COVENTRY CITY RESERVES 2-1 CRYSTAL PALACE RESERVES BY KEV MONKS
A goal in either half from Patrick Suffo gave City Reserves a deserved victory over Crystal Palace.
On a cold night at Nuneaton Borough,the few City supporters,players families and a handful of Palace fans were joined by regular City Reserves team watcher and Rotherham boss Ronnie Moore,Paul Sturrock along with Joe Royle who obviously wanted to see a decent City team play after Sunday's disappointing defeat. Both managed to get in with ease unlike City CEO Graham Hover who was asked for his pass,he was eventually allowed in after being told to bring it next time.
With Stuart Giddings on international duty with England U19 and Claus Jorgensen away with the Fairies, sorry Faroes, Coventry manager Steve Ogrizovic named a side that included Neil Wood,Andy Whing,Bjarni Gudjonsson,Eddy Johnson and Patrick Suffo.
Palace who had first team boss Iain Dowie amongst the hordes in their technical area,fielded Danny Butterfield,Mikele Leigertwood,Neil Shipperley and Dougie Freeman in the starting eleven. However, there was no announcement of the teams, something City's £3,000 hiring of Manor Park for reserves games must not cover and it is only thanks to a Nuneaton Borough official that I managed to get the Palace team which had seven changes to the printed team sheet.
Playing a 4-4-2 formation with Johnson and Suffo up front, City were ahead after six minutes when Eddy Johnson got down the left,cut the ball inside for Patrick Suffo to lash into the net with a left footed shot from fourteen yards.
Those in the crowd of around 75 who expected a goal feast were in for a disappointment as chances were limited.
Despite Andy Hall working hard on the left,Bjarni Gudjonsson working hard in midfield, playing some quality balls and Kevin Thornton who has netted six times in his last three games for the U18's running his heart out along with Craig Read, City were guilty of conceding possession far too often.
In the 17th minute, Palace attacked down the left and won a corner. The kick was knocked back to Danny Butterfield some twenty yards out. He drove the ball goalwards,Scott Shearer managed to punch it only as far Ryan Hall on the edge of the area. The Palace midfielder was allowed space to get in a shot before a fine block by Isaac Osbourne cleared the ball up for Suffo to chase and subsequently be dispossessed off.
Referee Peter Grove was having a fine game, (first match official I have seen in a while who gave most of the decisions to the Sky Blues), but in the 30th minute decided that Kevin Thornton had committed a foul on Shaun Derry and cautioned the flame haired striker.
Suffo was proving a handful for the visiting defence and three minutes later, he sent a right footed volley inches wide of Palace keeper Julian Speroni's right hand post from a Tim Partridge cross.
After Shaun Derry got his revenge by taking out Thornton and got a yellow card waved in his face for the privilege, Suffo rose to head over a 41st minute Johnson cross from six yards.
City were looking comfortable but as all City supporters know to our cost, it is when that things look comfortable that City usually come unstuck.
And so it proved as on the stroke of half-time, Neil Wood headed back and Dougie Freedman picked up on the loose ball and lobbed the ball over Shearer and high in to the net from twelve yards.
Palace continued in the same vein after the restart with a 46th minute free kick from Ryan Hall being superbly saved by Scott Shearer diving to his right.
As we were stood trying to avoid the local Nuneaton village idiot who had decamped himself behind the City dug-out and was doing a fine job in stating the bleeding obvious in his remarks which were annoying the players and City management as well as ourselves, (If he is at the next reserve game, yours truly will be reporting form the top of the floodlight pylon in order to avoid him), Palace had Mark Hudson booked a 53rd minute foul on Patrick Suffo.
Another booking followed five minutes later when Andy "Hard Man" Hall became Mr Grove's fourth caution of the game for a display of retaliation. This gave Palace a free kick some twenty five yards out but Shearer was equal to Butterfield's place kick.
Butterfield was replaced three minutes later by Aaron Fray,as a free kick for a foul on Thornton provided nothing more than a chance for the visitors to clear their lines.
In the 65th minute, youngster Craig Reid got his first chance on goal of the evening. The Coventry kid hit an excellent shot from twelve yards however, Palace keeper Speroni pulled off a tremendous one handed save to keep the scores level.
The South East Londoners who were unbeaten started to get back into the game and after Freedman had fired well over,Tom Soares got round the back of Andy Whing and sent over the ball. Shearer ran out as Freedman came in. The Scot got both Freedman and the ball, the three Palace fans to my right appealed for a penalty and from my vantage point, I though they had a fair case but Mr Grove decided that Shearer had got to the ball first and awarded the visitors a 71st minute corner.
Two minutes later, City won a free kick some thirty yards out when Neil Wood was brought down. Suffo took the kick and saw his effort deflected for a corner.
With fifteen minutes remaining,Ogrizovic replaced Craig Reid with Ben Mackey and this was followed by Tom Soares being cautioned for a foul on Thornton and Palace replacing Ryan Hall with Lewis Grabban.
Still the nutter from Nuneaton was wittering on and in the 78th minute ,exclaimed "Have We Got A Penalty" in a loud voice after Mackey had been brought down and Patrick Suffo had dispatched the resulting penalty deep into the back of the net.
Eddy Johnson was clearly struggling with a groin problem and in the 80th minute,he was replaced by Anthony Barry and went straight down the tunnel and into the dressing room for treatment.
Both sides won a corner each and Shearer saved from a Freedman shot but City were able to play out the remaining time and record a welcome victory.