Defeat For City Reserves

Last updated : 07 September 2005 By Kev Monks
COVENTRY CITY RESERVES 0-1 PORTSMOUTH RESERVES BY KEV MONKS

Coventry City Reserves had nothing to show for their efforts as they went down to a single goal defeat by Portsmouth
Having played Notts County and Bristol Rovers in friendlies due to the gap in fixtures,Micky Adams was able to name a strong side.

Although Graham Barrett had been loaned out,City boss Alan Cork kept the majority of the team that had beaten Arsenal in the previous game.

Portsmouth who had Joe Jordan and Alain Perrin in attendance whose side had beaten Leicester 6-1 in the opening game also fielded a strong side. Included in the Pompey side were Andy Griffin,Salif Diao,Frank Songo'o. Pompey,attired in a red/gold garb won a first minute corner which was cleared.

In the fifth minute,the Sky Blues were awarded a free kick. Paul Watson whipped over the kick and Andy Whing rose to head wide from eight yards.

Two corners followed before Craig Reid went very close,flicking just wide a Luke Webb cross with thirteen minutes gone.

Five minutes later,a bang in Andy Morrell's face gave City a free kick some 25 yards out. Neil Wood opted to take the kick ahead of Watson and rifled the ball into the trees at the back of the Butlin Road
ground.

Clayton Ince looked cool,calm and collected in goal,easily coping with crosses from Griffin and Pericard and watching a Marc Watson header flash a couple of yards wide of the post.

With Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock, Derby manager Phil Brown and Tony Adams in a crowd of 782,a good ball from Whing found Craig Reid who turned his marker to slip the ball in for Liam Davis to rifle in an seven yard shot which Pompey keeper Jamie Ashdown pushed round the post for a corner.

Portsmouth took the lead in the 53rd minute when Andy Griffin attacked down the right,the former Newcastle player centred for Pericard who hit a shot which Ince could palm down and Dario Silva stroked into the empty net. There was an appeal for offside but the goal was given by referee Dave Birkett.

Ashdown pulled off a tremendous one handed save from an eight yard Reid piledriver and Andy Morrell objected to not being awarded a 57th minute penalty before both sides made changes.

In the 72nd minute,Man of The Match Kevin Thornton played a neat one-two with Rikki Bains before racing through to lift the ball over Ashdown but over the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Portsmouth looked the stronger late on,forcing four corners as they held on to win.

HT CCFC 0-0 PFC
FT CCFC 0-1 PFC
Att 782
Goal Dario Silva (53)

MOM Kevin Thornton

Booked Whing (20 unsporting behaviour)
Vignal (39 trip on Davis)
Morrell (57 dissent)

City
Ince,Whing (Bains 62),Watson,Thornton,Williams,Wall,Webb,Wood,Morrell (Sidhu 62),Reid, Davis Subs Tuffey,Lynch,Ogarro.

Portsmouth
Ashdown,Griffin,Vignal (Fordyce 48),Diao,Silk, Hughes,Songo'o (Day 81), Wilson,Pericard,Silva (Keene 59),Taylor Subs Chalkias.