Forte Brace Sends City To Defeat

Last updated : 08 April 2018 By CNS Sport

Notts County 2-1 Coventry City  

City Burge, Grimmer , Davies McDonald, Stokes, Doyle, Bayliss (Ponticelli 73), Kelly, Shipley (Barrettt 87), McNulty. Biamou (Clarke-Harris 46). Subs: O'Brien, Hyam., Reid,  
 
Notts County: Collin, Tootle, Hewitt, Virtue, Ameobi (Hall 91), Duffy, Grant, Ford, Bisley, Noble (O'Connor 79), Jones. Subs: Fitzsimons, Allesandra, Milsom, Smith, Husin.
 
Att  10,316
 
Goals Jonathan Forte 59, 85, Jordan Ponticelli 83
 
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Coventry City have not won at Notts County since the 1960's and that continued with a 2-1 defeat at Meadow Lane 
 
A trip to Nottingham for a game against Notts County which passes this season for something of a local derby and the Sky Blue Army were out in force having sold over 4,200 tickets.
 
Both sides made changes with it easy to see from the City line up, who was blamed for Easter Monday's 6-2 home loss to Yeovil by Mark Robins and his backroom staff with five changes made.
 
The Magpies made six changes and included former City loanee Richard Duffy in their starting line up for a game on a sunnyish day.
 
As you would expect the noise from the City support was excellent, when the game started after a minute's applause for Ray Wilkins who sadly passed away this week..
 
This must win game for both sides started with a number of free kicks in the opening five minutes and both keepers punting it down field.
 
Things were tight for the next fifteen minutes with more free kicks followed by a Grant shot and McDonald firing wide in the 23rd minute.
 
Three minutes later and after one ejection amongst the City support, some of whom had a pub they were in, invaded by police following reports of a fight, City had a corner that led to a throw.
 
Jack Grimmer won another two minutes later which Shipley took and McDonald on the far side volleyed high into the Kop Stand.
 
Kelly whipped over a lovely cross before there was a "Sisu Out" chant from the City support, something which now only happens when City take a big following
 
Burge saved a 39th minute but it was City who were playing the better football.
 
Liam Kelly volleyed wide in the 41st minute with a shot from the edge of the area and two minutes later, Biamou drove over from Twenty yards. 
 
County had a free kick and a corner and as the team's went off the pitch, Max Biamou was booked for making his point to the referee.
 
With big queues for the toilets and food due to the poor facilities and another City supporter  ejected, Biamou was replaced by Jonson Clarke-Harris at the break,
 
Burge had to make a good save early on with a foul on Doyle producing two yellow cards and one for Rod McDonald when the handbags came out.
 
In a game where the referee was intervening more than in the Joshua V Parker fight,  a foul on Clarke-Harris gave the Sky Blues a 54th minute free kick which led to a throw in front of the Main Stand and Clarke-Harris won a 56th minute corner.
 
County broke and Bayliss was booked as the home side won a 59th corner. It came in and there was Jonathan Forte at the back post to score. Lee Burge protested and was booked.
 
Jorge Grant hit Burge's right hand post in the 63rd minute as the rain came down.
 
In the 72nd minute, City had a free kick and then a corner, It was time for a change and Ponticelli replaced Tom Bayliss who again had been played as a right winger.
 
The referee's pedantics continued although he did permit a 78th minute corner and one for County in the 82nd minute.
 
City pushed forward. The ball, was saved by Collin and came loose and was over-headed forward by McNulty for Jordan Ponticelli to back heel past the keeper. 
 
There was flares and City supporters on the pitch and pandemoniumin the away end but the joy was not to last as Jonathan Forte ran through and scored with a shot which bobbled past Burge in the 87th minute and send City to defeat.