COVENTRY CITY 2-3 WATFORD BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Westwood, Osbourne (Grandison 90), Ward (McPake 46), Hall, Fox, Simpson (Cain 76), Gunnarsson, Doyle, Eastwood, Morrison. SNU: Ireland,Thornton
Watford
Loach, Mariappa, Demerit, Williamson, Doyley, McAnuff, Cork, Jenkins (Rose 65), Smith, Priskin (Cauna 89), Rasiak. SNU: Lee,Stepanov,Harley
HT CCFC 1-0 WFC FT CCFC 2-3 WFC
Att 17,195
Goal Eastwood (10), Simpson (53), Smith (pen 56), Rasiak (60), Priskin (72)
Ref Russell Booth Booked Hall, Turner Sent Off Fox (81)
Man Of The Match
Hall, Gunnarsson, Eastwood and Simpson shared the votes
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman brought back Clinton Morrison and gave Marcus Hall his 300th appearance.
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The chocolate coated Sky Blues left a bitter after taste after throwing a two goal lead to lose 3-2 at home to Watford.
On a sunny afternoon at the Ricoh Arena for the last home game of the season, Coventry City took to the field wearing the one off chocolate kit. I must admit to preferring the version worn by Steve Hunt, Ian Wallace and Garry Thompson rather than some away kit for Spurs or Paris St Germain.
Marcus Hall, who was making his 300th appearance got a standing ovation as City lined up against a Watford side needing a point to avoid an unlikely relegation. Robbie Simpson and Clinton Morrison led the attack whilst Fox and Eastwood used the flanks.
Early on, the Sky Blues were caught at the back but one effort from Rasiak was so wide it went for a throw.
City took the lead in the tenth minute when Freddie Eastwood got to the ball inside the area after a good move and slotted it past Scott Loach.
The goal lifted Eastwood and he was unlucky with a 17th minute effort, which went for a corner.
Watford were not without their chances and Lloyd Doyley was guilty of a glaring miss after Keiren Westwood failed to hold a McAnuff drive at the CT Stand end.
The game was mainly played at a pedestrian pace until the interval, which saw Chris Coleman opt to give James McPake some match practice.
Hall was willed on every time he went forward as the second half got under way but in the 53rd minute, City delighted the 17,195 crowd which included former Sky Blue Stuart Pearce, when they were awarded a free kick some twenty five yards out. Robbie Simpson took the kick and his curler flew into the net and we were all on our feet.
"Great" we thought, a good way to end the season and boost season ticket sales which have been flagging slightly after recent performances.
But no. A minute and a bit later and the 1800 or so Watford fans were on their feet when Ben Turner fouled and a penalty was awarded. Tommy Smith took the kick. Keiren Westwood dived to his left but could not hold the ball and Smith smashed home the rebound.
On the hour mark and with McPake all over the shop, Watford drew level when Grzegorz Rasiak was allowed to fire home unmarked from a corner.
The Hornets fans in the Jewson Stand end taunted us about being 2-0 up and messing it up and that song was repeated by some very disgruntled City supporters at the back of the CT Stand.
They were right, this was another cock up on the defensive front by the Sky Blues and in the 72nd minute, Brendan Rogers' side took the lead for the first time in the match when a free kick, was headed home by Tamas Priiskin as he beat Osbourne to the ball.
Aron Gunnarsson, who received the Covsupport News Service Young Player Of The Year Award and The Coventry City London Supporters Club Player Of The Year, ran well in midfield but the fight had been sucked out of City by a side who played some good football.
A bad second half got worse for a Coventry side rumoured to be having pre-season in Austria and Dublin, when Danny Fox was sent off with nine minutes to go for a shove and when the final whistle came to put us out of our misery, City were booed off.
Some did stop to clap the team on a lap round the pitch but how many will have season tickets next term remains to be seen.