PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 4-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Westwood (Marshall 49), Osbourne, Fox, Dann, Turner, Gunnarsson (Thornton 27), Beuzelin, Doyle, Eastwood, Morrison, Simpson SNU Hall, Ward
Plymouth
Larrieu, Gray, Seip, Barker, Sawyer, Judge (Clark 74), Fletcher, Duguid, Gallagher, Mackie (Doula 74),Barnes (Fallon 74) SNU Saxton, Timar
HT PAFC 4-0 CCFC FT PAFC 4-0 CCFC
Att 12,568
Goals Ashley Barnes (14), James Mackie (25), Alan Judge (26), Marcel Seip (36)
Ref Clive Oliver (replaced 52) Booked Dann, Doyle, Morrison, Fox
Man Of The Match. Every City supporter who spent the time and effort watch this highly unacceptable episode.
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman kept the same team, which had drawn at Crystal Palace.
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Coventry City badly let down their support who had made the 220 mile trek to Plymouth by letting in four goals in a crazy twenty two minutes in the first half.
Our journey was delayed by a bad accident on the M5, which saw the Air Ambulance involved but we got to a Home Park, bathed in sunshine in plenty of time.
After getting past the stewards who considered that a pasty was not an item that could be brought into the ground, we joined the other seven hundred or so City supporters in the Barn End Stand which included supporters from as far away as Norway, Kent and Cambridgeshire, in cheering an unchanged City team onto the pitch.
Plymouth had the early pressure and in the 12th minute, Scott Dann was booked for a pointless free kick. When the ball came over, Danny Fox chested it down, Westwood got to his right to push away but Ashley Barnes was on hand to lash the ball into the net from four yards.
The City support kept singing but in the 25th minute, after a Fox corner had too easily been dealt with, Westwood came out as Turner failed to clear and James Mackie hooked the ball past him and into the empty net.
City had not won a league game at Plymouth since 1965 and the chance of that run ending completely disappeared just over a minute later when Alan Judge got the ball some 25 yards out and hit a ferocious shot which flew into the net.
Aron Gunnarsson, who had been sent to the ground in an earlier hand bags incident, went off injured and Kevin Thornton came on.
"3-0 down and we're having a laugh" sang the City fans who were keeping their sense of humour rather than hurling abuse at the players or Chris Coleman who stood motionless to a spot on the edge of the technical area.
In the 35th minute, Plymouth won a corner and when the flag kick came in, Marcel Seip was able to tap in unmarked from three yards.
This did bring a chant of "we want our money back" and "Coleman Sort It Out", from some of the frustrated City support whilst others headed straight for the bar.
Danny Fox had City's only effort on target in the half when Larrieu pushed off his thirty yard free kick over.
It was no surprise that City were booed off at the break and there were rumours circulating of alleged late night player drinking at the team's hotel last night amongst the City support and press at an interval which saw John Sillett unveiled to the crowd.
John Sillett at half-time
Four minutes into the second half, Keiren Westwood, who clearly looked in pain with his back after picking the ball out of the net four times, was replaced by Andy Marshall.
Coventry were now a lot better against a Plymouth side strolling in the sunshine. With little to amuse us on the pitch due to the total ineptness of Eastwood, Morrison and Simpson, the City fans had a bit of very good natured banter with the stewards included one who had the number 118 on the back of his coat.
With the Plymouth fans silent, we cheered every touch City had and in the 67th minute, those who were drinking downstairs, started coming back up as they thought we had scored due to us going mental when the Sky Blues won two successive corners.
Osbourne and Fox did try to get City going forward down the flanks as Beuzelin and Doyle struggled to gain any ground in the centre of midfield.
Marshall dealt with the few efforts that the previously home win- shy Argyle could muster.
But up front, City continued to be nothing less than embarrassing and if Chris Coleman and Ray Ranson have hopes of putting together a team that can challenge for a play-off place next season, then on today's performance, most of today's players will need to be replaced as they showed yet again, they clearly do not have the drive of players with ambitions to play at a higher level.
A good number of City fans left before the end of a half which dragged on and despite us singing to the end, the final whistle and the applause of a few of the City players, came as something of a relief.