First Win For City Reserves

Last updated : 25 September 2007 By Kev Monks
WOLVES RESERVES 1-3 COVENTRY CITY RESERVES BY KEV MONKS

Team
Ireland,McNamee (B.Jones 62),Francis, Grandison,Giddings (Robinson 43),Burtoft, Hildreth,Davis,Andrews (Ashraf 80),Simmonds,Kyle
SNU D.Marshall,Walker

Wolves
Stack,Little,Mulgrew,Potter,Edwards (Riley 40),L.Collins,E.Bennett,Gleeson (off 85,Salmon 95),Eastwood (Hughes 83),Bothroyd,Rosa SNU Lumley,Hughes,Ijaha

HT WWFC 1-2 CCFC FT WWFC 1-3 CCFC
att 385
Ref R.Merchant
Booked Edwards (27), Grandison (36),Andrews (49)

GOALS Donovan Simmonds (2),Jay Bothroyd (10),Wayne Andrews (14 & 78),

Man Of The Match Plenty of candidates including Wayne Andrews,Danny Ireland,Lee Hildreth and David Burtoft.
_________________________
STARTING FORMATION
Steve Ogrizovic gave starts to David McNamee and fit again Stuart Giddings and Kevin Kyle.

Andrews Kyle
Davis
Simmonds Hildreth Burtoft
Giddings Grandison Francis McNamee
Ireland
_____________________
City Supporters
Only a couple attended with a few of the players families boosting the numbers to around twenty.

Iain and Tim sat upstairs with scouts from Oldham and West Brom.
___________________________
Coventry City Reserves collected their first win of the Pontins League season with a 3-1 win at Wolves.

Against a Wolves side managed by former Spurs keeper Bobby Mimms and one that included Freddie Eastwood and former Sky Blue Jay Bothroyd, the Sky Blues needed only 141 seconds to take the lead thanks to Donovan Simmonds rising from five yards to head home a Dave Burtoft cross.

Playing a very loose 4-3-3 formation,a Kyle header forced Stack in a save.

But in the tenth minute,Wolves drew level when Jay Bothroyd was offered far too much space in the penalty area and turned to dive a low shot into the bottom corner from seven yards.

Four minutes later and City were back in front. Again,David Burtoft,in his last ever appearance was the provider,delivering a cross from the right for Wayne Andrews to head home from close range.

City had the majority of the play and defended stoutly when required, limiting Wolves to a thirty yard Bothroyd free kick which Danny Ireland dived to his left to push out for a corner.

In the 39th minute,Donovan Simmonds should have put City further ahead but he sent a Hildreth cross past the far post.

Stuart Giddings was replaced at the break by Liam Robinson and slotted in to the defence as City continued to push forward.

Jermaine Grandison should have scored when he was totally unmarked after a 53rd minute Kyle cross beat the home defence. He had time with a free header but sent it wide.

David McNamee, was another City defender who had a solid game before he was replaced in the 62nd minute.

Danny Ireland has been receiving extensive coaching over the last couple of weeks and had a good game in goal tonight. Good positioning saw the Australian able to push over a Bothroyd header in the 75th minute,seconds after the striker had nodded on to the bar from a Rosa cross.

With twelve minutes to go, Wayne Andrews broke. He was met by the advancing Stack and recovered to take the loose ball off the keeper and stroke it into the empty net.

Andrews had been replaced by the time Stephen Gleeson was stretchered off with a neck injury following a collision with Ireland which caused a ten minute delay.

Wolves best player Denes Rosa hit a post deep in stoppage time but it was the Sky Blues who deservedly picked up their first win of the season.