COVENTRY CITY 1-2 MK DONS
City: Murphy, Webster, Seaborne, Clarke, Willis, Marshall (McGeough 75), Fleck, Baker, Prutton (Robinson 79), Eccleston (Delfounseo 69), Wilson. Subs: Burge, Christie, Adams, Thomas.
MK Dons: Martin, Lewington, Bowditch (Rasulo 11, Randall 79), Smith, Ali, Powell, Baldock, Spence, Kay, Loveridge (McLeod 66), Kennedy. Subs: Burns, McLeod,Galloway.
HT CCFC 0-1 MKFC FT CCFC 1-2 MKFC ATT 2,782
Goals Dele Ali 38, Carl Baker 56, Izaele McLeod 66
Referee G.Horwood
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Yet again, another missed penalty was responsible for Coventry City losing for the first time ever against MK Dons with a 2-1 defeat at Sixfields.
On a ground which SISU are using purely to fulfil fixtures and their Football League obligations and are looking like using for the foreseeable future, due to their continued to reluctance to deal with ACL and Coventry City Council unless SISU get given the Ricoh Arena for virtually nothing, we had the strange situation of the away team being nearer to Sixfields than the 'home' team.
With the busing in of a number of kids groups and the away end and half the side stand being more populated than usual, there was a bigger than normal inside Sixfields on a grey afternoon for this ‘M1 Derby’ and those present, saw a City team, which had Franck Moussa out with a back injury, take to the field with Callum Wilson back up front and Danny Seaborne, Jordan Clarke and the suspected John Fleck back in the starting line-up.
City, took on an MK Dons side playing in all red and had Mark Marshall doing plenty of chasing down in the opening exchanges before Alan Smith had the first chance of the game in the sixth minute when he sent a 20 yard free kick wide.
Two minutes later and The Dons attacked again and this time, Joe Murphy saved with his legs from a Kennedy attack.
As that was happening, Dean Bowditch went down with a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by one of their five named substitutes in Giorgio Rasulo.
With about thirty on the hill, watched by the police after there was talk on facebook pages about a possible attempt to get the match abandoned, watching on, Joe Murphy dived to push away a Jordan Spence twenty yarder for the first of two corners.
Jordan Clarke fired across the area but the visitors attacked through a weak Dele Ali shot which Murphy easily gathered.
Steven Pressley, in his black coat and white trainers in a muddy technical area, was certainly animated in encouraging his charges but did it with a smile on his face, patting the bald headed assistant on the back at one stage.
Marshall fired wide and in the 29th minute, Wilson went on a run but was followed by a defender and sent the ball across the mixer where it was cleared off the line.
In the 38th minute, MK Dons got a corner on the left. The flag kick came over to Dele Ali and he met it with an absolute sweet volley which flew into the net, delighting the 1051 away fans and bringing to life what had been a drab affair.
City were a lot better in the opening twenty minutes of the second half and after The Dons won a corner, Nathan Eccleston, who seems to have lost a lot of the pace he showed as a youngster with Liverpool, gave David Martin in the MK Dons goal the ball back with a tame shot.
Coventry City attacked again the 54th minute through Marshall who hit a lovely right footed shot and probably his best shot since he was signed on a short term contract. The ball was going into the net and it was only a terrific save from Martin, who pushed it round for a corner, diving to his left which stop the Sky Blues from drawing level.
Two minutes later and City were level with Marshall involved again in a neat move which saw the ball go inside to Carl Baker who beautifully fired a right footed volley into the net.
On the hour mark, Eccleston was through but a defender brilliantly blocked his shot and all City had was a corner.
At times, City are their worst enemies and in the 66th minute, they were not switched on following a substitution and were made to pay with a goal.
A friend of long standing has always raved about Izaele McLeod, saying City should sign him etc and McLeod, gave my friend’s arguments some credence when with his first touch after coming on to replace Loveridge, he controlled the ball and then lobbed Joe Murphy who had come out of his area and send the ball into the net and delighting those supporting the Buckinghamshire side.
City sent on Nathan Delfounseo and in seconds, he was involved in the move which saw City win a 70th minute penalty for a trip on Wilson. Carl Baker stepped up but Martin went to his right and easily palmed away a poor kick with the loose ball being cleared for a corner.
That would have really changed the game but all it did was see the visitors more resolved to get the victory, like Pineau du Re had done in the Grand National.
Twice the MK Dons fans screamed for penalties which were not given after Mark Marshall, who showed plenty of guile in chasing players down but very little end product bar one shot and one cross, had limped off with cramp again.
Pressley sent on Anton Robinson for the last ten minutes but the hit and hope football, which got picked off by the MK Dons players very easily, got the Sky Blues nowhere and City, who are now only six points above the relegation zone, were beaten.