COVENTRY CITY 1-4 BRISTOL CITY BY KEV MONKS
Date 05/03/11 At Ricoh Arena
Team
Westwood (Ireland 46), R.Keogh, Cameron, Wood, O'Halloran (Hussey 55), Gunnarsson, Clingan, Baker (Eastwood 67), Bell, King (sent off 59), Jutkiewicz. SNU McSheffrey, Clarke, O'Donovan, Ruffles
Bristol City
James, Fortune, Woolford, Cisse, Nyatanga, Caulker (Stewart 32), Spence, Elliott, Clarkson (Pitman 81), Maynard (A.Keogh 75), Adomah. SNU Gerken, Johnson, Cambell-Ryce, Edwards,
HT CCFC 0-3 BCFC FT CCFC 1-3 BCFC ATT 15,157
GOALS Nicky Maynard (14), Lewin Nyatanga (24), David Clarkson (42 pen), Lukas Jutkiewicz (53, Marvin Elliott (81)
Referee Gavin Ward Sent Off Marlon King (59)
Man Of The Match Lukas Jutkiewicz took the votes.
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Today, I was filmed for the Npower Football League Awards but there was 13,600 City supporters who could have been candidates for Fan Of The Year for watching Coventry City go down to a 4-1 home defeat to Bristol City.
Aidy Boothroyd fielded a side, which only had one change from the team that had done well against Leicester City last Saturday and that was the welcome return of Sammy Clingan who came in for the suspended Martin Cranie.
It was a cold, damp afternoon at the Ricoh Arena and what we needed was a good performance to continue the good work of seven days ago but what we go was something very different entirely.
Lukas Jutkiewicz who had overcome a bout of flu, looked sharp early on, getting in a backwards header at one-time England keeper David James and flicked a David Bell cross wide in between Sammy Clingan having a shot blocked to win a 5th minute corner and then firing wide from said flag kick.
Now, Aidy Boothroyd had warned that Bristol City were a lot better side than when the Sky Blues had beaten them at Ashton Gate earlier in the season and in the 14th minute with their first attack, Stephen O'Halloran failed to deal with Clarkson who was allowed to pick out NICKY MAYNARD to lash the ball past Keiren Westwood and in the goal at the CT Stand end.
The City support, which included supporters from as far away as Switzerland, Ireland and Poole, watched on in disbelief as ten minutes later, the visitors doubled their tally. This time, they were awarded a free kick, which had much of the Sky Blue support citing as harsh. When that was swung in by Clarkson, LEWIN NYATANGA got the merest of touches (and Aron Gunnarsson might as well) to send the ball past Westwood's right and into the net.
Heads were in hands whilst the Bristol City fans were dancing with delight. In the 27th minute, Coventry did get up towards the goal nearest the 1453 away fans. David Bell's cross was headed on for Lukas Jutkiewwicz to bring a save out of James, which forced a corner and saw Richard Wood smack the far post with a header.
Bristol City lost the injured Steven Caulker and replaced him with Damion Stewart as Coventry's keeper on the bench was sent out to warm up.
The signs didn't look good for Westwood, who looked to have injured a hamstring and the next time he touched the ball, he was picking it out of the net for a third time.
Stephen O'Halloran was again guilty of not tackling and let Albert Adomah skip past three players before Nathan Cameron had no choice but to bring him down and Mr Ward correctly awarded the penalty. This time, David CLARKSON didn't need to get into top gear to beat Westwood from the spot and make it 3-0.
Keiren Westwood was not fit enough to continue and had to be replaced by Danny Ireland at the break. Ireland's suffering from a lack of competitive match practice was apparent when he injured himself with his first kick of the second half.
When he tried to kick the ball for a second time in the 49th minute, the Aussie went down in a heap and had to be treated by the City physio Michael McBride.
In the 52nd minute, we had a sign of a possible comeback by the Sky Blues when Richard Keogh rose to head the ball into the path of LUKAS JUTKIEWICZ who stroked the ball past James who dived after the ball had gone past him and into the net.
However, the muted celebrations and the first bit of singing from the "Singing Corner" soon ended when Marlon King was given a straight red. From my angle, it was difficult to see what was going on, but those in the Main Stand and the assistant referee on that side saw King punch Stewart and when the referee did his backward run to the assistant who had summoned him, it was no surprise that a red card was waved in the direction of King who said something to the City bench before heading down the tunnel, leaving the Sky Blues to play the last thirty minutes with ten men.
Chris Hussey had already been sent on for the hapless O'Halloran and in the 67th minute, Aidy Boothroyd's final change was to bring on the orange booted Freddy Eastwood for the ineffective Carl Baker.
With City supporters discussing who was to blame for this latest embarrassment which has seen the Sky Blues now hoping that the likes of Sheffield United and those in the bottom three keep losing and whether the fault is Aidy Boothroyd for the players he has bought or Ray Ranson for appointing Boothroyd in the first place or the Board for not having funding available for the January transfer window, Bristol City broke from a City free kick and MARVIN ELLIOTT volleyed home with nine minutes left to put the visitors 4-1 up and empty the stands reserved for Coventry City supporters who were clearly not happy at the biggest home defeat of the season.