STOKE CITY RESERVES 2-0 COVENTRY CITY RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
Team
Ireland,McNamee (Robinson 11),Francis,Hildreth (Fitzharris 47), Burgess,Turner, Cairo,Burtoft, Simpson,Birchall,Davis SNU Collett,Ashraf,Wynter.
Stoke
Hoult,Wilkinson (Parsons 66),Bulut,Eustace, Broomes,Hill,Phillips,Shotton,Parkin,Brunt (Grocott 16),Sweeney SNU Hamilton,Wedderburn
HT SCFC 1-0 CCFC FT SCFC 2-0 CCFC
Goals Mark Grocott (26),John Eustace (54)
Referee R.Fletcher
ATT 100
Man Of The Match - Ben Turner just shading it from Callum Burgess.
_____________________
STARTING FORMATION
Only Ben Turner,Liam Davis and Lee Hildreth survived from the days when City Reserves last played league football,so it was debuts all round.
Ireland
McNamee Turner Burgess Francis
Cairo Hildreth Burtoft Davis
Birchall
Simpson
____________________
WEATHER
A pleasant evening with sunshine and a slight wind.
---------------------
CITY SUPPORT
About fifteen,most of which were players parents.
__________________
Coventry City Reserves were beaten 2-0 at Stoke in their first league game of the season.
With Ian Dowie,Tim Flowers and Television celebrity Nick Hancocks in a small crowd at the Brittania, Coventry City kicked off their Pontins League Central Division campaign against a Stoke side which included John Eustace.
Danny Ireland on his debut had saved a drive by Andy Wilkinson when Steve Ogrizovic was forced into a change when David McNamee limped off with an 11th minute recurrence of a calf injury.
Liam Robinson was sent on and five minutes later,Darren Brunt came off second best to Ben Turner challenge and had to be replaced.
In the 23rd minute, City should have been ahead when Simpson under pressure from Clint Hill fed Chris Birchall who drove wide.
John Parkin used his height and weight to make a nuisance of himself up front and was involved as City failed to deal with a Wilkinson long throw and allowed Mark Grocott to fire into the roof of the net in the 26th minute.
Robbie Simpson spent most of the game dropping deeper and deeper into midfield or being muscled off the ball but managed to stick out a leg and steer a deflected shot from the edge of the area inches wide.
A good move in the 38th minute involving Burtoft and Hildreth fell for Birchall who curled over with Liam Davis firing a free kick at Hoult straight afterwards.
Straight after the restart,Lee Hildreth was smacked in the back and had to be replaced by Fitzharris.
Six minutes in and Birchall again fired over,this time from a free kick after a trip on Burtoft. These wasted chances soon proved costly as in the 54th minute,Stoke went further ahead when Parkin got down the left and centred for John Eustace to tap in.
City continued to work hard with the back four playing as a unit and Fitzharris and Burtoft in midfield doing plenty of running as Davis an Cairo were out of the game for long periods.
Burgess fired over from a 68th minute corner with Burtoft also firing over eight minutes later.
In stoppage time, Ireland made a superb reaction save from Parkin to keep the score down to two nil which against such an experienced side was not a bad result and one the youngsters will learn from.
Team
Ireland,McNamee (Robinson 11),Francis,Hildreth (Fitzharris 47), Burgess,Turner, Cairo,Burtoft, Simpson,Birchall,Davis SNU Collett,Ashraf,Wynter.
Stoke
Hoult,Wilkinson (Parsons 66),Bulut,Eustace, Broomes,Hill,Phillips,Shotton,Parkin,Brunt (Grocott 16),Sweeney SNU Hamilton,Wedderburn
HT SCFC 1-0 CCFC FT SCFC 2-0 CCFC
Goals Mark Grocott (26),John Eustace (54)
Referee R.Fletcher
ATT 100
Man Of The Match - Ben Turner just shading it from Callum Burgess.
_____________________
STARTING FORMATION
Only Ben Turner,Liam Davis and Lee Hildreth survived from the days when City Reserves last played league football,so it was debuts all round.
Ireland
McNamee Turner Burgess Francis
Cairo Hildreth Burtoft Davis
Birchall
Simpson
____________________
WEATHER
A pleasant evening with sunshine and a slight wind.
---------------------
CITY SUPPORT
About fifteen,most of which were players parents.
__________________
Coventry City Reserves were beaten 2-0 at Stoke in their first league game of the season.
With Ian Dowie,Tim Flowers and Television celebrity Nick Hancocks in a small crowd at the Brittania, Coventry City kicked off their Pontins League Central Division campaign against a Stoke side which included John Eustace.
Danny Ireland on his debut had saved a drive by Andy Wilkinson when Steve Ogrizovic was forced into a change when David McNamee limped off with an 11th minute recurrence of a calf injury.
Liam Robinson was sent on and five minutes later,Darren Brunt came off second best to Ben Turner challenge and had to be replaced.
In the 23rd minute, City should have been ahead when Simpson under pressure from Clint Hill fed Chris Birchall who drove wide.
John Parkin used his height and weight to make a nuisance of himself up front and was involved as City failed to deal with a Wilkinson long throw and allowed Mark Grocott to fire into the roof of the net in the 26th minute.
Robbie Simpson spent most of the game dropping deeper and deeper into midfield or being muscled off the ball but managed to stick out a leg and steer a deflected shot from the edge of the area inches wide.
A good move in the 38th minute involving Burtoft and Hildreth fell for Birchall who curled over with Liam Davis firing a free kick at Hoult straight afterwards.
Straight after the restart,Lee Hildreth was smacked in the back and had to be replaced by Fitzharris.
Six minutes in and Birchall again fired over,this time from a free kick after a trip on Burtoft. These wasted chances soon proved costly as in the 54th minute,Stoke went further ahead when Parkin got down the left and centred for John Eustace to tap in.
City continued to work hard with the back four playing as a unit and Fitzharris and Burtoft in midfield doing plenty of running as Davis an Cairo were out of the game for long periods.
Burgess fired over from a 68th minute corner with Burtoft also firing over eight minutes later.
In stoppage time, Ireland made a superb reaction save from Parkin to keep the score down to two nil which against such an experienced side was not a bad result and one the youngsters will learn from.