Coventry City 0-0 Colchester United
Coventry City: Burge, Grimmer, Willis, McDonald ,Haynes, Kelly, Doyle., Jones (Shipley 23), Nazon, McNulty, Beavon (Vincenti 73). Subs: O'Brien, Stevenson, Biamou, Ponticelli.
Colchester Walker, Eastman, Inniss, Kent, Jackson, Lapslie (sent off 75) , Comley, Wright, Murray, Mandron (Kabamba 88)), Hanlan (Slater 77). Subs: Hilmarton, Kinsella. O'Sullivan, Odelusi, James.
Goals
Att 7,149
Coventry City's search for a goal continues with a 0-0 draw against Colchester United.
At the end of a very bad week for the Sky Blues with defeats to Accrington Stanley and Forest Green Rovers, followed by the banning of a supporter of forty years standing who had reached the end of his tether with the club, as well as a poker playing supporter showing an interest in buying the club, Coventry City took on Colchester United at the Ricoh Arena.
With the mood amongst the City support again highly toxic, Mark Robins named a City side which had Ryan Haynes back in the starting line up against a Colchester side which had former City loanee Samni Odelusi on the bench.
In the opening minute, Marc McNulty got in a header from a Jones cross as the Colchester fans taunted the City support that the club was not famous anymore, a bit harsh considering the last time Colchester was famous was 23AD.
City won a corner in the fifth minute which went across the face of the goal and Mandron headed at Burge for the team in black shirts.
Mandron sent another shot well wide of Burge's goal begore Jodi Jones was forced off injured and Jordan Shipley came on in the 23rd minute.
Shipley ran and battled but not having the enterprising Jones, was a blow for a City side which had a corner that came to nothing as the wind and rain started to get up and the City support sang Take Me Home Highfield Road, a stadium that was more of a home than the Ricoh Arena, who owners hand out life bans to anyone who reaches the end of their tether .
Duckens Nazon fired across the area and the visitors went close before the end of another miserable half of football, watches by many clearly under sufferance.
City tried to find ways through the U's defence but time and time again poor passing let them down in a game where neither side looked like scoring.
The Sky Blues did get a couple of corners around the hour mark and
Nazon showed a bit of fight against the bigger Ryan Inniss with both being cautioned as was Doyle.
Inniss headed a 70th minute free kick at Burge and with Peter Vincenti now on, a Shipley free free was wasted to groans from the City support, unhappy at wasting another afternoon and money on this dirge,.
In the 75th minute. Colchester had their captain Tom Lapslie sent off. Firs,t he was booked , rather stupidly for dissent and then for a handball which led to a corner.
Even against ten man, City were still well short in front of goal and attention was turning to the away end, where One Colchester fan was ejected, as Nazon had two shots blocked and Haynes drove wide.
The little firm of Colchester fans in the away got more raucous and there was an altercation which saw a Steward shoved and sent flying over a couple of rows of seats, prompting the need for medical attention.
More ejections followed (surely they will all receive life bans from the Ricoh as well?), whilst McNulty and co huffed and puffed on the pitch but did not seriously threaten Sam Walker, as the game finished in a 0-0 draw.