WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1-0COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Date 24/03/10 At The Hawthorns Championship
Team
Westwood, Cranie, McPake, Wood, Wright (Hussey 79), Bell (Sears 66), Clingan, Baker, Deegan, Stead (Morrison 76), Eastwood. SNU Konstantopolous, Hall, Gunnarsson, Barnett
West Brom
Carson, Reid, Meita, Tamas, Mattock, Koren (Thomas 85), Watson, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Brunt (Barnes 60), Miller (Moore 69). SNU Kiely, Cox, Zuiverloon, J.Morrison.
HT WBAFC 1-0 CCFC FT WBAFC 1-0 CCFC
ATT 22,140
Referee C. Webster
Booked McPake,Wood, Barnes
Goals Stephen Reid (21)
Man Of The Match Sammy Clingan took the votes in our car with nominations for Wood and Eastwood.
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Coventry City put in another battling second half performance but went down to a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion.
Another good turn out of City fans from as far away as South Wales, Kent, London and Surrey joined those of us living closer to Coventry in making the journey to The Hawthorns, which is one of the easiest grounds to get to in the country, for the last midweek game of the season.
Unfortunately, the Sky Blue support again did not witness a good first half. West Brom attacked down the left and in the opening half hour, Stephen Wright was ripped to pieces by the likes of Dorrans, Brunt and Miller.
Playing Jon Stead up front ahead of a five-man midfield that included Freddy Eastwood on the left, the City midfield had to create chances.
Sammy Clingan with a ninth minute free kick and Gary Deegan with a right-footed flick was followed by Jon Stead firing at the keeper.
West Brom got two corners and in the 21st minute took the lead when Stephen Reid was left alone at the back door to score from close range, following the Baggies second corner.
The City fans kept singing as Brunt continued to torch Wright.
With four minutes of the half remaining, City had a massive let off when Robert Koren got a shot in from the right. Keiren Westwood scrambled the ball away but it looked from where we were that the ball had crossed the line.
City must have had another 'lecture' from Chris Coleman at the break on a wet night, as they were much better in the second half.
The Baggies were prevented from playing down the wings and City should have been level in the 61st minute when Jon Stead stuck his leg out to a David Bell cross but sent the ball wide from three yards.
David Bell, who made a right hash of a cross a couple of minutes later, was replaced by Freddie Sears.
This heralded the Sky Blues raising their game and it was one they controlled for the remainder of the game.
Richard Wood sent the ball across the area from a Baker cross. Agonisingly for the City supporters who were making as much noise as the home fans to our left, there was no-one to get on the end of it.
Freddy Eastwood worked hard and his cross in the 77th minute, Carl Baker went down, claiming he had been shoved but nothing was doing.
Two corners for City ensued before Chris Hussey came on for Stephen Wright,
Baker had a low shot saved and as we went into stoppage time with City bursting a gut to try and get an equaliser, Richard Wood nodded a cross from the excellent Clingan, who had worked well with Gary Deegan, wide.
In the dying seconds, we thought City were going to snatch a draw when Clinton Morrison got the ball inside the area. He turned and his shot hit Carson's left hand post.
The final whistle sounded seconds later and although, they had not got the draw they deserved, the second half performance against one of the best team's in the division was again pleasing to watch.