City Take The Much Needed Win

Last updated : 26 March 2014 By Covsupport News Service

COVENTRY CITY 1-0 STEVENAGE 

City: Murphy, Adams, Webster, Seaborne, Clarke, Willis, Fleck, Moussa (Thomas 86), Robinson, Delfounseo (Eccleston 77), Wilson. Subs: Burge, Christie, Baker, Marshall, Haynes. 

Stevenage: Arnold, Dembela. Ashton (Morais 82), Akins (Reid 82), Zoko, Freeman, Mousinho, Burrow (Charles 754), Smith, Obeng, Doughty. Subs: Day, Wedgbury, Hartley, Henderson 

HT CCFC 0-0 SFC FT CCFC 1-0 SFC ATT 1697

Goals Danny Seaborne 65

Referee T.Robinson. Booked Fleck 

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Coventry City needed a win and a ‎win they got beating Stevenage 1-0.

 

Having dropped to eighteenth in the table, the Sky Blues went into this game at Sixfields, knowing how important a victory in all of their next three games was.

 

Stevenage arrived bottom of the table but only five points behind Steven Pressley's side and the team from Hertfordshire who battled their way into League One with back to back promotions from the Conference, faced a City side which was changed from the team that had been beaten at Brentford on Saturday.

 

Loan signing from Huddersfield Town - Anton Robinson went straight into City's midfield which saw Conor Thomas and Carl Baker given the rest many of the support at Brentford had felt they needed.  Danny Seaborne and Andy Webster came back into defence, whilst former City youngster Craig Reid was on the bench for Stevenage.

 

Official figures says that 1697 tickets were sold for this fixture. That might have been the case but there seemed more seats available in the ramshackle, leg room lack main stand at Sixffields, than normal. Even with Micky Adams and the Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson amongst the spectators in the stand, it was pretty empty and caused the 437 Stevenage fans to sing that it was just like being at home.

 

On a cold night, Stevenage were the first to strike and in the third minute, the side managed by Graham Westley who joined in the banter when he was booed by the City fans, almost scored when François Zoko was allowed a free header which struck Murphy’s left hand post.

 

Stevenage, in an all-black kit with a dash of sky blue, won a ninth minute corner and amid the appeals for handball, the ball was cleared up to Callum Wilson who won a corner.  A woeful corner missed everyone but in their next attack, a deflected Robinson shot won a corner which led to another.

 

Amid whistles from the dozen on the hill, a City free kick came to nothing.  With little going on the pitch chance-wise thanks to some neat defending from Jordan Willis, the whistles despite the miscreant on the hill getting abuse from the visiting fans.

 

Moussa won a throw ‎and some great persistence from Jordan Willis won a corner which was cleared before Bira Dembela fired a 40th minute shot which cleared the stand.

 

In the 42nd minute, Stevenage really should have scored when two shots were blocked and Luke Freeman had an effort cleared off the line.

 

Stevenage continued in the second half to string balls across the midfield, keeping City pegged back to such an ‎extent that you could have been forgiven for thinking that it was City, who were bottom of the table.

 

Fleck got booked, which means a two game ban as this was his tenth booking, for a foul on Curtis Obeng, who for me, was one of Stevenage’s better players and the free kick from that foul led to a 58th minute corner.

 

Callum Wilson, who did not get as much service as he should have done, despite some excellent work from Anton Robinson who battled well, did head over two minutes from a Willis cross later and Burrow headed at Murphy but in the 65th minute, the goal that everyone wanted finally came. And it fell for Coventry City.

 

Against the run of play it certainly was, Stevenage only have themselves to blame for the way they defended a corner which came from some good build up play and allowed the unmarked Danny Seaborne to powerfully head home from Fleck's flag kick.

 

Doughty lobbed over, the visiting fans raged at the supposed time wasting antics of Webster and Seaborne and Craig Reid came on for Stevenage in a double change before there was applause when Nathan Eccleston came on for his debut.

 

The loanee from Blackpool was involved ‎straight away winning an 85th minute penalty when his shot was blatantly handled.  Callum Wilson stepped up and hit it straight down the middle and Arnold for whom the Stevenage fans were singing his name to the tune of Madness’ “Our House”, something which the gentlemen of the press box in the left of the Main Stand enjoyed, saved with ease with Moussa missing the rebound.

 

Six minutes were added on. Reid fired over and Wilson fired at Arnold again and Murphy made a stunning save pushing the ball onto the post after good work from Morais and Reid but the job had been done and the Sky Blues had three much needed points.