NOTTS COUNTY 0-2 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City won their first pre-season friendly on British soil since August 2003 with a 2-0 win at Notts County.
We'd travelled up to the City of Lace on a coach laid on by the Sky Blue Trust. This was something the City players who did not have the luxury of and we spoke to many of the players who had to drive to Nottingham as they walked round to the main entrance before we headed off to first the Trent Navigation which seemed to be a dyke spit and saw dust hang-out followed by the far more affable Globe pub.
Gary McSheffrey started up front with Adebola and at number seven City fielded a trialist. The talk amongst the 382 City supporters was who was this number seven which no-one could hear thanks to a poor pa system which came from Highfield Road! .
It transpired that this latest trialist was Franck Songo'o who came through Barcelona's academy and was at Portsmouth reserves playing against the Sky Blues reserves last season .
Steve Thompson's side won two early corners followed by Matt Somner blasting over.
Then City who are rumoured to be off-loading James Scowcroft to Crystal Palace for an acceptable £500k, started to set out their stall.
Former Sky Blue David Pipe pulled down Kevin Thornton in the 21st minute but referee Russell Booth from Nottingham decided the shouts from the City support in the Kop Stand were not valid.
Dele Adebola and Gary McSheffrey fired wide before a good move in the 29th minute saw Marcus Hall get down the left and deliver a long ball to the far side of the area for Songo'o to head over.
When called upon, City's defence were reliable in the opening period with Matt Heath making a number of excelled well timed blocks.
Coventry City won their first pre-season friendly on British soil since August 2003 with a 2-0 win at Notts County.
We'd travelled up to the City of Lace on a coach laid on by the Sky Blue Trust. This was something the City players who did not have the luxury of and we spoke to many of the players who had to drive to Nottingham as they walked round to the main entrance before we headed off to first the Trent Navigation which seemed to be a dyke spit and saw dust hang-out followed by the far more affable Globe pub.
Gary McSheffrey started up front with Adebola and at number seven City fielded a trialist. The talk amongst the 382 City supporters was who was this number seven which no-one could hear thanks to a poor pa system which came from Highfield Road! .
It transpired that this latest trialist was Franck Songo'o who came through Barcelona's academy and was at Portsmouth reserves playing against the Sky Blues reserves last season .
Steve Thompson's side won two early corners followed by Matt Somner blasting over.
Then City who are rumoured to be off-loading James Scowcroft to Crystal Palace for an acceptable £500k, started to set out their stall.
Former Sky Blue David Pipe pulled down Kevin Thornton in the 21st minute but referee Russell Booth from Nottingham decided the shouts from the City support in the Kop Stand were not valid.
Dele Adebola and Gary McSheffrey fired wide before a good move in the 29th minute saw Marcus Hall get down the left and deliver a long ball to the far side of the area for Songo'o to head over.
When called upon, City's defence were reliable in the opening period with Matt Heath making a number of excelled well timed blocks.
This had been a pleasant afternoon stroll for both sides with neither keeper seriously tested but in the 35th minute, Andy Parkinson cut in from the left and curled the ball onto the bar. Pipe,on the right of the goal,sent the ball back in for Dudfield who thankfully made a complete hash of a back heel and the ball went out for a goal kick.
At the other end,the City supporters were on their feet when Gary McSheffrey turned an drilled the ball low into the net from sixteen yards in the 41st minute. The assistant on the Main Stand decided the target for Birmingham City was offside put his flag up and ruled the goal out.
Stern John was sent on at half-time for his first appearance of the season and the striker who replaced Adebola had only been on the pitch for sixty one seconds when he scored,being in the right place to slam home a McNamee cross from five yards.
Six minutes after the goal, Elliott Ward had a rush of blood to the head and pointlessly handled the ball to give away a penalty.
There was no need to worry as Andy Marshall pulled off a stunning one handed save from Ian Ross' spot kick going high to his left to push the ball away from under the bar.
There was some good movement amongst the City players. Songo'o was entertaining on the right wing earning a chant of "Sign Him Up" whilst Thornton was full of running and determination whilst Colin Cameron worked hard alongside Michael Doyle who replaced Stephen Hughes at the break.
The son of a Cameroon International won a 64th minute corner before forcing the home keeper Saul Deeny to make a low save following some good link play between Thornton and McSheffrey.
Stuart Giddings was introduced in the 67th minute,coming on at right back,
The next time McSheffrey and Thornton linked up, it brought the second goal.
In the 71st minute,Thornton fed the ball out to McSheffrey on the right side of the area. He took one touch cut inside and drilled a low shot from seven yards past the diving Deeny.
This brought the City fans to life with chants of "Are You Watching Stevie Bruce" amid our usual repertoire.
In the last minute,a lovely run by Thornton who dinked a ball deep into the mixer forced a corner. The product of City's Academy flag kick fell to Songo'o who cut inside only to strike the ball wrongly causing it to be cleared easily by a covering defender.
The final whistle followed seconds afterward and the applause for this win was as warm as the late afternoon sun.
HT NCFC 0-0 CCFC
FT NCFC 0-2 CCFC
ATT 1602
Goals Stern John (46)
missed pen 52, Gary McSheffrey (71)
Team
Marshall,McNamee (Giddings 67),Hall,Heath (Bischoff 46),Ward,Hughes (Doyle 46),Songo'o ,Cameron, Adebola (John 46), McSheffrey,Thornton.
Subs Whing,Lynch,Turner,Gooding,Morrell
Notts County
Pilkington (Deeney 46), Silk (Gleeson 67), McCann, White, Edwards, Pipe (Lee 55), Ross (Martin 77), Somner (Curtis 21,Frost 85), Parkinson (Sheridan 67 ), Dudfield (N'Toya 61), Mendes
SNU Needham.