COVENTRY CITY 1-1 BRISTOL CITY BY KEV MONKS
Date 12/09/09 At The Ricoh Arena Championship
Team
Westwood, Wright, Hall, Clingan, Turner, Cranie, Osbourne (Eastwood 77), Cork (Gunnarsson 77), McIndoe, Best, Morrison SNU Konstantopolous, Ward, Grandison, Clarke, Jeffers
Bristol City
Gerken, McAllister, Fontaine, McCombe, Carey, Elliott, Maynard, Hartley (Johnson 73), Skuse (Sno 73), Wilson (Orr 64), Saborio. SNU Williams, Sproule, Nyatanga
HT CCFC 1-0 BCFC FT CCFC 1-1 BCFC ATT 16,449
GOALS Leon Best (17), Nicky Maynard (47)
Referee Neil Swarbrick Booked Hall, Wright, Eastwood Morrison, Carey, Elliott, Saborio
Man Of The Match -Keiren Westwood took the votes from Isaac Osbourne and Martin Cranie
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Coventry City took their first ever point off Bristol City at the Ricoh Arena with a 1-1 draw.
City boss Chris Coleman had wanted a performance from his side at the disaster that was Blackpool and in the first half, the City supporters which included a very good number of school kids on free tickets in a crowd of 16,449 on a very warm, sunny afternoon at the Ricoh Arena were treated to that.
City started with Marcus Hall at left back replacing Patrick van Aanholt who has a groin strain and brought back Isaac Osbourne for Aron Gunnarsson who had seen international action with Iceland national and U21 teams over the last seven days.
The Sky Blues lost the toss and attacked the CT Stand in the first half after a minutes applause had been held for Coventrian Fusilier Shaun Bush who had been killed in Afghanistan trying to save the life of a fellow City supporter.
Michael McIndoe, played against his former club and was booed when his name was read out by Stuart Linnell by the fans from the West Country. Some of his former team mates also seemed to have scores to settle and he was hacked down on a couple of occasions early on.
The Scot, after firing wide in the 6th minute, also delivered some good crosses alongside Isaac Osbourne who seemed determined to get City attacking early doors.
Firstly a chance for Clingan was set up by Osbourne who in the tenth minute, hit a daisy cutter from the edge of the area which Dean Gerken spilled but got enough on it to take it out of the path of the incoming Clinton Morrison.
In the 17th minute, Coventry City were ahead. Marcus Hall delivered a peach of a cross and Leon Best dived to head home for City's first goal since the league match at Barnsley and the first at home to Bristol City since the Sky Blues were moved up to the Ricoh Arena by the personal agenda merchants of previous boards.
A second nearly came, three minutes later, when the solid Ben Turner rose to meet a McIndoe free kick and his deflected header was inches away.
In the 24th minute, City did get the ball in the net when Clinton Morrison was first to a rebound after the keeper had saved a Best header. However, Morrison was in an offside position, according to the linesman and it remained at 1-0.
This was one of those games where City always needed a second goal. The Robins, who fielded former Sky Blue Louis Carey, went up the other end and two great saves from Keiren Westwood in the space of four minutes kept City ahead.
Seven minutes before the break, a cross from the lively Best, who had performed well for Ireland on Tuesday night, was so dangerous that McCombe had to clear the ball over his own cross bar.
In stoppage time, Keiren Westwood made a good save to stop a Maynard free kick.
But two minutes in to the second half, there was nothing Westwood could do as Nicky Maynard ran to meet a ball from the Bristol number 33 and from 25 yards plus out, smashed it high into the net.
Coventry began to look nervous. Even Keiren Westwood got himself in trouble and was grateful when Saborio fired into the side netting after the City keeper had been caught in possession.
The passing from the Sky Blues, which in the first half had been excellent, ceased its accuracy and Sky Blues chances became rarer and rarer.
Keiren Westwood remained busy dealing with a 61st minute header by Skuse and another from McCombe ten minutes later.
Some of the City support had been calling for changes and in the 77th minute, they got them when Freddie Eastwood and Aron Gunnarsson were sent on.
A chorus of "Sky Blue Army" from the back of the CT Stand failed to lift the players to get another goal although Leon Best had an 85th minute pushed away and four minutes later, Martin Cranie also got in a header which was cleared.
Although the second half was rather disappointing, it was a point against a side who normally beats us and a point that many of us would have taken before hand.
This report is dedicated to the memory of Fusilier Shaun Bush and Derrick Barnett - City Til They Died.