COVENTRY CITY RESERVES 2-0 WATFORD RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory against Watford.
With Jonny Tuffey and Clayton Ince on international duty,Alan Cork gave an outing to U18's keeper Cameron Belford and brought back Ryan Lynch,Matt Heath,Kevin Thornton and Craig Reid.
Watford boss Gary Smith was also to field a reasonably strong side with Anthony McNamee who played for the Hornets against Micky Adams side earlier this month starting and outings for the likes of Clarke Carlisle and Dominic Blizzard. Smith also named a number of younger players who had played at the Alan Higgs Centre on Saturday.
It was not until the 25th minute that the small crowd at Butlin Road had something to watch. Aza Ogarro did well to control the ball and drive it from a tight angle inside the area where Watford's loanee keeper Yves Ma-Kalambay pushed round for a corner.
The visitors went close four minutes later when James Chambers drive eluded a crowded penalty area.
Three minutes before the break,Gary Smith's side won a corner which was eventually lobbed over from 25 yards by Adie Mariappa. Another followed as a tight first half ended.
The game needed a goal and it came in the 54th minute when Craig Reid made the most of his only chance of the game,capitalising on some hesitancy in the visitors defence and kept his cool to advance and fire the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Both sides made changes with Stuart Wall coming on for Matt Heath and Dominic Blizzard who is still over-coming a debilitating virus was replaced by Ben Gill.
Coventry City got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory against Watford.
With Jonny Tuffey and Clayton Ince on international duty,Alan Cork gave an outing to U18's keeper Cameron Belford and brought back Ryan Lynch,Matt Heath,Kevin Thornton and Craig Reid.
Watford boss Gary Smith was also to field a reasonably strong side with Anthony McNamee who played for the Hornets against Micky Adams side earlier this month starting and outings for the likes of Clarke Carlisle and Dominic Blizzard. Smith also named a number of younger players who had played at the Alan Higgs Centre on Saturday.
It was not until the 25th minute that the small crowd at Butlin Road had something to watch. Aza Ogarro did well to control the ball and drive it from a tight angle inside the area where Watford's loanee keeper Yves Ma-Kalambay pushed round for a corner.
The visitors went close four minutes later when James Chambers drive eluded a crowded penalty area.
Three minutes before the break,Gary Smith's side won a corner which was eventually lobbed over from 25 yards by Adie Mariappa. Another followed as a tight first half ended.
The game needed a goal and it came in the 54th minute when Craig Reid made the most of his only chance of the game,capitalising on some hesitancy in the visitors defence and kept his cool to advance and fire the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Both sides made changes with Stuart Wall coming on for Matt Heath and Dominic Blizzard who is still over-coming a debilitating virus was replaced by Ben Gill.
In the 64th minute,there were calls for a penalty when Liam Davis raced through only to go down under a challenge. It look a good shout but referee Craig Evans was having none of it.
Vijay Sidhu worked hard up front for the Sky Blues and some excellent control saw the former Coventry Sphinx junior get in a shot from a tight angle which Ma-Kalambay got down to save.
In the 78th minute, Sidhu's perseverance lead to a corner. Kevin Thornton delivered the flag kick to Ben Turner at the far post who rose to head into the net and wrap the game up for the Sky Blues.
Alan Cork sent on Ange Lourougnon and Rikki Bains as Watford tried to reply with Cameron Belford making an excellent save from a McNamee drive and watching as a rasping shot from Al Bagura whistled past the past.
But City always were always better than Watford and thoroughly deserved their victory.
HT CCFC 0-0 WFC
FT CCFC 2-0 WFC
Goals Craig Reid (54),Ben Turner (79)
Team
Belford,Stringfellow (Bains 82),Lynch,Heath (Wall 58),Turner,Ogarro,Hildreth (Lourougnon 80),Thornton,Sidhu,Reid,Davis
Subs
Layfield,Jones
Watford
Ma-Kalambay,Chambers, Parkes,Bangura, Carlisle,Mariappa,Diagouraga,Blizzard (Gill 58),Robinson,Seanla (Frost 80),McNamee
Subs Hoad,O'Cearuill,Campana
