City's First Away Defeat

Last updated : 22 September 2007 By Kev Monks
IPSWICH TOWN 4-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS

Team
Konstantopolous,Borrowdale,Hall,De Zeeuw,Osbourne,Tabb (Thornton 78),S.Hughes,Doyle,Cairo (Simpson 83),Best,Adebola (Mifsud 55) SNU Marshall,Ward

Ipswich
Alexander,Wright,De Vos,Bruce (Casement 77),Harding, Walters,Garvan,Miller,Roberts (Peters 73),Lee,Counago (Clarke 87) SNU Supple,Legwinski

HT ITFC 3-0 CCFC FT ITFC 4-1 CCFC
Referee T.Kettle
Booked Garvan,Best,Cairo
Goals Jason De Vos (9),Pablo Counago (23 & 56),Jon Walter (39) ,Stephen Hughes (69)
Att 18,840
Man Of The Match - Stephen Hughes
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STARTING FORMATION
Dowie made changes after the Palace draw. Back in came Isaac Osbourne and Leon Best for Elliott Ward and Leon McKenzie. Michael Mifsud was added to the bench.

Adebola Best
Tabb Hughes Doyle Cairo
Borrowdale Hall De Zeeuw Osbourne
Dimi
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GROUND
A bit like Selhurst Park in that in it has two good stands behind the goals but the three tier main stand and the Cobbold stand which houses the visitors are a lot better but not worth the £26.50 admission price.
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CITY FANS
A good turn out considering the exorbitant admission price and the fact the game was on Sky.

Around 400 made the trip along a quiet A14. They were noisy with plenty of backing for the team.
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WEATHER
A good sunny late September day, pleasantly warm,
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One of the reasons Coventry City have won once at Portman Road since 1970 has been poor defending and some poor defending today saw City beaten 4-1 at Ipswich Town.

The four hundred City supporters had only been in Portman Road for this game shown live on Sky for nine minutes when a free kick on the right was met at the far post by Jason De Vos and his header was flapped into the net by Konstantopolous.

Ipswich had quickly sussed City's one tactic of hoofing the ball to Adebola and were using the long ball over the top which bewildered the ageing De Zeeuw to great effect.

In the 23rd minute,more poor defending inside the penalty area allowed the ball to fall for Pablo Counago. The former Malaga striker was completely unmarked to ram into the net from twelve yards.

The goal brought calls from the City support for Elliott Ward to be brought on.

He wasn't and in the 39th minute,a cross from the left after Hughes had initially blocked on the line from a Harding drive,again saw City's Greek custodian flap on his near post to let Jon Walters header into the net.

Some of the City support used the break to nip off to the pub or the nearby beer festival whilst the rest of us expected changes to be made at the break.

None came and the second half started with City being denied a penalty when Adebola was pulled down by Alex Bruce.

The Nigerian did not full recover from this and was replaced by Michael Mifsud in the 55th minute.

A minute later and Ipswich went four goals clear thanks to Counago being first to head home a loose ball after Dimi had parried.

If the Ipswich fans (who were mainly families in the stand to our left) weren't going to sing when they were four nil up then the City support were the ones who had to make the noise.

This we did to great effect. "Twist & Shout",the Sky Blue Song ,"Your Support is pretty poor (or words to that affect.", "Away From Here", "Gangsters" and a few anti Manchester United songs were all belted out by the City support.

Whether it had an effect on the team I don't know but there was a marked improvement. Leon Best started to threaten, Isaac Osbourne got past his marker, Jay Tabb created space, Cairo got in crosses whilst Hughes and Doyle started to find players with their passes as City's amount of possession increased.

In the 69th minute,we and those in homes,pubs and clubs watching the game at home and abroad. had finally something to cheer about. A free kick was taken by Stephen Hughes,some thirty yards out. He hit with his left, an absolute screamer which flew into the net.

City should have gone all out to try and get a few more goals to reduce the goal difference but the players seemed to have more than an eye on the Manchester United game.

The best they managed was Leon Best heading over from a cross from Robbie Simpson who had come on for the injured Cairo with a couple to go.
Another late penalty appeal was ignored by referee Mr Kettle but the damage had been done and we trekked back for the first time this season without any points.