COVENTRY CITY 2-0 DERBY COUNTY
SAT SEP 10 At The Ricoh Arena, Coventry
Team: Murphy (Dunn 46), Hussey, Christie, Keogh, Cranie, Clingan, Bell, Baker, Bigirimana, Jutkiewicz, (McDonald (O'Donovan 75). SNU McSheffrey, Cameron, Thomas.
Derby County
Fielding, Brayford, Shackell, O'Brien, Kilbane, Hendrick, B.Davies, Croft (Robinson 68), Bryson, S.Davies (Maguire 79), Ward. SNU Legzdins, Anderson, Roberts.
HT CCFC 0-0 DCFC FT CCFC 2-0 DCFC ATT 14,219
REFEREE C.Foy Assts A.Garrett, B.Pollock
BOOKINGS None
GOALS Lukas Jutkiewicz (pen 58), Carl Baker (78)
MAN OF THE MATCH Chris Hussey, Richard Keogh, Gael Bigirimana and Cyrus Christie were the pick of a very good bunch.
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REPORT BY KEV MONKS
Coventry City are out of the bottom three after picking up their first win of the season with a 2-0 home victory against Derby County.
A fortnight after the highly creditable draw at Middlesbrough, the Sky TV cameras rolled into Coventry for the visit of Derby County.
A lot has happened over the last fourteen days. Off the field, it's been a case of do you believe SISU or not, whilst playing matters saw one departure in Ben Turner to Cardiff and one arrival in Cody McDonald from Norwich, who got his debut.
There was plenty of noise from the City supporters which included supporters from as far away as South Africa and Thailand on a blustry late afternoon.
The SISU Out protests started about ninety seconds after kick off and one banner which made it into the CT Stand was eventually forced to be taken down but not confisicated by three stewards. However a few minutes later, the stewards were back in numbers and there was plenty of pushing and shoving as entirely preventable ejections were made. Tthe mood was turning angry and when the police went and ejected one fan at the bottom of the Tescos Stand, things got really nasty.
Although Kilbane and Ward had efforts on goal, it was hard to work out which team was highest in the league. The full backs Christie and Hussey started to get more chances to roam upfield whilst Richard Keogh and Martin Cranie made some timely interventions.
Against a side managed by Nigel Clough who has been supporting workers who face losing their jobs at train manufacturers Bombardier, plenty of hard work was needed from the City team and it came.
Gael Bigirimana chased everything like a rabid terrier whiilst Clingan, who despite over-hitting balls like he did on Tuesday night for Northern Ireland, battled away with Bell and Baker.
In the 27th minute, Jamie Ward got through after Clingan lost the ball and Joe Murphy made a great block to keep City in the game.
Derby forced a couple of corners before the half came to a close. At the interval, City were forced into a change and Chris Dunn, who had been a doubt after having ten stitches in a head wound picked up in the reserve game with Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday afternoon, came on for Joe Murphy.
The keeper signed from Northampton in the summer was involved straight away making a cracking save diving to his right from a Brayford right footed shot as the City support headed to the back of the stands due to the pouring rain.
City had now passed the 400 minutes without a goal at the Ricoh Arena and nearly took the lead when Lukas Jutkiewicz, who was having the better of the few chances City created rather than McDonald, had a shot from inside the area cleared off the line by Kevin Kilbane.
It was Jutkiewicz who sent a long cross from Christie just passed the far post in the 55th minute, followed by Baker hitting a dipping shot which Fielding pushed over for a corner. When the flag kick came in, Jutkiewicz headed the ball in the direction of Richard Keogh who went down close to to Sheckell who got the ball. Whether, it was a penalty or not and it did look very harsh, matters not as referee Chris Foy thought it was. Up stepped Lukas Jutkiewicz and he easily beat Fielding to score his third league goal of the season and City's first at home since Good Friday, some 414 minutes.
It may have been raining heavily, forcing those not already under-cover to try and seek it, but there was sunshine in our hearts and after Cody McDonald who had a reasonable debut, considering this was his first competitive game of the season and he didn't play for the reserves in midweek had been replaced, there was even more for the City support, which also included Brian Borrows in the CT Stand, to cheer.
We had got to the 76th minute, when a long range O'Donovan shot was parried low down by the England U21 keeper and cleared for the first of two corners.
Then City attacked from their own half and won a throw. Cyrus Christie took the throw and sent it long, it was flicked on for Carl Baker to thump a stunning right footed volley from twelve yards hurtling past Fielding and give the Sky Blues a totally deserved 2-0 victory.
Picture copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM