COVENTRY CITY 1-2 STOKE CITY BY KEV MONKS
Sorry might be the hardest word to say according to the song but it is one that Micky Adams and his players should be saying to the 16,000 hardy Sky Blue supporters after Coventry City put in a woeful performance to lose 2-1 at home to Stoke City.
Mickey Adams had to make one change from the side that had beaten Luton Town on Saturday as Gary McSheffrey was suspended. So in came Andy Impey. Adams also made another replacing Claus Jorgensen with Lillian Nallis.
Sorry might be the hardest word to say according to the song but it is one that Micky Adams and his players should be saying to the 16,000 hardy Sky Blue supporters after Coventry City put in a woeful performance to lose 2-1 at home to Stoke City.
Mickey Adams had to make one change from the side that had beaten Luton Town on Saturday as Gary McSheffrey was suspended. So in came Andy Impey. Adams also made another replacing Claus Jorgensen with Lillian Nallis.
It was the Coriscan from Bastia who gave City the start they desperately needed after eleven minutes and ten seconds. Stoke had had the early play before Michael Doyle fired wide from a good position on the left.but all this changed when a good ball forward by Richard Duffy was nodded down by Dele Adebola. The ball bounced around the penalty area and with the visiting defenders stood watching, Lillian Nallis arrived to bang the ball home.
In what was a reasonably entertaining half, both sides should scored straight afterwards. Paul Gallagher fired across the face of the goal before a 14th minute corner was headed onto a post by James Scowcroft. Robert Page who again was doing a good job,making some well times tackles and keeping Samebegou Bangoura in check,pounced by Simonsen was able to block the ball and clear the danger.
Andy Impey's inclusion on the right side of midfield was proving a good choice, In the 25th minute,the experienced right sided player s found Adebola who cut in from the right to fire just over from 25 yards and then played in Richard Duffy who also fired wide from long range.
In the 38th minute,the five hundred or so Stokies were launching into a chorus of "Delilah" when the bright yellow ball which will now be with us until February was knocked back to former Leicester defender Gerry Taggart who from 25 yards out hit a powerful low drive which skidded across the wet turf beating the diving Marton Fulop on it's way into the net.
Attacking the CET Stand for the second half, City's Corsican midfielder had forced Sorensen to push a long ranger over for a corner. But in the 54th minute,Stoke went ahead when Paul Gallagher was allowed too much space and was able to hit a stunning right footed curler which flew into the net. It was a goal worthy of winning any game and so it proved.
Micky Adams reply was to take off Lillian Nallis and Andy Impey and bring on youngsters Liam Davis and Kevin Thornton who had both been pulled out of City Reserves friendly with Crewe earlier in the day.
Thornton who is highly reminiscent of David Thompson in both ability and temperament became the games first caution for what I think was seeking to gain an unfair advantage in the 65th minute. .
The young Irishman who is a product of City's highly successful Academy was certainly getting into the thick of things and was holding his own as the tackles started to fly in.
In the 70th minute, he was taken down by Paul Gallagher who like Thornton found his name in the referees notebook.
By this time,City were clearly lacking ideas of how to break down the visitors and the tactic of "hoof" which riled so many supporters at Leicester during Adams three year spell there was again deployed.
Winning the ball in the air from a hoof up front was not the problem as James Scowcroft had that down to a fine art. It was who wanted the ball from the lay-off that was the problem and time and time again, good ball won in the air were not capitalised upon.
With one ejection for persistent standing in the CET Stand diverting the attention of some in the lowest home gate since the Arena opened, and the rain now coming down again. Matt Heath picked up a booking.
Four minutes from time,a lovely cross from the left was nodded goalwards by Dele Adebola. It look a goal all the way but Sorensen made an excellent save and Stoke held on for a rare away victory.
HT CCFC 1-1 SCFC
FT CCFC 1-2 SCFC
ATT 16 617
Goals
Lillian Nallis 11,Gerry Taggart 38,Paul Gallagher 54
Booked
Thornton,Gallagher,Heath
FT CCFC 1-2 SCFC
ATT 16 617
Goals
Lillian Nallis 11,Gerry Taggart 38,Paul Gallagher 54
Booked
Thornton,Gallagher,Heath
Team
Fulop,Hall,Duffy,Page,Heath,Nallis (Davis 58),Hughes,Doyle,Impey (Thornton 58),Scowcroft,Adebola
Subs Ince,Wood,Shaw.
Stoke
Simonsen,Hoefkens,Bangoura,Brammer,Sidibe,
Siguardsson,Russell,Gallagher (Henry 80),Taggart,Halls,Buxton
Subs De Goey,Junior,Kolar,Wilkinson
Subs De Goey,Junior,Kolar,Wilkinson