COVENTRY CITY 1-2 NOTTS COUNTY
City:Murphy (GK), Clarke, Cameron, Baker (c) (Jennings 61), Fleck, Ball, Wood, McGoldrick, Moussa, Reckord (Hussey 78), Bailey (McDonald 65). Subs: Dunn, Elliott, Christie, Edjenguele.
Notts: Bialkowski, Liddle, Leacock, Eastham, Stewart, Boucaud, Bishop (c), J Hughes, Arquin, Campbell-Ryce (Mahon 87), Zoko (L.Hughes 78). Subs: Pilkington, Bencherif, Sheehan, Nangle, Showunmi,
HT CCFC 0-1 NCFC FT CCFC 1-2 NCFC ATT 11,882
Goals Adam Boucard 38, Yohann Arquin 84, Richard Wood 87
Referee P.Gibbs
Booked Bailey, Cameron
Man Of The Match Richard Wood received all the votes
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CITY SUPPORT
A pleasure to see long time City supporting friends from as far away as Denmark and Newcastle at the game in what was a decent turn out.
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WEATHER
A sunny afternoon, not particularly warm but pleasant enough after yesterday's rain.
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Coventry City dropped into the bottom four following a 2-1 home defeat to Notts County
City boss Mark Robins announced an unchanged side for the visit of a Magpies side which had not lost away from home in a league game and had former Coventry City forward Lee Hughes on the bench and former loanee Dean Leacock starting.
City attacked the North Stand for the first half against County in orange striped shirts and black shorts but it was Keith Curle's side, who had the first chance of the game in the second minute. City through John Fleck went up the other end and the visiting keeper saved with his feet.
As the abuse for Lee Hughes, whose actions had taken away the life of a Coventry person, sadly followed afterwards by his partner, whilst leaving another confined to a life in a wheelchair, continued, the Sky Blues won a corner and had front runners Callum Ball and David McGoldrick fire wide.
In the 17th minute, good work from the industrious Jordan Clarke brought a corner which was taken by Fleck and met by the head of McGoldrick. Bialowski saved this header and two minutes later, denied McGoldrick with a low save before Fleck fired high and wide from the loose ball.
The away fans came to life in the 23rd minute for a corner which, Zoko acrobatically volleyed out for a throw and for a free kick three minutes later which Murphy safely gathered.
Callum Ball failed to make the most of a chance in the box in the 29th minute, whilst his City team-mates did their best to play a passing game in a half where players were closed down quickly.
Jamie Bailey did find some space to get in a cross but this time, Ball could only direct the ball inches wide of the far post from two yards out.
Then out of nothing, County took the lead when Adam Boucard was allowed way too much room to smash home a shot from 28 yards.
The visitors had two efforts that had the City support in the North Stand more in danger before a third from Zoko in 54th minute as the City defence led by the mask wearing Richard Wood stood off.
After the stewards had finally got the giant City shirt behind the goal the right way round much to the amusement of block 16, Bailey fired wide following a free kick.
City, by now, rather than playing like they did against Swindon in the first half, were playing as a team managed by either Andy Thorn and Richard Shaw. They were failing to do the good things they had been doing and too many players were quieter than normal.
That included Carl Baker, who was replaced in the 61st minute with Richard Wood Wood taking over as captain.
Murphy then made a great one handed save to scramble a Bishop header away off the line before Bailey was replaced in the 65th minute by Cody McDonald as Mark Robins and Steve Taylor tried another option.
In the 75th minute, Bialowski went down like he had been shot after Cameron ran in to him but was on his feet to see the City defender cautioned before the boos rang out when Lee Hughes came on at the same time as Chris Hussey.
As you would expect, out came the songs and the abuse for not only Hughes but County boss Keith Curle for sending him on.
With six minutes to go, County went away and Yohan Arquinn beat Murphy to make it 2-0 with a neat finish.
Plenty of City fans took this as their queue to leave but then, back came City and there was Richard
Wood to head in from a corner.
Cody McDonald might have snatched something right at the death but unlike Jamie Forrester who got City U18's a 2-2 draw at Leicester, he refused to get in where it hurts and Notts County, who worked hard, but were not particularly impressive, kept their unbeaten run going.