COVENTRY CITY RESERVES 4-0 IPSWICH TOWN BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City Reserves kept their good run of form going by recording their biggest win of the season so far with a 4-0 victory against Ipswich Town.
Alan Cork made a number of changes to the side that beat Norwich City last week and fielded a trialist from Boston United, Danny Thomas.
Like his namesake, who lives and works in Coventry, Thomas is a battler and the left winger won City a corner within two minutes of the start on a freezing cold night at Butlin Road.
To make room for the inclusion of Thomas,Liam Davis was moved to the right wing and in the ninth minute,he got to the edge of the area and drilled a low shot which somehow Town keeper Lewis Price blocked with his feet before Vijay Sidhu sent the rebound wide.
Davis was involved three minutes later when he found Craig Reid with a sublime ball. On this occasion,Reid fired wide but in the 15th minute, City took the lead.
A long ball from Andy Gooding was met by Thomas whose advance on goal was blocked for a corner. Gooding took the flag kick,sent it near post for Andy Whing to power a header into the net from four yards.
It was all City as a foul by Adam Proudlock on Davis gave City a 21st minute free kick. Kevin Thornton found Reid at the far post and Price got down to save the City striker's volley.
Gooding and Thornton were spraying passes for all they were worth as City piled on the pressure. Thornton just missed the incoming Stuart Wall who had a fine game at the back in the 24th minute before setting up Reid who curled wide from fourteen yards.
On the half hour mark, Steve McCall's side won their first corner. The commanding Ben Turner cleared the danger,allowing City to break and win a corner at the other end which Wall fired over.
Ipswich won three corners in quick succession and all three were easily dealt with by a City side who have not lost since November.
The score-line did not reflect the superiority of the Sky Blues who might have gone further ahead two minutes after the break when Liam Davis had a left footed volley saved by Price.
Ipswich,watched by first team boss Joe Royle who now has arthritis and is no longer as quick as during his playing days made a double change in the 53rd minute bringing on Liam Trotter and Billy Clarke.
Alan Cork did likewise seven minutes later when he took off Andy Whing and Ryan Lynch and sent on Paul McCrink and Adam Layfield.
Thomas was proving a constant threat on the left flank and in the 63rd minute,he almost scored when he cut in to strike a 27 yard shot which crashed against crossbar.
Luke Webb became the third City sub to be used and within six minutes of his introduction, City were two goals to the good when Thomas delivered a neat ball inside for Kevin Thornton to stroke past Price from just inside the penalty area.
Ipswich came back with three quick attacks, the first saw Darryl Knights flick header superbly pushed over the bar by Jonny Tuffey for a corner.
Tuffey had to confidence to come out and get the flag kick but seconds later after Dean McDonald had rifled wide, the Northern Irish U19 international threw himself to his right to help a McDonald shot go past the post for a corner.
In the 78th minute, It was three goals to nil for the Sky Blues. City won a corner. Gooding' kick was met by Stuart Wall who headed on. Craig Reid used his body to shield the ball from an Ipswich defender, thus allowing the ball to fall for Luke Webb who smashed the ball high into the net.
Against his old club, Craig Reid had a fine game and with nine minutes to go, an excellent team performance was rounded off nicely when Reid turned and drove a low shot from inside the area past the diving Price.
HT CCFC 1-0 ITFC
FT CCFC 4-0 ITFC
ATT 150
GOALS Andy Whing (15),Kevin Thornton (71), Luke Webb (78), Craig Reid (81)
Man Of the match - Very hard to pick anyone out as they all had a good game but Andy Gooding,Stuart Wall and Craig Reid were amongst the nominations I received.
TEAM
Tuffey,Whing (McCrink 60),Lynch (Layfield 60),Wall,Turner,Gooding,Davis,Thornton,Reid, Sidhu (Webb 65),Thomas SNU Belford,Ogarro
IPSWICH
Price,Moore,Sito,Skard (Trotter 53),Casement,Mitchell,Peters,Horlock,McDonald, Proudlock (Clarke 53),Knights SNU Peturrson,Short,Lordan