COVENTRY CITY U21 1-2 LEEDS UNITED U21
City. Dunn, Phillips, Kilbane, Lobjoit, Willis, Brown (J.Henderson 68), Roberts, McGinn (Daniels 60), O'Donovan, Barton (Lawton 77), Jeffers. Subs: Finch, Garner.
Leeds United: Rachubka, Green, Taylor, N.Turner, Kisnorbo, Gimpel, Hall, L.Turner, Antelmi (Walter 81), Lenighan (Snodin 86), Payne. Subs. Grimes, Clamp, Dawson.
HT CCFC 0-1 LUFC FT CCFC 1-2 LUFC
Goals Patrick Kisnorbo (39), Ryan Hall (52), Billy Daniels (92)
Referee; D. Cheosiaua
Man Of The Match – Arron Phillips
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Coventry City U21’s were beaten 2-1 at home by Leeds United in a U21 Professional Development League 2 – North fixture this afternoon.
Lee Carsley was again able to field a strong side on a sunny afternoon and included Watford’s Stephen McGinn in his starting line up along with Kevin Kilbane, Reece Brown and Adam Barton.
Shaun Jeffers had a good forty five minutes for the Sky Blues and Jeffers playing on the left side of the attack, won a corner in the third minute and then set up one in the ninth minute.
Leeds captain Lewis Turner flashed a 13th minute shot wide before Jeffers went on a run and delivered a a rasping shot which Paul Rachubka had to push over his bar for a corner.
Arron Phillips, who was watched by his dad, Marcus Hall, Steve Ogrizovic, Steve Taylor and Mark Robins, was also working well on the right. The young right back was getting forward and getting over some decent crosses which kept the visiting defence busy.
After Roy O’Donovan and former Leicester player Patrick Kisnorbo had squared up to each other, the Sky Blues who were playing some decent football with McGinn and Lobjoit at the heart of it.
In the 36th minute, some good play from the solid Kilbane, saw the well capped Irish international pick out Jeffers, who got in a shot from the left hand side of the field which Rachubka got down to block before eventually Leeds were able to scramble the ball away. City attacked again and this time, it was Kilbane who fired in a twenty yarder which went inches wide of Rachubka’s right hand post.
City had been on top but in the 39th minute, they were a goal down when some poor marking following a corner, allowed Patrick Krisnorbo all the time he wanted to turn inside the area and send a low shot into the bottom corner of Dunn’s net as Simon Lenighan came in.
Jeffers won another corner before the sides changed round for the second half.
Whereas, City had controlled much of the play in the opening forty five minutes, Leeds controlled the second half.
They won a 48th minute corner through the pacy Sanchez Payne and four minutes later were celebrating a second goal when a mistake from McGinn gifted the ball to Payne who picked out Ryan Hall from a ball by Simon Lenighan inside the area and Chris Dunn had no chance as the ball was smashed into the net with aplomb.
A good save from Dunn diving to his left, denied Payne a goal after his run and shot before Carsley decided that he had seen enough of McGinn and replaced the Glasgow born player with Billy Daniels.
Payne was leading his team mates on a merry dance, being gifted the ball from mistakes by Brown and Barton and it was only due to some poor finishing that Leeds did not get the third goal they were looking for.
In the 68th minute and just after City’s first real attack of the half had won a corner, Joe Henderson came on for Brown, who had done a good job in the first half with Jordan Willis but like some of his team-mates was prone to mistakes in the second.
City forced another corner but that was soon cleared up to Paul Green who cut inside before drilling a shot which Dunn got down to his left to push away for a corner.
With the sun now firmly hidden behind the clouds and it getting very dark, Ivor Lawton came on for Adam Barton and the Coventry born youngster added a bit of fight to the team that had been missing.
Lawton left his mark on Kisnorbo and was involved in a move, which saw Kilbane flash a shot across the goal.
Both sides won corners, with a great block from Phillips, followed by Snodin curling over before the match went into stoppage time.
In the second minute, Roy O’Donovan hit a shot from inside the six yard box on the right which bounced off Rachubka for a corner. Joe Henderson helped the ball from the flag kick into the mixer. The ball fell for O’Donovan who hit the bar and substitute Billy Daniels was able to tap in the loose ball for a consolation goal.
There was only a few second left on the watch of Mr Cheosiaua and not enough to stop City, who travel to Sheffield United next Monday, going down to a defeat.
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