MORECAMBE 2-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Date 10/08/10 At The Globe Arena
Coventry
Doyle, Clarke, Hussey (Christie 30), McPake, Wood, Baker, McIndoe, Bell (Harris 67), Platt, O'Donovan SNU Thomas, Quirke, Birgirimana, Grogan
Morecambe
Roach, Moss, Scott, Stanley, Rundle (Duffy 86), Skuker, Jevons (Mulin 78), McReady, Fleming (Hunter 78), Wilson, Parish SNU Walker, Spencer, Drummond, Haines
HT MFC 1-0 CCFC FT MFC 2-0 CCFC ATT 4,002
Referee Andy Haines Booked Grandison, Wood
Goals Andy Fleming (45 & 60)
Man Of The Match Plenty of nominations for the City fans for going. However, for City players, David Bell polled the most votes.
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Coventry City Manager Aidy Boothroyd showed his priorities lie with the Championship not the League Cup by leaving out most of his senior players and let his under-strength side pay for it as the Sky Blues went down to a 2-0 defeat in the first ever game at Morecambe's Globe Arena.
It was not until 5pm that the contractors left the Shrimps new concrete wall surrounded home which, comprises of a main stand, covered terraces behind both goals and an open terrace down the side opposite the Main Stand.
The City support, many of whom had made a day of it in the seaside town, were housed in the right of the Main Stand and had to share facilities with the home fans and had the terrace behind the goal.
We heard the City team announced and there were plenty of City supporters looking at each other as only David Bell was left from the team that beat Portsmouth on Saturday.
Colin Doyle, who joined from Birmingham on loan, started in goal with a back four that compromised of Jordan Clarke, the fit again duo of James McPake and Richard Wood and pre-season top of the classer Chris Hussey.
In midfield, Boothroyd picked Carl Baker against his former club, the booed by some Michael McIndoe and Jermaine Grandison had the central pairing whilst Bell was again on the right flank. Up front was Clive Platt and Roy O'Donovan. On the bench, Boothroyd went for youth with five players from City's U18's side plus Michael Quirke.
Morecambe in their red kit, which was sponsored by Bench, who were busy kitting out the club shop, which was still being finished as we arrived, did not field former Atherstone player Stuart Hendrie.
David Bell was City's best player. The right wingman won a ninth minute corner and his persistence three minutes later forced a home defender to concede a corner at the end where the City fans were housed.
In the 15th minute, Bell picked out Chris Hussey whose flick with the outside of his boot from eighteen yards hit the far post. The ball rebounded back and Baker headed over.
The Scrimps relied on the tactic of getting the ball to Shuker. What the striker lacked in height, he made up for in ability, something that Roy O'Donovan failed to show.
There were a few howls from the City support when O'Donovan was picked out by a cracking defence splitting ball from Bell. However, with only Roche to beat, The Irishman given another chance at City by Aidy Boothroyd after he was kicked out of the club in 2004, hit a terribly weak effort wide of the goal.
City had to replace Chris Hussey on the half hour mark after he was hurt in a tackle and Cov kid Cyrus Christie was sent on.
Not having scored by then, what urgency there was drained away from the City players and this allowed Morecambe back into the game after Bell won another corner and McIndoe was denied a penalty.
As the half came to, Morecambe started to attack. Two minutes of stoppage time were announced and in that time, Morecambe got the ball on the left, it was cut back to Andy Fleming who from the edge of the area curled the ball over Colin Doyle and into the net.
Having made the mistake of having no older players on the bench who could change the game, Aidy Boothroyd had no choice but to keep the same team for the second half.
O'Donovan went wide with a lob, five minutes into the second half as the home side and the home fans packed into the terrace behind the goal,who were mocking City's place in the Championship, were realising that City were now for the taking.
With the City players standing off their opponents, Morecambe were allowed room for Jevons to fire in a shot on the turn and in the 59th minute, a three man move culminated in Stanley clipping the right hand post.
A minute later, a throw in to Morecambe saw the ball cut back to Andy Fleming who stroked the ball past Doyle from six yards. Doyle raged at the defence whilst the City fans sat or stood knowing it was now game over.
Jonson Harris came on to become the youngest ever City player at 16 years and twenty days and did alright for what few touches he had.
In the 74th minute, the City support, mainly on the terrace, let their feelings be known with a chant of "we came all this way for nothing" or words to that effect and a loud chant of "What A Waste Of Money" which caused Aidy Boothroyd to give the City supporters a look of total disgust.
It was a deserved chant as yet again, the City support was let down by an inept second half performance from players who tonight looked like they really did not want to win.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM