COVENTRY CITY 0-0 SWINDON TOWN
City: Charles-Cook, Ricketts (C), Stephens, Martin, Lorentzson (Henderson 72) Vincelot, Fleck, Rose, Cole (Murphy 58), Fortune (Maddison 58(, Armstrong. Subs: Addai, Hunt, Bigirimana, Tudgay.
Swindon: Belford, Barry, Sendles-White, Thompson N (C), Turnbull, Ormonde-Ottewill (Brophy 79), Rodgers (Robert 73), Thompson L, Doughty, Obika, Ajose. Subs: Henry, Marshall, Iandolo, Hylton, Cooke
HT CCFC 0-0 STFC
FT CCFC 0-0 STFC
Att 12,322
Goals
Referee D.England
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Coventry City and Swindon Town took a point each in a drab 0-0 draw at the Ricoh Arena.
A week after the Blackpool invasion and three points, it was back to the Ricoh Arena for another invasion. This time, it was Swindon fans who were doing the invading with 2,432 in the visitors end.
Against a side which had not lost in their last six games and one which had Cameron Belford's brother Tyrell in goal, Tony Mowbray who has taken Jobi Jones on trial, dropped Jacob Murphy and James Maddison and brought back Joe Cole and started with Andy Rose who worked hard throughout the game.
City attacked the end where the heavily policed Swindon fans were in the South Stand and were nearly ahead in the eighth minute when a Joe Cole cross was just missed the head of Fortune.
Martin Lorentzson looked useful at right back and in the 14th minute, he picked out John Fleck who drove just wide.
Four minutes later and Swindon won their first corner of the game following a Jonathan Obika header.
Swindon had a Nicky Ajose free kick hit the City wall before Arron Martin and Andy Rose got City out of a couple of scrapes.
Vincelot, who looked off the pace early on, was booked after a Charles-Cook save had not been cleared. Anton Rogers took the free kick and sent it wide. The ball hit the adverts in front of the North Stand and hit the back of the goal net, leaving The Swindon fans at the far ending thinking the Robins had scored much to the amusement of the City support.
The visitors had another couple of chances before the Sky Blues won their first corner in the 35th minute.
Joe Cole fired tamely at Belford and Fortune flicked wide from a Rose pass.
In the 39th minute, City did get the ball in the net from a Rose header but the flag from the assistant in the main stand was up and the goal was ruled out.
A free kick and corner followed for Swindon and a foul on Fleck gave City a free kick which was followed by another for the man-handling of Joe Cole, who took a corner for City straight after the restart on a grey afternoon.
Charles-Cook made a smart grab before the Sky Blues had a 51st minute free kick.
It needed changing as Swindon were looking the more dangerous again. so on the 58th minute, Tony Mowbray sent on James Maddison and Jacob Murphy who both had not performed to their best on the beach of a pitch at Blackpool.
Murphy and Maddison looked better for a City team which was defending well.
In the 72nd minute, Mowbray made his final change bringing in Darius Henderson for Lorentzson.
"Sky Blue Army" chants rang out from the City support who watched Charles-Cook gather a 75th minute shot.
Armstrong who again had little service flicked at Belford, who was not tested as he should have been. Swindon went up the other end and missed with a bicycle kick before Henderson won the first of two corners in quick succession with ten minutes left.
Both sets of supporters made plenty of noise and in the dying seconds, Henderson forced a great save out of Belford who pushed his volley over the bar for a corner but there were no goals and it was a point apiece.