COVENTRY CITY 1-2 CARLISLE UNITED
City: Murphy, Christie, Webster, Seaborne, Clarke, Thomas, Fleck (Daniels 72) Baker (McGeouch 72), Akpom, Moussa, Petrasso. Subs Burge, Barton, Willis, Haynes, Maund.
Carlisle: Pickford, Robson , Noble (Chantler 86), Midler, Ekangamene, Potts, O'Hanlon, Redmond (Amoo 79), Meppen-Walter, Drennan (Byrne 67), Chimbonda. Subs: Fleming, Chantler, Amoo, Symington, Guy, Novo.
HT CCFC 1-0 CAFC FT CCFC 1-2 CAFC ATT 1603
Goals Franck Moussa 32,Liam Noble 55, Sam Byrne 68
Referee S.Bratt
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Coventry City manager Steven Pressley warned he would take action if his players became complacent, so can we expect the lectures to start after this defeat to Carlisle United?
Well, Soggyfields in a town where the local rugby team had covered their pitch and used a heated tent in order to get their game played on Saturday, had dried up and so, a re-arranged League One game against Carlisle United, playing far better under Graham Kavanagh than Greg Abbott, went ahead.
On a day when some City supporters missed the game due to problems with the trains at Milton Keynes, City fielded their two new signings in Michael Petrasso and Chuba Akpom and brought in Jordan Clarke.
The loanee from Arsenal for the rest of the season had City's first shot in the fourth minute in front of a very poor crowd, which again included a number of Northampton fans, former City striker Cyrille Regis and former City Secretary David Dent and ten on the hill.
What crowd there was, in one given as 1603 tickets sold but looked less in person, saw Moussa fire at Jordan Pickford, Carlisle have a free kick and Baker fire over in the 18th minute.
With only a small crowd, the atmosphere was not much louder than reserves games at Highfield Road used to be and apart from the odd chants from the 191 visiting fans, there was no noticeable noise to lift the City players.
Midway through the first half, The Cumbrians started to look the more threatening and should have taken the lead in the 28th minute when Lee Miller fires into the side netting.
It proved costly as four minutes later, it was Coventry City who took the lead when the ball came over for Franck Moussa on the left hand side of the area and he slipped the ball past the loanee from Sunderland.
Moussa was involved in a move with Christie and Baker which won City a 36th minute corner and then Michael Petrasso who, like Akpom looked lively, had a shot saved.
Cyrus Christie stormed in to the box and hit a shot that Pickford pushed away. The ball came down and the glove wearing Chuba Akpom got in a header which Pickford superbly pushed over with his left hand for a corner.
Half-time came and went and the second half got underway with a booking for Meppen-Walter for a 47th minute foul on Akpom.
Carlisle attacked and a Pascal Chimbona run and cross went across the goal, just avoiding the incoming players.
The next attack from the Cumbrians proved more incisive as there was a cross from the right. Danny Redmond, got involved and played the ball to his left to Liam Noble who was able to beat Joe Murphy from eight yards.
Steven Pressley in his black coat was now pacing around his technical area as the hard working Jordan Clarke, playing at left back due to Blair Adams having a virus, tried to get City go forward.
However, Carlisle were packing the midfield and stifling City’s pressing game and in the 68th minute, a Fleck mistake saw Sam Byrne, on loan from Manchester United, who had just come on, get his first touch and beat Murphy from eight yards before celebrating with the travelling fans.
Pressley, now in a red training top having taken off his coat, sent on Billy Daniels and Dylan McGeouch for Fleck and Baker but there was still a lack of ideas from the Sky Blues, who did create a couple of chances late, only to be thwarted by Jordan Pickford who was in superb form, getting a Akpom header away in the 86th minute before Michael Petrasso fired over.
When Mr Bratt blew his final whistle, there was boos from some of the support who again had not seen City play nowhere near like the side we know they are and the sooner they can dictate matches for the whole ninety minutes, rather than be dictated to, then the clubs owners’ might have a better chance of persuading people to sit through this drivel at a current hovel of a stadium, some thirty five miles out of Coventry.