COVENTRY CITY U23’S 1-5 BARNSLEY U23’S
City: Corey Addai, Lewis Green, Trialist, Jordon Thompson, Chris Camwell, Callum Maycock (C), Trialist, Josh Eccles, Trialist, Kyle Finn, Billy Stedman (Bilal Sayoud 75), Subs: Tom Billson, Josh Endall, Jack Burroughs.
Barnsley: Trialist, Trialist (Green 83), Fielding, Smith, Williams, Walsh, Wardle, Trialist (Greenfield 87), Bekovits, Adeboyejo, Trialist. Subs: Willand, Lomax
Coventry City U23’s were beaten 5-1 at home by Barnsley this afternoon.
With both sides having first team games tomorrow, the teams used this game as an opportunity to give their trialists a run-out. Jason Farndon fielded three trialists -one a defender, one a right sided midfielder and one a striker, whilst Barnsley named four trialists in their starting line-up.
Barnsley took the lead in a game played at the Alan Higgs Centre in the 26th minute when Corey Addai in the City goal blocked a shot and Barnsley’s striker trialist powerfully volleyed the loose ball into the net from the edge of the area.
Five minutes later and it was two when Amir Bekovits, who was far and away the best player on the pitch, cut inside and smashed the ball into the net.
City pulled a goal back in the 35th minute when Josh Eccles, for me, City’s best player, had a cracking effort beaten away by Joe Walker. Kyle Finn came in and had his effort blocked on the line before the trialist Mwiya Malumo was able to scramble the ball into the net.
Four minutes into the second half and a foul on Bekovits gave Barnsley a free kick. Bekovits took it and had his effort parried by Addai with Williams tapping home the loose ball.
Three became four in the 69th minute when Bekovits slotted home as the City team, with the three trialists very non-descript, allowed Barnsley to dominate proceedings.
Too many City players were having an off day and although Eccles had a good shot in the 73rd minute, a mistake by Addai in the 89th minute saw the ball fall for Victor Adeboyejo and he punished the City keeper by lobbing the ball over him and sending City to a 5-1 home defeat.
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