COVENTRY CITY 1-1 LEICESTER CITY BY KEV MONKS

Date 03/10/09 At The Ricoh Arena Championship

Team
Westwood, Cranie, Wright, Ward, van Aanholt, Cork, Clingan (Osbourne 70), Gunnarsson, Eastwood, Best, C.Morrison SNU Cain, Grandison, Clarke, Walker, Konstantopolous, Jeffers

Leicester

Weale, M.Morrison, Hobbs, Brown, Dyer, Berner, Oakley, King, Kermogrant (Howard 59), Fryatt (Waghorn 59), Gallacher (Campbell 59)

HT CCFC 1-0 LCFC FT CCFC 1-1 LCFC ATT 22,207

Goals Sammy Clingan (37), Martyn Waghorn (69)

Referee M.Oliver Booked Clingan, Gallagher, Best

Man Of The Match Votes for Jack Cork, Sammy Clingan and Freddie Eastwood in a hard working performance

_______________________

The first M69 derby of the season finished in a 1-1 draw at the Ricoh Arena.

Coventry City went into the game on the back of the win against Watford and with Michael McIndoe picking up a knock in that game, Freddie Eastwood was given a rare start.

It was a blustery old lunchtime as the match kicked off at the Ricoh Arena in front of the biggest crowd of the season, which included 4,802 members of the Leicester family.

Outside it was relatively peaceful and inside the ground, although there was some good banter between the two sets of supporters, there was not much of an atmosphere inside the ground.

With Martin Cranie again at right back and Stephen Wright who had a better game at centre half whilst leaving the capable Elliott Ward to win the headers, City attacking the Jewson Stand in the first half, kept Matty Fryatt out of the game.

Jack Cork again enjoyed a free role and worked very hard in a strong midfield and in the space of two minutes, his fellow midfielder Aron Gunnarsson, who was also encouraged to attack, had two chances.

The first in the eighth minute went just over the bar but the second came from a cross from the Tescos Stand side by Eastwood, who improved as the game went on, Morrison knocked on and Chris Weale in the Leicester goal produced a great save to concede a corner.

Although there was a lot of good work being done, again the visitors were able to exploit the Sky Blues weaknesses.

One time City loanee Lloyd Dyer fired over in the 16^th minute and five minutes later, Paul Gallagher from the edge of the area hit the bar with a curling effort.

The game needed a goal to bring it to live and in the 37^th minute, a handball decision by referee Mr Oliver gave City a free kick.

Up stepped Sammy Clingan to take the kick some twenty yards out. The wall looked well positioned but then keeper Chris Weale decided to go for a walk.

This left Clingan with a bigger target to aim at and the Northern Ireland international duly obliged, firing high into the net and sparking scenes of joy amongst the Sky Blue support.

Those smiles on our faces lasted through half-time and into a second half which saw Coventry on the attack looking for that second goal which surely would have wrapped up a victory.

Eight minutes after the restart, good foot work by Cork sent Gunnarsson down the right and into the area. He hit a corker of a shot but Weale produced an equally exquisite save to push the ball over for a corner that Ward fired wide from.

Clinton Morrison, who was well marked, did get the ball in the net in the 57^th minute but the flag from the assistant on the Tescos Stand side had long had his flag up.

Nigel Pearson opted for a triple substitution. Steve Howard, DJ Campbell and Martyn Waghorn were sent on in the 59^th minute and within ten minutes, that tactic paid off when the visitors equalised.

Weale cleared upfield. The ball fell to Martyn Waghorn and the substitute flicked the ball past Keiren Westwood before rushing over to celebrate with his fans.

Chris Coleman than had to make a change with the hard working and injured Sammy Clingan replaced by Isaac Osbourne.

With ten minutes left, Clinton Morrison did all the hard work to shrug off the attentions of his marker and get in space for a shot but could only blast the ball into the CT Stand.

Urged on by the Sky Blue Army, City won two corners and in the 86^th minute, Leon Best, crashed a shot against the bar after the flag had again gone up.