Brian Laws who started the better.
In the ninth minute, City were pressured into conceding three corners before Andy Marshall who had a fine game saved from a Madjid Bougherra drive.
Four minutes later and the stretcher was on. It was for Don Hutchison who had gone diving in. The former Millwall midfielder was cautioned as he was stretchered off. A broken leg was first feared. However, a scan at Walsgrave Hospital revealed long term ankle ligament damage.
Colin Cameron came on and again he was booed by some sections of a crowd boosted by 4,154 Sheffield Wednesday fans.
In the 15th minute,the visitors were reduced to ten men when Wade Small was sent off by referee Neil Swarbrick for a lunge. The away support were incensed but there was no mass protest from the Wednesday players and from my view it looked a correct decision.
Another correct decision saw Wednesday attacking the CT Stand awarded a 20th minute corner. It was their third in the space of a couple of minutes. This time, Chris Brunt banged over the perfect corner, Chris Birchall who was stood in front of Andy Marshall jumped but missed the ball as it went in at the far post.
Coins were thrown at the Wednesday players celebrating this goal and there were two arrests.
Whilst the police were dealing with the totally stupid actions,Leon McKenzie skirted down the left and sent a 23rd minute ball into the mixer, Madjid Bougherra was first to the ball but could only steer in into his own net and draw City level.
The goal lifted the home support in a disappointing crowd of 19,489 and also lifted the players. On the half hour mark, City were denied the lead by a couple of coats of pain on the goalposts as a stunning long ranger from Jay Tabb hit the post.
In the 36th minute, if there had not been enough talking points in the game already, the number of Sheffield Wednesday players on the pitch was reduced even further when Chris Brunt was the last man and brought down Birchall in view of the assistant referee and off for an early bath, the Northern Irishman went.
The slightly more animated Micky Adams must have got his man-management skills right for once at the break as City came out looking up for it.
In the 48th minute, Clive Clarke had a twenty yard drive saved by Mark Crossley in the Wednesday goal and then the hard working Jay Tabb won a corner.
That came to nothing but in City's next attack, Chris Birchall shot from inside the area, Crossley got to the ball but could not hold it and in raced Leon McKenzie to bang the rebound into the net.
The striker signed from Norwich back in August was not like his cousin Ashley who featured in X Factor show and was in tune with his team-mates as after having a half volley deflected for a corner. he was at the far post to fire home from a Birchall cross for City's third goal of the afternoon.
The delighted City fans hoped more goals were to come but apart from a 56th minute Birchall header which was deflected on to the bar for a corner, City could not find the net again.
Michael Doyle,another rumoured target for Leeds went close with a couple of shots before Micky Adams went for a double change in the 73rd minute.
Wayne Andrews who has been told that he can find another club was reasonably well received when he replaced Chris Birchall. However, Kevin Kyle who came on for Dele Adebola was met with a number of boos.
Andy Marshall had to make to fine saves from Lee Bullen and in stoppage time from Coughlin.
City should have increased their margin of victory when Kevin Kyle missed a sitter of a header in the 88th minute but a win is a win and I'll settle for that.
HT CCFC 1-1 SWFC
FT CCFC 3-1 SWFC
ATT 19,489
GOALS Chris Brunt (20),Madjid Bougerra (OG 23), Leon McKenzie (51 & 54)
REF N.Swarbrick
BOOKED Hutchison,McKenzie,Hills,Maclean
SENT OFF Wade Small (15), Chris Brunt (36)
TEAM
Marshall,Clarke,Hall,Page,Duffy,Doyle,Hutchison (Cameron 14),Tabb, Birchall (Andrews 73),Adebola (Kyle 73),McKenzie SNU Gonzalez,Bischoff
WEDNESDAY
Crossley,Bullen,Lunt, Tudgay (MacLean 81), Burton (O'Brien 46), Brunt (Sent off 36), Hills, Small (Sent off 15),Simek (Coughlin 55), Bougherra, Folly. SNU Adamson, Spurr