COVENTRY CITY 1-0 BIRMINGHAM CITY BY KEV MONKS
Team
Westwood, Wright, Fox, Dann, Turner, Doyle, Gunnarsson, Bell, McKenzie (Henderson 53), Morrison (Eastwood 89), Best (Simpson 88) SNU Marshall, Beuzelin
Birmingham City
Maik Taylor, Murphy, Martin Taylor, Ridgewell, Fahey, Larssson, Carsley (Bouazza 31), Bowyer, Jerome (Costly 70), Sinclair, Bent. SNU Lyness, Traore, Johnson.
HT CCFC 1-0 BCFC FT CCFC 1-0 BCFC ATT 22, 637
Goal Scott Dann (58 seconds)
Referee Clive Oliver Booked Bowyer, Morrison, Larsson
Man Of The Match. Leon Best and Ben Turner shared the votes.
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STARTING FORMATION
Chris Coleman rested Jordan Henderson and started Leon McKenzie with David Bell moving to his preferred right wing. Birmingham started with former Lee Carsley but Blues boss Alex McLeish resisted giving Gary McSheffrey a place on the bench after he had scored for their reserves in a midweek friendly. Birmingham did not even leave McSheffrey for a ticket for the game and he watched the game from the City supporting area in the Main Stand.
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Coventry City did the double over Birmingham City with a 1-0 victory at the Ricoh Arena this afternoon.
On the warmest day of the year so far in Coventry, the biggest home league gate of the season, sparked by the win against Wolves and the good performances against Blackburn and Burnley, were joined by 4,248 Birmingham fans.
There was a good bit of noise as the teams entered the Arena pitch and shook hands. But by the time, the first chorus of "Keep Right On To The End Of The Road" had died down, the City support was in full cry celebrating a goal.
Coventry attacked the Jewson Stand first and won a corner after twenty one seconds when Clinton Morrison who had promised to go wild if he scored against his former club had a shot deflected. Danny Fox took the corner and there was Scott Dann to sweep the ball into the net with fifty eight seconds on the clock.
With Leon's Best and McKenzie full of running and City's midfield keeping a tight rein, the Sky Blues restricted Birmingham in their "Tribute to Ajax" away kit to half chances. When that was they could get past Dann, Wright, Fox and Birmingham fan Ben Turner, who had a storming game against his boyhood heroes.
Former Sky Blue Lee Carsley was involved with a tenth minute free kick but the former City man whose son is at City's Academy gave Keiren Westwood an easy catch.
In the 17th minute, Turner found Leon McKenzie who went on a mazy run before being scythed down. Danny Fox took the free kick and Ulsterman Maik Taylor pushed over the frist of two corners.
The visitors had a good chance on the half hour mark when Cameron Jerome was allowed into a shooting position inside the area but he dragged his shot wide just before Lee Carsley went off injured to good applause from the City fans who remembered his good work during his time at Highfield Road.
Lee Bowyer did not get such good applause. In fact, the former Charlton and Newcastle man spent the whole match moaning and complaining and found himself the first player to be cautioned in the 33rd minute.
Four minutes later and Keiren Westwood had to make his only real save of the match when he dived to his left to brilliantly push away a Larsson free kick.
Knowing that one goal might not be enough after the late goal at Burnley on Tuesday, City started to go forward. A few nice touches from David Bell played in Morrison for a chance and then the former Norwich man, who will not be appearing for City on Tuesday night against Blackburn teed up Doyle before he missed a sitter on the stroke of half-time after good work from Leon McKenzie.
It was not to be a good second half for McKenzie as he just missed a devine ball from Morrison three minutes after the restart and five minutes later saw the ball run out of play. The next time, he chased the ball, he went down and we witnessed the sorry sight of him being stretchered off.
Jordan Henderson was the man sent on. The right winger, who we all hope, will be staying until the end of the season, breathed new life into the City attack.
For some reason, Aron Gunnarsson never took a throw in but he played his part along with Doyle in ensuring City's midfield did its job.
As the City support taunted the Brummies that their city was substandard or words to that effect, Henderson went on a neat run which led to a 63rd minute corner. Fox's kick went across the goal to the left hand side in front of the press box where David Bell clipped a cross to the far post for Leon Best to get in a header which Taylor had to grab.
Taylor denied Best two minutes later when he blocked with his legs after some unselfish play from Henderson had seen him play in the front man.
The Birmingham fans were not a happy bunch. They had brought down on of the advertising hoardings at the back of the Jewson Stand and were soon having a go at their manager when he brought off Cameron Jerome and replaced him with Carlos Costly with twenty minutes to go.
In the 78th minute, City cleared a Birmingham corner through Leon Best who tore up the field urged on by his manager. A good pass inside found Henderson but Taylor showed why he is keeping Jonny Tuffey from the Northern Ireland number one jersey with a good block.
If the Birmingham fans had been unhappy before, they were livid in the 81st minute when they had the ball in the net. I did not have a good view of the incident but I did spot the assistant on the Main Stand side put his flag up as the ball went into the net. Bent and another player jumped into the crowd to celebrate with the fans. The City players stood preparing for the free kick whilst the Birmingham players demanded that the referee speak to his assistant. This he did. The referee pointed towards the CT Stand and the away end erupted but it was for the offside and the City fans celebrated this decision.
Larsson, who again showed why Arsenal released him, was cautioned for mouthing off at the CT Stand before Leon Best left to a standing ovation from the Coventry support with two minutes left. Clinton Morrison also got a good reception from the City fans and boos from the Brummies when he was switched for Freddie Eastwood a minute later.
Like the game at Blackburn, there was five minutes of added time but today, Coventry had enough to ensure that they took all the points from an excellent performance which saw them better a side fancied for promotion in every department yet again.