COVENTRY CITY U23’S 2-2 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
City: Bilson, Eccles, Camwell, Maycock, Stokes, Stedman, Devon Kelly-Evans, Finn, Ponticelli, Beavon, Barrett (Burroughs 84). SNU Hunt, Naylor. Endall, Rowe
Huddersfield: Mewitt, Williams (Marriott 72), O’Malley, Whitehead, Edmonds-Green, Stankovic, Jabiri, Booty, O’Brien, Pyke (Obiero 77), Tear (Dyson 57). SNU High, Chrichlow-Noble.
Coventry City U23’s threw away a two-goal lead and ended up drawing 2-2 with Huddersfield Town.
Jason Farndon, assisted by Andy Whing, were able to include Chris Stokes, Stuart Beavon and the division’s top scorer in Jordan Ponticelli and on a bitterly cold afternoon at the Ricoh Arena in front of a small crowd plus a number of scouts and the likes of Mark Robins, Josh Barrett and Ponticelli had the chances for the Sky Blues in the opening twenty minutes.
The game sprang to life in the 43rd minute when Ponticelli was able to knock the ball down to Billy Stedman who ran in and smashed the ball high into the net from twelve yards.
On the stroke of half-time, City scored again with a superb move which saw the ball coming over to Jordan Ponticelli who lashed the ball in to the net at the North Stand end from the edge of the area.
Now you would have thought that the Sky Blues would have gone on in the second half and taken the game to a Huddersfield side which included Dean Whitehead who has made over 500 appearances in the Football League/Premier League.
But yes, you guessed it. It was the visitors who were the more dangerous after City had the opening ten minutes of the second half which saw a Beavon shot pushed away and Finn missing from the rebound. Mewitt saving from Beavon and Stokes before Beavon had the ball in the net only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
The visitors started to get a number of corners and in the 63rd minute, they had a goal when a cross from Oliver Dyson was met by defender Jordan Williams who gave Tom Bilson in the City goal no chance.
Huddersfield won more before Bilson made a cracking save from an Abdelhamid Jabri free kick in the 85th minute.
City continued to allow the away team to attack and in the 90th minute, were made to pay when Stuart Beavon gave the ball away. Lewis O’Brien crossed from the left and there was Abdelhamid Jabri at the back stick unmarked to duly score.
Huddersfield nearly won the game in stoppage time. However, some great defender from Josh Eccles saved the day and earned City U23’s who travel to Sheffield Wednesday next Monday a point from a poor second half performance.