YEOVIL TOWN 1-1 COVENTRY CITY
SAT AUG 18 At Huish Park, Yeovil
League One
City: Murphy, Clarke, Hussey, Brown, Wood, Daniels (Jennings 84), Kilbane, Barton, Fleck (McSheffrey 33), McDonald, Ball (Elliott 63). SNU Dunn, Malaga, Baker, Edjenguele.
Yeovil: Stech, Ayling, McAllister, Hinds, Webster, Blizzard, Upson, Hayter (Young 81), Reid, Foley (Ralph 78), Ugwu (Marsh Brown 60). SNU Stewart, Haynes-Brown
Referee Dave Phillips. Assts William Bull and Mark Pottage. Fourth Official Adrian Tranter
Booked Reid, Hussey
HT YTFC 1-1 CCFC FT YTFC 1-1 CCFC ATT 6,006 .
Goals Cody McDonald 9, Richard Hinds 21
Man of The Match - Jordan Clarke took the votes in our car from Joe Murphy.
___________________
CITY SUPPORT: 2136 City supporters made the trip, some for the weekend, some on the way back from holiday. .
_________________
CITY TEAM NEWS: Andy Thorn started with five of his summer signings in Kilbane, Ball, Brown, Barton and Fleck who passed a fitness test this morning.,
_________________
WEATHER The cloud dispersed and it was a glorious day with plenty of sunshine.
_______________
If this is what League One football is going to be like, then Coventry City are going to have to raise their game in every league match after drawing 1-1 at relegation favourites Yeovil Town.
There was a good atmosphere amongst the City support on the open terrace behind the goal and in the stand opposite the Main Stand , many of whom had journeys of around five hours from Coventry to get to this part of Somerset.
They cheered a City side onto the pitch in glorious sunshine and there was plenty of expectation that this was a game the Sky Blues would win.
However, Gary Johnson's side thought otherwise and treated the game like a cup final as many expected.
With a spine of Stech the keeper, the tallest player on the pitch in Byron Webster, Edward Upson in midfield and Reuben Reid up front, they had enough to deal with the Sky Blues.
Richard Hinds should have put Yeovil ahead in the fifth minute and against the run of play, City were awarded a free kick three minutes later. After a slight delay. the kick from Fleck came over and there was Cody McDonald to put City into the lead.
It was a lead that lasted until the 21st minute. Joe Murphy did well to punch over a Webster header from a free kick. The City defenders stood and watched as Richard Hinds had all the time in the world to head Yeovil level.
The home side, whose fans behind the goal, which included a trumpeter, were taunting the City supporters with "You're Not Famous Anymore", had sussed that they were not going to get any joy out of Jordan Clarke, so all their attacks through Ayling, Upson and Reid came down the side of Chris Hussey who was given a torrid time in the opening forty five minutes.
In the 33rd minute, John Fleck pulled up after having a shot blocked and limped off, holding the same hamstring he was, when he was replaced at Accrington.
Gary McSheffrey came on and spent the rest of the half defending rather than attacking.
It was only a 37th minute saving tackle from Jordan Clarke, to concede a corner after one attack down the right and three minutes later, Murphy made another good save to stop Reid's sortee on goal again after getting the ball from the right.
The Sky Blues dropped Kilbane over to help out Hussey for the second half which saw City attacking the Terrace where some of the City support were stood.
Now referee Dave Phillips was letting a lot of things go but the official in a red shirt and black shorts, failed to give City two penalties. The first when McSheffrey went down was more of a penalty than the one that had won Coventry a penalty on Tuesday night at Dagenham & Redbridge and the one not given when Cody McDonald was sent crashing was nothing short of a disgraceful decision.
Mr Phillips was not helped by his assistant Mr Bull in front of the City support in the side stand , who was not up with play on a couple of incidents.
City won two corners before play was temporarily halted in the 56th minute, when a sky blue flare was thrown onto the field of play. It was soon removed by stewards and play continued with a booking for Hussey before City's second substitution saw Stephen Elliott replace Callum Ball who had struggled to get into the game.
McDonald fired across the goal as the Trumpeter launched into a rendition of the Rolf Harris classic "Two Litlle Boys".
McDonald had another chance in the 70th minute, going wide with a header. Then, five minutes later, Adam Barton, who worked hard, jinked through before sending a 25 yarder curler onto the crossbar.
Four minutes later, It was hearts in mouths time, Richard Hinds volleyed into the net. Some of the home fans and players thought they had scored. We looked at each other and it was a few seconds before the goal was ruled out for handball.
Murphy blocked again before Billy Daniels went off to good applause from the City support, some of whom took their frustrations out on some of the senior players,in the 84th minute, when he made way for Steve Jennings.
Five minutes of stoppage time was announced. In the second minute, Cody McDonald was left with only Stech to beat but he blasted over.
Kilbane had a shot pushed over just before the final whistle went and a tough afternoon for the Sky Blues came to an end.
The boos on the final whistle were loud with a good proportion of the support venting their displeasure at a City side yet again failing to take their chances and likely to face a long, hard season unless they can do so.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM