Coventry City 1-2 Burton Albion
City: Burge, Sterling, Mason (Grimmer 89), Willis, Davies. Bayliss, Thomas, Kellyan Enobakhare, Hiwula, Bakayoko (Shipley 67) Subs, Addai, Grimmer, Meyler, Brown, Bremang, Burroughs.
Burton Albion: Collins, Brayford, Buxton, Allen, McFazdean, Fraser (Wallace 83), Akins, Templeton (Boyce 72), Harness, Quinn, Daniel. Subs;: Bywater Bradley, Miller, Hutchinson, Clarke,
Att 11,468
Goal Luca Akins 19, Tom Bayliss 50, Jamie Allen 60
In a game remembered for the poor refereeing, Coventry City went down to a 2-1 defeat at home to Burton Albion.
A Friday night game at the end of a week where City have until April 2nd to confirm where they are playing next season or face expulsion from the Football League whom they were appointed to, one hundred years ago this weekend.
There was a protest March before the game of around 50 people who made their way into the ground on a wet nigh to see a City side with no Dominic Hyam who was involved in a car crash on Wednesday and Luke Thomas in for Jordan Shipley for a game City needed to win if they were to keep their play-off hopes alive.
City attacked the South Stand for the first half and started positively despite players from either side falling over on a pitch showing signs of wear and the British weather.
Eight minutes in and there was the first "Sisu Out" chant of the night and calls for Joy Seppala, Tim Fisher and David Boddy to get out of our club with most of the City support standing for a chant of “Stand Up If You Hate Sisu.”
Amadou Bakayoko did a couple of nice turns as the Sky Blues contunued to keep the ball in the Burton half.
Lee Burge on his 150th appearance for City, did kick one out for a throw and gathered a 15th minute shot by Akins.
Bayliss had a shot blocked for a corner two minutes later. Burton broke and the ball ended up with Marcus Harness who was offside. However, the match officials did not agree and he crossed for Luca Akins to stroke past Burge from seven yards.
Burton wasted a good chance in the 24th minute and then had Templeton fire at Burge and Brayford blast over.
Jordy Hiwula then forced a cracking save out of Bradley Collins who dived high to push his effort from the edge of the area wide.
That corner on the half hour mark was poor and Burton were able to go up the other end and win a corner.
The crowd which was starting to get restless, howled at a poor kick by Burge for a City that were allowing Burton to control the midfield.
In the 35th minute, Burton had a goal ruled out for offside or a foul following a good save from Burge.
Bright Enobakhare got a booking as City continued to be closed down and relying on hit and hope football, despite the efforts of Brandon Mason, who was in good form and made a couple of useful runs.
Harness beat Burge in the air but headed wide and the visitors had another chance as City went in at the break a goal down.
It was Burton who had the early play in the half before the Sky Blues won a 48th minute corner and then another after a Davies header was deflected wide.
City attacked again and the ball fell for TOM BAYLISS who cut in and scored with a low shot into the bottom corner.
A great move in the 53rd minute saw Luke Thomas in and he hit a right footed shot which struck Collins right hand post but a minute later, City were down to ten men when Bright Enobakhare was booked for a second time, thanks to the Burton players harrassing the referee who had been replaced and sent off, becoming the first City player sent off this season.
Again, you have to question the referee, who was choosy with what he saw and clearly open to intimidation.
Thomas put in a good cross that just missed Bakayoko. The ball ended up on the hour mark with a Kelly back pass going to Lee Burge who kicked it as far as Jamie Allen who thumped it high into the net after an hour.
The goal delighted the away following which looked to be around 300, (562 announced) and the sort of following they had when they were a non-league team not that many years ago.
Jordan Shipley came on for Bakayoko before Sterling joined the list of those with a caution.
The referee, got a well deserved chorus of “You're Not Fit To Referee” for missing what was a cautionable offence and did nothing about the play acting from Collins who was feigning injury with 16 minutes left.
Kelly fired over and finally got a free kick for a foul on Sterling in the 77th minute. That was a poor kick and Burton broke with Akins wasting a great chance to wrap up the match.
Jordy Hiwula had a shot deflected for a corner but all that led to was a harsh booking for Tom Davies.
Mason ran and shot and then got crocked which again the referee missed and opted to book Harness for leaving the field of play and Quinn with four minutes left.
Jack Grimmer came on for Man Of The Match Brandon Mason before five minutes were added on, Added time failed to produce a goal and City were beaten.