COVENTRY CITY 0-1 NOTTS COUNTY
City; Allsop, Willis (Phillips 22, Swanson 77) Webster, Martin, Haynes, Finch, Fleck, Barton, O'Brien, Nouble, Madine. Subs Charles-Cook, Thomas, McQuoid, Dion Kelly-Evans, Maddison.
Notts County: Carroll, Adams, Hollis, Murray (Harrad 92), G.Thompson, Jones, McKenzie, C.Thompson, Noble, Edwards, McLaughlin. Subs; Speiss, Wroe, Traore, Whitehouse, Bishop, Harrad, Cranston.
HT CCFC 0-0 NCFC FT CCFC 0-1 NCFC
ATT 8116
GOALS Gary Thompson 71
REFEREE M.Bull
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Coventry City were deservedly booed off after another lacklustre performance which saw a home defeat to Notts County.
There is never a dull moment with the Sky Blues and the latest episode in one very sorry saga saw City\Sisu\Avro\Otium's bid for the Higgs share of Arena Coventry Limited rejected for being conditional and Wasps now owning 100% of the ACL shares.
Whether the citizens of Coventry will tolerate another under-achieving team, who are only in our fair city as they could not get a ground in London or Birmingham if certain rumours are to be believed, is open to speculation and there was plenty of speculation going round as the Sky Blues took on Notts County at the Ricoh Arena on a cold afternoon amongst those not in I'm not going until Sisu Are Out\Pressley Is Gone\Wasps Get Out Of Cov brigades, who are boycotting matches or events at the Ricoh Arena or those who had opted to go to the England football or rugby internationals in London instead.
Steven Pressley, whose side travel to Bristol City in a JPT Area Semi-Final tie next month, described the JPT win over Plymouth as a small step and knew that with the Sky Blues in 19th place in the table, that another victory was the order of the day.
The City team again was without Reda Johnson who had been on international duty. Roy Carroll had also been on international duty but he arrived back in London at 7am from Romania and drove to Coventry to take part in a match which started after a minute's silence to remember all those who lost their lives or who suffered in the Coventry Blitz.
Watched by Pressley, again wearing a City scarf, Adam Barton had the first chance of the match, firing wide after just over a hundred seconds against a side which had Cov Kid Greg Abbott strutting about in the dug-out and former Sky Blue Blair Adams playing at left back for a team in a yellow and green kit.
The Sky Blues dealt with a free kick and a thirteenth minute McLaughlin shot .
Three minutes later, City, attacking the end where the 764 visiting fans were, won a corner which came to nothing.
In the 22nd minute, Jordan Willis limped off and was replaced by Aaron Phillips who came on to help City defend a corner.
Phillips then got himself involved by diving to head off the line following a 28th minute corner which had gone over to Mike Edwards.
On a pitch which was in a far worse state than a number of non-league clubs in our city, City were over-hitting balls something which Roman Murray thankfully did in the 36th minute.
Phillips had a shot late on and was booked for clattering into Carroll, who made a meal of things as a turgid half, which makes supporters not want to both coming to matches, ended.
City were booed off and Carroll was booed as he came out for the second half.
The visitors created the first chance of the second half winning a 49th minute corner followed by a throw and another corner.
As the City support under the scoreboard did the twinkle little star bit with their phones, Ryan Haynes won City a 55th minute corner and two minutes later, Jack Finch had the shot of the game so far when he controlled the ball and volleyed it just over from twenty plus yards.
In the 65th minute, Nouble and O'Brien won a free kick that Madine curled over.
But in the 71st minute, Notts County took the lead, when a ball over found Garry Thompson in plenty of space and with the City defence backing off, thanks to Webster's error, Thompson was able to lift the past the hesitating Allsop on his left again and send the ball into the net.
Nouble fired wide before Pressley subbed the sub and brought on Danny Swanson for the last thirteen minutes.
It should have been two when Taylor McKenzie headed a corner wide with ten left.
Only Ryan Haynes was showing any urgency. Nouble and Madine worked but were never near each other enough to form a partnership, O'Brien was quiet, Fleck also for a dour City side that was denied a penalty when Madine went down and had Barton head onto the roof of the net but yet again, this was nowhere near good enough and there was more boong as Coventry City went down to another defeat.