Team
Schmeichel,Duffy,Ward,Dann,Fox, Doyle,Tabb,S.Hughes,Gray (Osbourne 91),Simpson,Mifsud (Hines 72) SNU Marshall,Hall,Thornton
Sheff Wed
Grant,O'Brien (Slusarski 82),Kavanagh (Watson 75),McAllister (Bolder 43),Wood,Beevers,Johnson,Spurr,Sahar,Songo'o. SNU Burch, Gilbert
HT SWFC 0-0 CCFC FT SWFC 1-1 CCFC
Goals Zavon Hines (82), Richard Wood (91)
Ref G.Laws Booked Wood,Duffy,
Att 21,110
Man Of The Match Scott Dann took the votes.
_________________
STARTING LINE UP
Chris Coleman made only one change with Richard Duffy coming in at right back for Isaac Osbourne who went on the bench.
Simpson Mifsud
Gray Doyle S.Hughes Tabb
Fox Dann Ward Duffy
Schmeichel
________
CITY SUPPORT
What a brilliant turn out. Around 2500 City supporters who made plenty of noise. Seven coaches from the ground and supporters travelled from as far as Northern Ireland, Kent and Cambridgeshire.
The M1 was a total nightmare and we only just made it into the ground for kick-off whilst many of those without tickets queued to pay to get in.
_____________
GROUND
Although looking a tad outdated and a bit too close to a river for comfort, Hillsborough remains one of my favourite grounds in this division. Four big stands with the away supporters housed in the Leppings Lane Stand behind the goal.
_________
Coventry City have not won an away game on April 1st since 1939 but came within a minute of getting a win which would have eased what relegation worries they have at Sheffield Wednesday.
Chris Coleman made only one change from the side that had beaten Plymouth and Richard Duffy came in for Isaac Osbourne.
City,who have won their previous two re-arranged matches against Sheffield clubs, were backed by a noisy following up in the top tier of the Leppings Lane stand,which they attacked in the first half.
It was the Owls,who face a possible points deduction or fine for naming one too many loan players, who were first to show,winning two early corners.
Julian Gray,who again was heavily criticised by sections of the support, had City's first shot in the seventh minute.
Involved in that move was Robbie Simpson,who today displayed some excellent aerial abilty,but three times,referee Mr Laws harshly penalised him for jumping for the ball.
In fact,it was a case of who appealed loudest got the decision from the referee and one saw Wood booked in the 16th minute and record breaking loanee Richard Duffy follow suit seven minutes.
Kasper Schmeichel was again confident in goal and although he was not tested to a massive extent, the keeper got down well to smother a couple of drives from Franck Songo'o.
The other keeper Lee Grant had to make a superb save diving to his right to deny in the 28th minute,when Mifsud beat his marker and played in Robbie Simpson.
Both sides huffed and puffed either side of the interval with nothing to show for their efforts.
When required to do so, City defended stoutly. Scott Dann was a prime example. He made a superb 60th minute tackle and then dribbled his way out of trouble and took the ball up to Simpson on the half way line.
City were a lot more attack minded in the second half and Grant had to be alert to deny Tabb as he burst down the right.
In the 72nd minute, Michael Mifsud was set free down the right. All he had to do was hit it low but at the last second he changed his mind as a defender advanced. He cut inside and promptly lost the ball much to the groans of the City support.
That was the last of Mifsud,who is rumoured in some quarters as handing in a transfer request and he was replaced in the 74th minute by Zavon Hines.
The Sky Blues kept their 4-4-2 formation and with eight minutes left, Simpson superbly rose in the air on the edge of the area. The ball fell to Zavon Hines who had got round a defender and with the keeper out of position, the West Ham loanee gratefully put away this gift to send the City players and supporters ballistic.
However, with a minute gone in stoppage time,all thoughts of City winning were denied by the first bit of poor defending from the Sky Blues in the match.
Isaac Osbourne had replaced Julian Gray just before a throw in. City's defence failed to sort themselves out and Richard Wood jumped to get a head to the throw. The ball bobbled and then looped its way into the far corner of the net.
It was a cruel blow to be denied so late but at least it was a point that Chris Coleman and many of the City support would have taken.