COVENTRY CITY U18'S 2-3 MK DONS BY KEV MONKS
Team
Collett,Jones,Griffiths,Walker,Burgess,Greenway,Cain,Richie ,West (Ashraf 61),Jeffers Wilson (80),Marshall (Hollist 69) SNU Quirke,Fitzharris.
MK DONS
Walker,Mitchell-Coop,Chicksen,King,Thorne,Flanaghan,Powell,Kelly,Delderfield,Koffi,Farden.
Subs Cryman,Barton,Cox, Powell,Barry.
Goal Stephane Koffi (pen 23 & 75), Andy Richie (54), Daniel Powell (79), Reis Ashraf (92)
Booked Griffiths, West. MOM Aaron Griffiths
Coventry City U18's went down to their first defeat of 2008 wirh a 3-2 home loss to MK Dons.
Richie Stephens deputising for Greg Rioch, fielded trialist Aaron Griffiths, who had played for City Reserves v Stoke in a game started at a frantic pace.
With Iain Dowie in the crowd,the City players,many of whom are looking for contracts had early chances with Dean Marshall firing wide.
The visitors,were quick to break and forced five corners before they went ahead in the 23rd minute. Dean Marshall was adjudged to have fouled and Stephane Koffi slotted home the resulting penalty.
Matty West was lucky to stay on for a late challenge on Adam Chicksen on the 30th minute but was unlucky not to find the net six minutes later with a header from a Marshall cross which Lawrie Walker superbly got a hand to.
City came out for the second half fired up. Brad Jones sent a cross onto the roof of the net.
Shaun Jeffers got clean through,only for the keeper to push away his shot and in the 54th minute, City got the goal they deserved.
Andy Richie was about 27 yards out when he looked up and rifled a low drive into the net for his third goal in succesive games.
Two minutes later,Matty West was the victim of a crunching tackle on the edge of the area. The crack echoed around the Alan Higgs Centre and the striker was stretchered off with a broken metatarsal to be replaced by Reis Ashraf.
This was now anyone's game and with fifteen minutes left, Stephane Koffi got round the back of Callum Burgess and slipped the ball into the net from four yards.
Brad Jones went very close with a header but in the 79th minute, Daniel Powell skipped through the defence inside the area and clipped the ball into the bottom corner.
City,with Griffiths in fine form,battled well and two minutes into stoppage time,pulled one back when Reis Ashraf curled a free kick in the bottom corner of the net from twenty yards.