COLCHESTER UNITED 1-5 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Team
Schmeichel,Fox,Ward,Dann,Osbourne (Hall 92),Doyle,M.Hughes,S.Hughes,Mifsud,Best (Hines 86),Tabb SNU Thornton,Marshall,Gray
COLCHESTER
Gerken,Ifill,Coyne,Balogh,White (McLeod 71),Duguid,Hammond,Jackson,Ellio,Lisbie,Vernon
SNU Bankole,Virgo,Izzet,Platt
HT CUFC 1-0 CCFC FT CUFC 1-5 CCFC
Goals Scott Vernon (16), Leon Best (48),Danny Fox (50),Elliott Ward (76 pen,92 pen),Michael Doyle (78)
Ref C.Webster Booked Best,Coyne,Doyle,
Att 5,836
Man Of The Match Danny Fox took the votes from Dann,Schmeichel and Stephen Hughes.
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STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman brought in Michael Hughes after he played well in the reserves in midweek.
Colchester dropped Matt Heath,probably a good thing after his Leicester supporting outburst in the week. Former Sky Blue Jonnie Jackson started with Adam Virgo on the bench.
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CITY SUPPORT
All tickets in a minute allocation were sold and the support was in fine voice for this trip down the A14, Supporters from Germany and Hong Kong joined us on the terrace and the few seats in a tiny stand.
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GROUND
It's easy to see why Colchester are moving to a new stadium at Cuckoo fans. The smallest ground in the division is a miss mash of stands but does have terracing in the away end even if it is cramped.
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From deep dispair to elation on a grand scale, the Coventry City support ran the full gammet of emotions as the Sky Blues came from behind to win 5-1 at Colchester United.
Things were starting to get tense going into this game, after the home defeat by Stoke and a draw by Sheffield Wednesday on Monday had seen the Sky Blues drop to fourth from bottom.
Against a Colchester side already relegated and in their penultimate home game at Layer Road, the Sky Blues showed first. Michael Mifsud should have had City ahead in the second minute when he dragged a shot across the face of the goal.
A couple of corners followed as City pushed forward. But it was this pushing forward that was to prove City's undoing. Colchester cleared in the 16th minute,the ball was played up to Kevin Lisbie. The former Charlton man beat the offside trap,and crossed. Kasper Schmeichel,who had geed up the City players before kick off,stuck out a leg to deflect the ball. We gasped as Scott Vernon beat Isaac Osbourne at the far post to stab in.
Chants for City to switch to a 4-4-2 formation came from the away end but the Sky Blues continued to concede possession in a crowded midfield.
With Leicester drawing at Barnsley,City were now in the bottom three. The mood amongst the City support changed and both Chris Coleman and Kasper Schmeichel were urged to sort it out.
Colchester's ball over the top was keeping the hard working Scott Dann busy. The centre half linked with moves to Wigan and Bolton,in the 34th minute, set up Mifsud with a sublime ball only for the Maltese international to be dispossessed which summed up City up to this point.
City were booed off as supporters showed their displeasure at another awful showing. Half-time was miserable and I don't think I have been so down at an interval since that semi-
final at Hillsborough in 1987.
If you thought the defeat last week was a Jeckyl and Hyde affair then the second half really was a case of the ridiculous turning into the sublime.
A pepped up Sky Blues needed only three minutes after the restart to get themselves back in the game.
Mifsud found Leon Best inside the area,some twelve yards out. The striker got a foot to the ball to flick it past Balogh. Dean Gerken,in the Colchester goal,got down and somehow the ball trickled under the keeper and over the line. Gerken looked around and had to be told to get the ball out of the net as we went ballistic.
The stewards were already panicing at our celebrations and just under two minutes later,we were going mental when Danny Fox got the ball on the right some twenty odd yards out and curled it into the net.
Referee Mr Webster missed a shove on Leon Best by Jonnie Jackson who was the only Colchester player now posing any threat. In the 76th minute, the Tyne & Wear based
City had no choice but to award a penalty after Michael Mifsud was brought down by Balogh.
Elliott Ward stepped up to take the kick. Chris Coyne went to his keeper and nodded that he should dive to his right. This Gerken did,but Ward put the ball to the keepers left and the ball hitting the back of the net sparked off more celebrations.
We were still celebrating this third goal when City scored a fourth. Mifsud centred, a Colchester player tried to clear and Michael Doyle nipped in to score. The Irishman went ballistic ripping off his shirt and jumping onto a crash barrier to celebrate with the City fan before a steward shoved him down. He was cautioned for this celebration but so what City were rampant and the Great Escape was on.
With Leon Best on a booking, Coleman sent on Zavon Hines in the 86th minute. Jackson hit a post but two minutes into the four added on for stoppages, City were awarded their second penalty of the game. Zavon Hines got to the byline on the right and was looking for a way into the six yard box when he was taken down by Balogh again.
Elliott Ward stepped up and thumped home the resulting penalty kick. Ward did a Glenn Hoddle celebration as the City support went mental before getting back to his place in defence, only to be back celebrating with the Sky Blue Army when the final whistle went seconds afterwards.
Although Leicester went on to beat Barnsley, City are now in 17th in the table and a result next week against Wolves in our final home game of the season should surely be enough.