COVENTRY CITY RESERVES 2-2 CARDIFF CITY RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
Two missed penalties meant that Coventry City Reserves only drew with Cardiff City.
A sunny afternoon at Ryton saw Alan Cork field a mixed side with Chris Birchall,Jay Tabb,Matt Heath and Wayne Andrews all starting.
It was the former Crystal Palace striker who opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he latched onto a through ball from Tabb and smacked the ball past the vesting keeper from just inside the area.
Cardiff brought enough players for two teams and forced Rafa Gonzalez into a 17th minute when he grabbed the ball after it rebounded off the post from Cardiff's number nine.
City's Spanish keeper made two more good saves before the visitors drew level in the 28th minute thanks to a superb volley from Jemal Easter
Two missed penalties meant that Coventry City Reserves only drew with Cardiff City.
A sunny afternoon at Ryton saw Alan Cork field a mixed side with Chris Birchall,Jay Tabb,Matt Heath and Wayne Andrews all starting.
It was the former Crystal Palace striker who opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he latched onto a through ball from Tabb and smacked the ball past the vesting keeper from just inside the area.
Cardiff brought enough players for two teams and forced Rafa Gonzalez into a 17th minute when he grabbed the ball after it rebounded off the post from Cardiff's number nine.
City's Spanish keeper made two more good saves before the visitors drew level in the 28th minute thanks to a superb volley from Jemal Easter
.
Jay Tabb was lively on the left and cut inside the area only to be brought down in the 33rd minute. Kevin Thornton stepped up but fired the wrong side of the keeper's right hand post.
With the message from Alan Cork of the need to impress Micky Adams who was watching from the far side,ringing in the ears of the City players, Jay Tabb cut inside in the 48th minute but could not curl the ball past the keeper.
In the 52nd minute,Cardiff took the lead when Gonzalez pulled off a fine save to concede a corner. When the ball was swung in Michael Corcoran rose to head home from six yards.
Cork gave Stuart Giddings another run-out and in the 57th minute,City were awarded their second penalty of the game.
This time Wayne Andrews stepped up and saw his effort saved by the keeper who dived low to his right.
City did find the net two minutes later when Reis Ashraf was in the right place to lob the ball from twenty yards. It took a deflection off a defender and went in off the underside of the bar.
This was Ashraf's fourth goal in as many days and Cork decided he had done enough and was replaced in the 64th minute by Iain Dowie look-alike Matty West.
Gonzalez looked confident in goal,Jones and Heath commanding in defence whilst Thornton,Gooding, Birchall and Tabb all worked well in midfield.
Two minutes from time,Stuart Giddings limped off after he fouled Cardiff's number twenty.
Cardiff briefly threatened at the end but a draw was a fair result
HT City 1-1 Card FT City 2-2 Card
Goals
Wayne Andrews (12),Jemal Easter (28),Michael Corcoran (52),Reis Ashraf (59)
Team
Gonzalez,Duggan (Giddings 56,Burtoft 88),Lynch,Thornton (Hildreth 86) ,Heath,D.Jones,Birchall,Gooding,Ashraf (West 64)Andrews,Tabb
Subs Francis,Burtoft
Jay Tabb was lively on the left and cut inside the area only to be brought down in the 33rd minute. Kevin Thornton stepped up but fired the wrong side of the keeper's right hand post.
With the message from Alan Cork of the need to impress Micky Adams who was watching from the far side,ringing in the ears of the City players, Jay Tabb cut inside in the 48th minute but could not curl the ball past the keeper.
In the 52nd minute,Cardiff took the lead when Gonzalez pulled off a fine save to concede a corner. When the ball was swung in Michael Corcoran rose to head home from six yards.
Cork gave Stuart Giddings another run-out and in the 57th minute,City were awarded their second penalty of the game.
This time Wayne Andrews stepped up and saw his effort saved by the keeper who dived low to his right.
City did find the net two minutes later when Reis Ashraf was in the right place to lob the ball from twenty yards. It took a deflection off a defender and went in off the underside of the bar.
This was Ashraf's fourth goal in as many days and Cork decided he had done enough and was replaced in the 64th minute by Iain Dowie look-alike Matty West.
Gonzalez looked confident in goal,Jones and Heath commanding in defence whilst Thornton,Gooding, Birchall and Tabb all worked well in midfield.
Two minutes from time,Stuart Giddings limped off after he fouled Cardiff's number twenty.
Cardiff briefly threatened at the end but a draw was a fair result
HT City 1-1 Card FT City 2-2 Card
Goals
Wayne Andrews (12),Jemal Easter (28),Michael Corcoran (52),Reis Ashraf (59)
Team
Gonzalez,Duggan (Giddings 56,Burtoft 88),Lynch,Thornton (Hildreth 86) ,Heath,D.Jones,Birchall,Gooding,Ashraf (West 64)Andrews,Tabb
Subs Francis,Burtoft