City Thrown To The Lions

Last updated : 17 April 2012 By Kev Monks at Ricoh Arena

COVENTRY CITY 0-1 MILLWALL   TUE  APRIL 17TH at Ricoh Arena  

City: Murphy, Clarke, Keogh, Cranie, Hussey, Clingan, Bell (Baker 62), Norwood, McSheffrey, McDonald, Platt. SNU Dunn, Thomas, Bigirimana, Willis 

Millwall; Taylor, Smith, Ward (Dunne 58), Lowry, Craig, Henry, Wright (Trotter 46), Abdou, Barron, Keogh, Kane. SNU Feeney, Forde, Batt.  

HT CCFC 0-0  MFC FT CCFC 0-1  MFC  NOTS 13,974

Referee J.Linnington  Assts M. Amphlett and M.Bouanassisi  

Booked Wright, Smith, Barron, Taylor, Dunne, Clingan.

Goals Shane Lowry (65)

Man Of The Match  Chris Hussey took the votes from Jordan Clarke and Clive Platt

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CITY SUPPORT About what you would expect for a Tuesday night.

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CITY TEAM: Injuries again plaqued the Sky Blues but Alex Nimely, who had a hamstring injury from the team that drew at Burnley.

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If you want to know one of the on the field reasons why Coventry City are in the mess they are in, the 1-0 home defeat to Millwall which saw wasted chances and poor defending was a perfect case in point.

 

The City supporters were well aware of the severity of what lay ahead for the Sky Blues, knowing that the Sky Blues were four points behind Bristol City with three games to go and you would have thought that the City players would have been on the attack from the start.

 

But no, it was the Lions who had secured their place in the Championship next season with wins against Portsmouth and Leicester City, attacking the CT Stand in the first half who came at City.

 

The likes of Kane and Wright were able to skip through with ease and fire in shots from distance before Clive Platt sent a diving header over the bar in the eighth minute.

 

A City corner came to nothing as did a free kick from Sammy Clingan who was booked as there was an ejection from the East Stand.

 

In the 21st minute, Millwall conceded two free kicks and the second was pushed over by Maik Taylor for a corner.

 

Hearing that West Ham were winning at Bristol City, the Sky Blue support played their part with all the home ends joining in a “Sky Blue Army “ chant.

 

Cody McDonald wasted a great chance in the 27th minute, following a decent ball in by Bell and a good lay-off by Platt.

 

Three minutes later, Cody McDonald did everything right and got in a left footed shot which was going into the roof of the net when Taylor threw himself to his right to make a superb one handed save.

 

Millwall came back into it having a free kick cleared, winning a corner,Shane Lowry heading wide and Martin Cranie having to make a great block after Gary McSheffrey had been dispossessed.

 

The visitors made a change at the break but it was City who had the first attack when Chris Hussey got down the left and whipped in a cross which was cleared for a corner.

 

David Bell dinked one over and McDonald fired over after Platt had done to well to pick him out.

 

Then Cody McDonald attacked inside the area, Taylor came out and dived at his legs. “Penalty” cried the City fans and a penalty it was, after Taylor was booked for raring up at David Bell rather than the offence itself.  

Gary Msheffrey stepped up and fired to Taylor’s right which is his stronger and the former Northern Ireland international keeper was able to save with relative ease. 

It is chances like this which have cost City dear this season and something else that has also cost City is poor defending. 

Carl Baker had come on for David Bell before the South Londoners won a 64th minute corner. When the ball came over up rose Shane Lowry who was not at all well marked and he was able to head firmly into the net from the edge of the area before running off to celebrate with the 652 jubilant Millwall supporters. 

Yet again, some of the City players seemed resigned to their fate. Heads dropped and although a Clingan free kick was punched away for a corner, it was only a woeful miss by Andy Keogh that stopped Millwall from completely wrapping up the match with eighteen minutes still to play. 

With no attackers on the bench, Andy Thorn had run out of options and although City had three weak efforts through Clingan, Platt and McDonald, the Sky Blues were a beaten side and one which will be heading into League One either this Saturday or next Saturday unless they can pull off the biggest miracle of all time.