COVENTRY CITY 0-2 UDINESE CALCIO BY KEV MONKS
Team
Marshall,Osbourne,Borrowdale,M.Hughes (S.Hughes 67),Page (Ward 67),Hall (Hawkins 72),Birchall (Tabb 59),Doyle,Kyle (Mifsud 46),Best (Adebola 63),Gray (McKenzie 75) SNU Konstantopoulos,Simpson
Udinese
Handanovic (Chimenti 46), Mesto,Dossena,Inler, Coda (Felipe 69),Zapata,Siqueira (Sivok 46),D'Agostino,Asamoah (Massiello 80),Flores (Paolucci 61),Budyansky (Candreva 46) SNU Zapotocny,Eremenko
Goals D'Agostiino (18),Asamoah (79)
Referee L.Mason
Booked M.Hughes
ATT 6246
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STARTING FORMATION
Iain Dowie moved Isaac Osbourne to right back following the calf injury to David McNamee on Tuesday night and pushed Chris Birchall up to right midfield with Leon Best partnering Kevin Kyle up front
Marshall
Osbourne Page Ward Borrowdale
Birchall Doyle M.Hughes Gray
Kyle Best
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WEATHER
A lovely sunny afternoon which was enough for many City supporters to wear shorts. A few clouds but a beautiful day something too rare in Coventry of late.
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CITY SUPPORTERS
Not as many as I thought would be there, with a disappointing 6,246 crowd at the Arena including 23 Udinese fans who made a good bit of noise for their numbers.
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FIRST HALF
After the crunching tackles on Tuesday night, many City supporters expected some shenanigans form our Italian visitors. However, from right the outset,it was clear that the Serie A side from the Frulli region of Northern Italy were here to play football.
Guillerme Siqueira was the first to go close firing over from twenty yards in the ninth minute followed by the best player on the pitch Asamoah flashing a shot just over the bar from the edge of the area.
There did not seem the same determination and purpose that City displayed against Espanyol. Far too often the defence was static as the visitors quickly counter-attacked or flicked the ball round with relative ease.
Kevin Kyle, who had little service in the opening period nodded in to the arms of Handanovic but the ball was soon up towards the CT Stand end which Udinesee were attacking.
In the fourteenth minute,a slip by Marcus Hall let in Budyansky who carved into his way into the area and hit a shot which Andy Marshall did well to save with his feet.
As with the game against Espanyol,Michael Hughes made it into the referee's notebook when he hacked down Mesto.
it proved a costly error as Gaetano D'Agostino took the 17th minute free kick from some twenty plus yards out. Michael Hughes split the ball,allowing the former Messina player to curl low past Marshall for the opening goal of the game.
The visitors should have added a second twelve minutes later when Asamoah played the ball inside for Torres. Andy Marshall could not have seen much of it but pushed it away. When the ball came back in,Robert Page had to head away from the goal.
Leon Best has impressed since his move from Southampton and the 20 year old striker failed to make the most of a good run which had put him through on goal.
As previously mentioned, the visitors were quick on the counter attack and in the 39th minute, Asamoah broke through only for Marshall to again block with his legs.
As the interval approached,City had a corner which Handanovic flapped at.
HT CCFC 0-1 UC
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SECOND HALF
Handanovic was one of three changes made by Coach Marino at the break whilst Iain Dowie who has denied he is unhappy at City not giving him the money he needs to spend thanks to the takeover not yet being completed,switched Kevin Kyle with Michael Mifsud.
The Maltese falcon did offer some pace up front but the real threat was coming from Asamoah who broke from a clearance from Fabien Bartez look-alike Chimenti and fired wide with only Marshall to beat.
Julian Gray who picked up a knock was pretty quiet but did send one deep cross over followed in the 52nd minute by Robert Page hitting a long ball for Leon Best to nod four yards wide.
In the 54th minute,City were almost level when Leon Best was fouled inside the area but continued to get in a shot which was blocked. Mifsud was first to the rebound and on the turn hit a shot which was cleared off the line by Mesto and fell for Birchall to balloon over.
The former Port Vale player was replaced shortly afterwards as Dowie started to make changes. Best,Page,Michael Hughes,Hall and Gray all were replaced as City struggled to find a way through the visiting defence.
Now the away support had been pretty noisy but in the 79th minute, they were twirling their shirts round their heads and dancing as a mistake by Andy Marshall gave Asamoah the simplest of tap-ins into an empty net.
Isaac Osbourne who did well in his new role at right back sent over a couple of telling crosses but that was that.
City were well beaten in their final pre-season game which was played at a canter and one where the Sky Blues seemed scared to get stuck in and battle for fear of risking an injury which meant they would miss the Championship opener at Barnsley in seven days time.
FT CCFC 0-2 UC
Man Of The Match - Asamoah was clearly the best player by far but Isaac Osbourne took the majority of the votes with nominations for Mifsud,Page, Borrowdale and Best.
SUPPORTERS VIEW
After the game,we caught up with Marc from Coundon for his view. "This was not enjoyable to watch from City. There was no creativity from midfield as the central midfielders are all too similar. "I've no idea what Iain Dowie starting eleven is after this performance."