NORWICH CITY 1-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
One goal is often not enough and so it proved as City let Norwich back in to earn a draw.
Having heard the words of Iain Dowie and seeing him and his City supporting assistant Tim Flowers in action during the reserves midweek win, I was looking forward to the trip up the A14 and A11 for the 101st meeting between Norwich City and the Sky Blues.
Whilst we travelled on the day and arrived in reasonable time although not as early as the official coaches, the players travelled yesterday after the signing of Khalilol Fadiga was completed.
The former Senegal international was on the bench as Dowie made only one change from the team that beat Southampton on Tuesday bringing in Isaac Osbourne for the injured David McNamee.
In pouring rain at a 90% full Carrow Road,the City support of around 1200 in a woeful allocation of only 1400 were in fine voice (apart from yours truly).
Early songs jeered Darren Huckerby whose inability to work out the offside trap never ceases to amuse Coventry supporters.
Only once in the opening exchanges did Huckerby beat the offside but Andy Marshall was quick off the mark to grab the ball off Chris Brown who went up with the City keeper for the 7th minute cross.
Norwich may have had the early play but it was the Sky Blues who were starting to dictate the game.
Stephen Hughes and Michael Doyle passed the ball round well whilst Isaac Osbourne closed down anyone who got near him.
This allowed Jay Tabb on the left to work the channels and the diminutive Irishman fired across the face of the goal and in the 15th minute,missed from the edge of the area.
Tabb was also delivering some good crosses and one in the 21st minute found Kevin Kyle for a header which Paul Gallagher saved.
The Kyle/Adebola partnership looked good with both pressurising the home defence. It was Kyle who misses the games against Hull and Colchester who was chasing and tackling back to keep City on the ball more so than the Nigerian who was closely shackled by Jason Shackell.
Andy Whing was in charge of set pieces and drove a retaken 33rd minute free kick into the arms of Gallacher.
In the 41st minute, Coventry, who could be possibly taken over by the Isle Of Capri group,took the lead when Stephen Hughes dived in to prod the ball forward for Dele Adebola. Jay Tabb raced into the area and got the ball on his right,shielded it from Doherty and stroked the ball into the net.
Peter Grant was the first manager to make a substitution replacing the hapless Brown with one time City target Lee Croft at the break.
Despite every City player running themselves into the ground and giving their all, City did not create as much in the final third as they should have done.
One goal is often not enough and so it proved as City let Norwich back in to earn a draw.
Having heard the words of Iain Dowie and seeing him and his City supporting assistant Tim Flowers in action during the reserves midweek win, I was looking forward to the trip up the A14 and A11 for the 101st meeting between Norwich City and the Sky Blues.
Whilst we travelled on the day and arrived in reasonable time although not as early as the official coaches, the players travelled yesterday after the signing of Khalilol Fadiga was completed.
The former Senegal international was on the bench as Dowie made only one change from the team that beat Southampton on Tuesday bringing in Isaac Osbourne for the injured David McNamee.
In pouring rain at a 90% full Carrow Road,the City support of around 1200 in a woeful allocation of only 1400 were in fine voice (apart from yours truly).
Early songs jeered Darren Huckerby whose inability to work out the offside trap never ceases to amuse Coventry supporters.
Only once in the opening exchanges did Huckerby beat the offside but Andy Marshall was quick off the mark to grab the ball off Chris Brown who went up with the City keeper for the 7th minute cross.
Norwich may have had the early play but it was the Sky Blues who were starting to dictate the game.
Stephen Hughes and Michael Doyle passed the ball round well whilst Isaac Osbourne closed down anyone who got near him.
This allowed Jay Tabb on the left to work the channels and the diminutive Irishman fired across the face of the goal and in the 15th minute,missed from the edge of the area.
Tabb was also delivering some good crosses and one in the 21st minute found Kevin Kyle for a header which Paul Gallagher saved.
The Kyle/Adebola partnership looked good with both pressurising the home defence. It was Kyle who misses the games against Hull and Colchester who was chasing and tackling back to keep City on the ball more so than the Nigerian who was closely shackled by Jason Shackell.
Andy Whing was in charge of set pieces and drove a retaken 33rd minute free kick into the arms of Gallacher.
In the 41st minute, Coventry, who could be possibly taken over by the Isle Of Capri group,took the lead when Stephen Hughes dived in to prod the ball forward for Dele Adebola. Jay Tabb raced into the area and got the ball on his right,shielded it from Doherty and stroked the ball into the net.
Peter Grant was the first manager to make a substitution replacing the hapless Brown with one time City target Lee Croft at the break.
Despite every City player running themselves into the ground and giving their all, City did not create as much in the final third as they should have done.
Attacking the Barclay Stand end,the only real chance of note City created in the second half was a 68th minute long ranger from Michael Doyle.
Former Sky Blue Youseff Safri came on and was booed by some of the City support but cheered by others and in the 71st minute,Dowie sent on Michael Mifsud.
There was more cheering when Huckerby was cautioned in the 79th minute for diving but it was the former Lincoln,Millwall,Newcastle and Man City player who had the last laugh.
A minute later,Huckerby centred and Chris Martin banged in to the net from close range with Hawkins and Whing not close enough to get in a challenge.
Marshall made a great save to palm away a Huckerby shot two minutes after the goal and Khalilou Fadiga got a late debut but a point apiece was the end result.
Conceding two points was a bit of a blow but there were plenty of positives and we are in a far better position than seven days ago.
HT NCFC 0-1 CCFC FT NCFC 1-1 CCFC ATT 24,220
Goals Jay Tabb (41), Chris Martin (80)
Referee A.D'Urso Booked Fotheringham, Whing, Huckerby
Team
Marshall,Ward,Hall,Hawkins,Whing,Hughes,Doyle,Adebola (Mifsud 71),Kyle,Osbourne (Birchall 89),Tabb (Fadiga 87) SNU Steele,Virgo
Norwich
Gallacher,Drury,Shackell,Brown (Croft 46),Fotheringham (McVeigh 76),Hughes (Safri 70),Lappin,Etuhu, Doherty,Martin,Huckerby SNU Lewis,Colin