CREWE ALEXANDRA 2-1 COVENTRY CITY
City: Allsop, Phillips, Willis, Hines (Miller 71), Pugh, Fleck, Thomas (Coulibaly 64), O'Brien (Maddison 79), Jackson, McQuoid, Finch (sent off 82). Subs: Richards. Haynes, Tudgay, Webster.
Crewe: Garrett, Tootle, Ray, Dugdale, Turton. Inman, Cooper, Leigh, Brandy (Atkinson 85). Tate. Grant. Subs. Shearer, Guthrie. Oliver, Saunders, Nolan, Ness.
HT CAFC 2-0 CCFC FT CAFC 2-1 CCFC
ATT 5058
Goals Brandy 29, Cooper 32, Anthony Grant own goal 48
Referee C. Breakspear.
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Coventry City did what most League One clubs have not the season and lost at bottom side Crewe Alexandra.
On Steven Pressley's 41st birthday, the Sky Blues travelled to Crewe, the scene of their last away league victory back in March.
A good turn out of City supporters including supporters from Switzerland, Devon, London, Newcastle and a number of our Northern based support, were at Gresty Road on a sunny afternoon and there was plenty of noise as a City team with four changes took to the field.
With Jordan Willis captaining the side, Crewe, who were bottom of the table, had the first chance when George Ray flicked wide a fifth minute free kick with the goal at his mercy.
Conor Thomas started making some good tackles and this allowed John Fleck to get in a shot which Garrett pushed round for a corner.
That came to nothing and was followed by a McQuoid shot and a corner for Alex and then a 17th minute free kick which Allsop managed to scramble away.
City went up the other end and won a corner which Hines headed at Garratt. Crewe, who were clearly up for this, broke and Grant sent a shot so wide that it was lucky to to stay in the ground.
Phillips delivered another good crossbut unfortunately, there was no-one there and Crewe were able to go up the other end and win a 21st minute.
In the 25th minute, the City defence stood and watched as Crewe attacked down the right and Febien Brandy drew out Allsop on his left and slipped the ball past him before treating the Crewe support to a Robbie Keane style cartwheel.
Phillips fired over from long range but Crewe went up the other end forcing Jack Finch to take one for the team after Thomas let his man go.
It proved a costly free kick as George Cooper stepped up curled past Allsop's left hand side and into the net.
Jackson drove wide in the 40th minute and four minutes later, O'Brien blasted well with Fleck also firing wide before a miserable forty five minutes for the sky blues in their white shirts and sky blue shorts.
There were no changes for the start of a second half which saw Phillips hit the post after good work from Pugh and McQuoid.
Grant was booked and this gave City a free kick some twenty yards out. Danny Pugh stepped up and hit a great kick which beat Garratt on his left and was headed in to his own net by Anthony Grant.
The City support went mad and the goal lifted City who continued to attack with a couple of shots and a 53rd minute corner.
Ray was booked as Pressley, today in a suit (not his birthday suit), and with plenty of City supporters questioning his tactics during the break and there signs that supporters are losing patience with the Scot, sipped on a bottle of water.
Mo Coulibaly was sent on in the 64th minute for Conor Thomas. The loanee was involved straight away as McQuoid had a shot blocked against a Crewe side whose players were going to ground way too easily for the liking of City support.
O'Brien was booked for a foul that led to Jordan Willis, who had a solid game heading away.
The rain was coming down as Hines went down the tunnel after picking up a a kock and forced Pressley into a change with Shaun Miller coming on against his former club for the final twenty plus minutes.
City won two corners in the 73rd minute and another two followed a minute later.
Pressley used his third change to bring on James Maddison for Jim O'Brien.
Brandy, who was being called a cheat by some of the City support for an attempt to get Pugh sent off, fired at Allsop and then forced Finch into another tackle which saw another yellow card and then a red card, leaving City with ten men for the last eight minutes.
City played the ball around but failed to create anything to worry Garratt and went down to an embarrassing defeat, provoking plenty of calls for Pressley to either change his tactics or get out of the club.