COVENTRY CITY 0-1 BIRMINGHAM CITY BY KEV MONKS
It was not to be the Sky Blues night as they went down to a 1-0 home defeat against Birmingham City at the Arena.
In front of the biggest crowd for a league game of 27,212 at the Arena since it opened, Micky Adams started with Marcus Hall and Stern John in the side.
John was well cheered by the 5,371 Birmingham City followers when the team was read out whilst the announcement of Gary McSheffrey whose sale in August kept the club trading,received a pretty good ovation with more applause than boos.
As with the Barnsley game, City were up and at em from the start. Attacking the away end amidst some community singing of "Sh*t On The Villa", Kevin Kyle headed over in the third minute and seven minutes later headed down for Stern John to fire over.
Birmingham with McSheffrey on the left defended when they had to and looked to hit City on the break.
This they did in the 25th minute when Stephen Clemence got down the left and crossed for Nikklas Bendtner.
The last time I had seen the Dane in live action was when he played for Arsenal Reserves against City and whilst being in a back garden did not offer me the best vantage point, I could see enough to know that if he was given space on the ball or in the air then a goal would result.
And so it proved, Clemence's cross found Nikklas Bendtner who powerfully headed downwards. Andy Marshall got down to it but the ball squirmed under him and the flinging of an arm was not enough to stop the ball crossing the line.
City's midfield were fighting a tough battle and were now being closed down. Colin Cameron's passing was a lot better of late whilst Hughes and Doyle toiled away for little reward.
City might have levelled on the stroke of half-time but Stern John dragged the ball wide when clean through.
Stephen Hughes trudged off the pitch with a suspected broken nose at the break and was replaced by Don Hutchison.
Again City started the second half on the attack. Kyle had a header cleared by Kelly. Richard Duffy who survived a nasty knock in the first half centred for Colin Cameron to get in a diving header which was saved.
In the 48th minute, Don Hutchison sent over a trademark cross for Leon McKenzie who planted a header against Taylor's right hand post.
Coventry looked dangerous on the break thanks to some slack marking from the visitors. Stern John had a shot blocked which won a 57th minute corner that Kyle headed wide from whilst Andy Marshall had to pull off a blinding one handed save from a Cameron Jerome effort.
In the 66th minute, Dele Adebola replaced Kevin Kyle. The Nigerian who counts Birmingham City amongst his former clubs was given a good ovation by the away support.
Referee Andy D'Urso whose observation at some of the holding tactics employed by the Blues back four was certainly questionable. He cautioned Robert Page as well as Birmingham's Clemence and Sadler plus Richard Duffy later in the match.
In the 75th minute, the referee wrote in his notebook that a substitution was made by Coventry City. Wayne Andrews was brought on for Colin Cameron. This brought a chant of "You Don't Know What You're Doing" from the Birmingham support.
Six minutes later, action switched from the field of play to the naughty corner. A fight between individuals from Tile Hill and Bell Green saw police dashing into the East Stand concourse. There were further incidents after the game with some Birmingham fans dragged off their coaches and apprehended by riot police.
In stoppage time, Gary McSheffrey who had been cautioned for his eighth foul of the game was taken off for DJ Campbell and whilst he had not had the best of games, he received some good applause from most of the ground.
City might have snatched it right at the death when Stern John poked wide a Hutchison cross but it was not to be and City went down to their second home defeat of the season.
HT CCFC 0-1 BCFC FT CCFC 0-1 BCFC
ATT 27,212
Goal Nikklas Bendtner (25)
Booked Page, Duffy,Clemence,Sadler,McSheffrey
Team
Marshall,.Hall,Page,Ward,Duffy,Hughes (Hutchison 46),Doyle,Cameron (Andrews 75),McKenzie,Kyle (Adebola 66),John SNU Tabb,Clarke
Birmingham City
Maik.Taylor, Kelly, Sadler, Martin Taylor, Jerome (Larsson 86),Danns,Jaidi, Muamba, Bendtner, McSheffrey (Campbell 93).SNU Doyle,Gray,Nafti