Livingston v Coventry City

Last updated : 30 July 2008 By Kev Monks in Livingston
Greetings from a sunny Livingston.

Coventry City teams news. The starting eleven is:


Ireland, Wright, Hall, Beuzelin, Ward, Turner, Tabb, Thornton, Kyle, Simpson, McKenzie.

Substitutes: Dann, Colett, Borrowdale, Eastwood, Gray, Best.

Coventry have 80 of their own fans watching this friendly in Scotland. They have seen Coventry have the best of the opening ten minutes, first with Leon McKenzie have two good chances and Jay Tabb firing straight at Martini in the Livingston goal.

Danny Ireland has been called on just once and cleared with his feet.

13 Minutes gone and the score is 0-0.

The referee, John McKendrick is highly visible in a fluorescent yellow kit. City are wearing the new home kit and Livingston are in all black.

Kyle headed over the bar on 20 minutes and just two minutes later a Simpson free kick curled just over the bar.

Livingston are now containing the previously dominant Sky blues, who now are having to do a lot of chasing, especially the hard working Jay Tabb.

Tabb though he had scored in the 31st minute when he had the ball in the net after a Kyle header was saved by Martini, but the effort was ruled out for offside. So it stays goalless.

A foul by Hall in the 35th minute gives Livingston their best chance with a Free kick 25 yards out. Griffiths takes it and fires well over the bar. Five minutes later and Simpson has a shot which he sees go wide and a minute after that, McKenzie headed a Simpson cross just over.

The teams go in at half time with the score 0-0.

As usual with friendlies, half team sees two City changes. Eastwood replaces Kyle and Leon Best is on in place of Beuzelin.

City's under 18's are losing 1-0 to Barwell's first team.


Eastwood gets a chance on 49 minutes, but fires over from a Simpson cross. After Livingston made four substitutions, Eastwood wins his team a corner which come to nothing. In the The minute Simpson has a low drive which Martini get down to to push the shot round the post for a corner.


Aaron Gunnarson is sitting down with an ice pack on his ankle.

With an hour gone it remains 0-0.


Ireland is forced into action, diving low down to his right to save from a Livingston trialist's drive. (Scottish football rules do not permit the names of trialist's to be used).


The players have trained all day and much to the annoyance of some of the City supporters, they are looking tired.

Livingston replace their best player, Leigh Griffiths in the 65th minute.

Best is played in by Thornton, but he drags his shot across the face of the goal on 67 minutes. Three minutes later and Gray comes on for McKenzie and Borrowdale replaces Wright.

Simpson has a free kick 27 yards out on 74 minutes, but is just wide. The floodlights are now on, the sun has gone and it looks like being a wet and stormy night in Southern Scotland.

Ireland makes another fine save from a shot fired in from the left.


10 minutes to go and it is still goalless.

City win another corner after a spell of good possession in the 86th minute, but nothing comes of it. Livingston go close to grabbing a very late winner through one of their substitutes. The end of the game saw heavy rain start to fall.

Full time and the score is Livingston 0 Coventry City 0

Coventry City under 18's lost 1-0 at Barwell.