COVENTRY CITY 1-1 SCUNTHORPE UNITED
City: Jones, Phillips, Pennington, Martin, Willis (Haynes 63), Fleck, Barton, Williams (G.Thomas 63), O'Brien (Jackson 74) Samuel, Tudgay. Subs: Burge, C.Thomas, Turgott, Finch,
Scunthorpe: Daniels, Canavan, Bishop, O'Neill, Williams, Clarke, Osbourne (Evans 46), Davy, Madden, McSheffrey (Adelakin 88), Hopper (Van Veen 65). Subs: Anyon, Nolan, McAllister, Boyce.
HT CCFC 0-1 SUFC FT CCFC 1-1 SUFC
Att 6885
Goals Gary McSheffrey 20, Marcus Tudgay 92
Ref: K.Johnson
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A volley from Marcus Tudgay helped Coventry City snatch a late draw against Scunthorpe United.
A game at the Theatre Of Gloom which the Ricoh Arena has been over the last few seasons with results not matching the ability of some who have worn sky blue, saw two of those in Gary McSheffrey and Jordan Clarke back for a Scunthorpe side managed by Mark Robins who had seen sense and jumped ship at the Sky Blues when he learned of what was to hit the fan or a traitor for leaving for Huddersfield Town when the club needed a decent manager the most and leaving City with Steven Pressley depending on your view point.
Scunthorpe went into the game knowing that if they were to win this game plus win their games in hand then they would be safe for another season whilst City, whose manager feels that he can turn things around next season, needed a victory to avoid going into the bottom three if Colchester were to win.
What for me, typifies the desperate plight that City are in, was the fact that again hoards of season ticket holders, did not bother taking time off work, college etc, knowing they would be counted in the 'official attendance' anyway, supporters who would normally do anything to be at a game they had paid for, and the Ricoh Arena was eerily quiet as we approached the stadium on a cold night.
City had three changes from the team beaten at Preston on Saturday with Jamie Jones back in goal, Aaron Phillips, watched by his dad who was the matchday guest, came in for the injured Andy Webster, and Marcus Tudgay in place of the injured Frank Nouble.
Mark Robins started with Gary McSheffrey and Jordan Clarke in his starting eleven and after Clarke had thrown a bottle towards the Mad Hatters,almost soaking them, City attacked the North Stand for the first half.
Luke Williams was the first to have a go on goal with a shot in the third minute which curled wide of Daniels left hand post.
A corner followed two minutes later but that was headed away easily.
McSheffrey whipped in a ninth minute cross that brielfly caused some panic in the City defence.
Williams, who at times had to drop deep into midfield, fired wide again before Madden won the Iron's a corner in front of their two hundred or so fans.
A free kick was headed at Daniels by Arron Martin for a City side who had Samuel get through only to be denied by the intervention of Marcus Williams.
In the 19th minute, Martin was booked for impeding McSheffrey who got up to take the free kick and curl it through the wall and into the net. McSheffrey walked away after scoring and did not celebrate his goal.
City came back with Fleck winning a 25th minute corner and Martin getting in a header for a City side who were set up not to lose and were nearly two goals down in the 32nd minute when the brother of Isaac Osbourne sent a Clarke cross wide.
Phillips sent a Willis cross across the goal and wide in the 35th minute against a Scunthorpe side in green shirts and black shorts.
What City support there was, was by now crying out for the team to go forwards and when they did, Tudgay controlled the ball well and played in Samuel for a right footed shot which Daniels dived to push away.
Willis had to take a booking for a mistake by Barton before the half ended.
Robins sent on Evans for the second half which saw the clock on the scoreboard stop on 47.04, City supporters getting the lights on their phones twinkling and a booking for Liam O'Neill and for McSheffrey who went down looking for a penalty.
City were only pressing as far as the halfway line and With no support for the front three, Madden was allowed space to strike the bar in the 62nd minute.
In front of the lowest crowd for a good many years for a City game in Coventry, Pressley sent on Haynes and George Thomas with Robins taking off Tom Hopper, a player City had tried to sign as a youngster.
Madden fired over in front of a severely restless crowd and O'Brien was booked.
Pressley immediately replaced O'Brien with Jackson and the City support turned on the City boss with a chorus of "You Don't Know What You're Doing"
"We're not good and sick of it" chants came from those under the scoreboard as the lack of urgency from the City players was worrying.
Tudgay had a terrible miss eleven minutes from time and a woeful cross from a very poor Samuel three minutes later only increased the frustration amongst the City support.
McSheffrey went off late on to mixed applause and his replacement Adelakin got in a shot which Jones saved with his legs.
Five minutes were added on but in the second minute, Marcus Tudgay got through and lifted the ball into the net over Daniels to give City a point.
One Scunthorpe fan was that annoyed he tried to dive into the scoreboard end but hot-footed it back before merging back in with the away support and before the stewards arrived.
The frustration which saw City booed off, might be understood by the manager but until he can get more quality out of the players he has available, these sort of the performances will continue.