LEICESTER CITY RESERVES 1-2 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Reserves picked up their second consecutive run with a well deserved victory at Leicester.
Steve Ogrizovic made two changes from the team that had beaten Norwich with Tim Partridge in for Stuart Giddings who is on international duty and Andy Hall replaced Patrick Suffo.
Against a young Leicester team,City were on the attack early with a back flick by Craig Reid going wide.
In the seventh minute, play was held up when Jay Smedley fell over and a stretcher was brought out. The midfielder eventually got to his feet and was helped to the touchline.
Smedley had just returned rather gingerly to the field of play when Bjarni Gudjonsson fed right back Tim Partridge who advanced before firing in a shot which Leicester keeper Dane Austin caught.
City's midfield were working well and three of the quartet were involved in the 14th minute to send the ball long for Craig Reid to run onto. Now Reid should have ran straight at the keeper,however the Coventry kid bottled it and Austin claimed the ball.
Leicester were starting to get more than their fair share of the decisions by referee P.Miller who awarded a 21st minute free kick for no reason against Tim Partridge who looked as perplexed by the decision as the four Coventry supporters sat in the Main Stand were,just after Smedley had pulled up and was replaced by Scott Lycett.
Ryan McGavigan on the left hand side about five yards in from the touch line sent over kick which was acrobatically volleyed into the net by Stephen Dawson.
They might have been a goal down but City did not look particularly fazed by the scoreline and in the 24th minute,Craig Reid burst through. He only had Austin to beat but fired wide from ten yards.
Reid was involved seconds later when he flicked on for Gary McSheffrey whose shot was deflected for a corner. Gudjonsson took the kick and a poor effort missed the head of McSheffrey and was cleared up to Dominic Pearmain who drove the ball at Andy Marriott from twenty yards.
On the half hour mark,them from up the M69 won a corner and then a free kick which was cleared by Anthony Barry. The midfielder who reminds me of a young David Thompson raced up the field before he was impeded some 25 yards out of goal.
Gudjonsson took the free kick,it bounced off Isaac Osbourne and ended up in the keepers arms.
Just as I was thinking that I had never seen City lose a reserve game at Leicester, Coventry drew level when Gary McSheffrey broke through the middle. Austin came towards him and McSheffrey unselfishly looked up and spotted that Craig Reid was unmarked on his left. McSheffrey squared the ball and Reid tapped into the empty net.
Gary McSheffrey whose run in the first team this season so far has amounted to 65 minutes,again went clear.This time,Austin came out,McSheffrey went down,the ball went out of play and a goal kick was awarded.
Andy Whing who along with Isaac Osbourne was controlling the Sky Blues defence dealt with a 41st minute corner. This allowed City to clear their lines and McSheffrey charged forward only for Lycett to grab hold of his shirt and a free kick given to the Sky Blues. When the ball was played back to McSheffrey, he hit a sixteen yard curler which Austin dived to save.
On the stroke of half-time,City converted their dominance into goals when a lovely run by Anthony Barry took the Scouser out of defence and up to the by-line where he cut the ball back for Gary McSheffrey to tap in.
After a half-time penalty competition involving four youngsters,who all admitted that they didn't support Leicester much to this dismay of the announcer, a 53rd minute foul on Andy Hall saw Ryan McGavigan booked.
By this time,Andy Whing was nursing what was suspected as a broken nose but it did not stop him from thwarting an attack by Brian Moogan and then heading out for a corner which Andy Hall cleared.
On the hour mark, Leicester boss Peter Shirtliff made his second change of an evening which got colder as the game wore on with McGavigan being taken off before he was sent off and replaced by James Wesolowski.
Two minutes later,Leicester had their best chance of the night when Gary McSheffrey was caught in possession and Stephen Dawson's thirty yarder was well saved by Andy Marriott.
That was the only mistake by McSheffrey in the game as in the 64th minute,his shot hit a defender and fell for Anthony Barry to volley just wide.
Seven minutes later, the former Luton Town loanee plated in Reid who turned and shot just over.
Coventry were in total control and another lovely though ball from Barry was headed onto the crossbar by Craig Read. However, a flag was raised and Leicester got away with a free kick.
James Graham came on for Leicester's best player Dominic Pearmain in the 75th minute just before another Reid shot on the turn was saved by Austin.
In the 81st minute,Bjarni Gudjonsson showed why he is in the reserve team of a Football League Championship club rather than a top flight German outfit with a free kick from thirty yard that went very wide of the goal.
With five minutes left, Steve Ogrizovic gave a debut to Liam Davis who joined Reid and McSheffrey in attack and replaced Andy Hall who had a quiet game.
Tim Partridge was doing well in his first start for the reserves and a long ball from him just missed the incoming McSheffrey in the 86th minute.
With the game deep in injury time,Leicester almost snatched an undeserved raw when a Chris O'Grady throw-in was lashed inches wide of the goal by Aaron Butcher.
Ourselves and members of the McSheffrey,Whing and Reid families, plus five Academy players all breathed a sigh of relief and City held on for their first away victory of the season.
HT LCFC 1-2 CCFC FT LCFC 1-2 CCFC
Att 300
Goals Stephen Dawson 21
Craig Reid 33
Gary McSheffrey 44
Booked Ryan McGavigan
Man Of the Match - Craig Read took the votes although Andy Whing,Isaac Osbourne and Gary McSheffrey all deserve a mention.
TEAM
Andy Marriott, Tim Partridge, Liam Nicell, Bjarni Gudjonsson, Andrew Whing, Isaac Osbourne, Andy Hall (Liam Davis 85), Anthony Barry, Craig Reid, Craig Pead, Gary McSheffrey. SNU: Jonathan Tuffey, Ben Mackey, Andy Gooding, Stuart Wall.
Leicester
Dane Austin, Brian Moogan, Alan Sheehan, Jay Smedley (Scott Lycett 20), Liam Powell, Stephen Dawson, Dominic Pearmain (James Graham 75), Aaron Butcher, Tommy Wright, Chris O'Grady, Ryan McGavigan (James Wesolowski 60). SNU Adam Wykes,Ricky Muggleton