Hard Working City Get The Point

Last updated : 19 August 2009 By Covsupport News Service

DONCASTER ROVERS 0-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS

Date 18/08/09 At The Keepmoat Stadium Championship

Team
Westwood, Wright, van Aanholt, Cranie, Turner, Osbourne, Clingan, Gunnarsson, McIndoe, Morrison, Best SNU Walker, Grandisn, Konstantopolous, Clarke, Jeffers, Cain, Cameron

Doncaster
Sullivan, Roberts (Hird 81), Chambers, Lockwood, Shackell, Stock,Woods (Fortune 84), Oster (Heffernan 85), Coppinger, Shiels, Hayter. SNU Fairhurst, Wilson, Guy,Smith

HT DRFC 0-0 CCFC FT DRFC 0-0 CCFC ATT 9,484
Referee Carl Boyeson Booked Coppinger, Gunnarsson
Man Of The Match Stephen Wright took the votes.
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Coventry City took their first ever point from the Keepmoat Stadium with a 0-0 draw.

On a sunny warm Tuesday night in Yorkshire for the second time in four days, 791 City fans included one from Norway and one who flew back from America were in the away end of Doncaster Rovers home, after braving the M1 roadworks, to see Chris Coleman keep the same side that had gone to the top of the league with a 2-0 victory at Barnsley.

However, you would have thought it was the home side, who were table toppers in the opening period. Leon Best had a good shot go wide in the first minute but most of the play started to be at the other end.

Too often, the long diagonal ball up to the Rovers forwards caused City problems. Isaac Osbourne was constantly forced inside and with Aron Gunnarsson still not at his full playing potential, Stephen Wright was doing a number of jobs including that of winger.

Michael McIndoe against one of his old clubs, was booed every time he touched the ball by the home fans.

Leon Best did well in the 13th minute to win the first of two corners. But Sean O'Driscoll's side started to create chances with Chambers, Oster and Shiels all had a go at goal but either missed the target or found Keiren Westwood well positioned.

After Coppinger had been booked for disent and Gunnarsson cautioned, a foul by McIndoe gave Doncaster a 37th minute free kick some twenty yards out. A kick from I think James Hayter (Doncaster's black numbers on red and white hooped shirts were not that clear), hit Westwood's left hand post.

City attacked the end where we were housed for the second half and were left wondering whether the Football League were right to appoint a referee from East Yorkshire and an assistant from nearby Lincolnshire for this match.


Some of the decisions riled the City support and whilst he may have been correct a couple of times that Leon Best had not beaten the offside trap, his decisions that gave a goal kick when Stephen Wright had his cross clearly pushed onto the bar by Sullivan and that a Doncaster player did not get the final touch from a 64th minute cross from the Scouser were just plain wrong.


When Wright did win a 73rd minute corner and the referee actually gave it in favour of City, there was a huge ironic cheer from the Sky Blue support.

Mr Boyeson did show one good bit of common sense in the 78th minute when Aron Gunnarsson collided with Roberts.

It looked like the referee was going to produce a card but the Icelander, who had been skating on thin ice with a couple of tackles that had home fans baying for yellow cards, got a talking to and the game continued with the full quota of players.

With two minutes of normal time, Gunnarsson 's throw found Morrison in the area. Substitute Sam Hird, a yard off the goal-line cleared and a hard working City side settled for the point most of would have taken before hand.