Last Home Game And Another Defeat

Last updated : 28 April 2007 By Kev Monks
COVENTRY CITY 0-1 WEST BROMWICH ALBION BY KEV MONKS

Another big support and yet again Coventry City let down their supporters with a poor performance in their final home game.

Against a West Brom side who are so confident of a play-off semi final place that they have been selling tickets for the home leg for a couple of weeks, Iain Dowie had Michael Doyle back from his two game suspension. Ben Turner came in for the injured Robert Page with Kevin Thornton slotting into midfield.

On a glorious sunny day for the last home game of what has been a dreadful season and with Alan Ball suitably remembered, it was City who were out on the attack winning two early corners.

Whether the pitch temperature was a factor, it was certainly warm when I attended the South Wales Supporters Club presentation to Player Of The Year Andy Marshall,I don't know but both sides struggled to create openings.

Ben Turner had cleared from a Kamara cross in the 27th minute, as the away side back by 6,400 fans, most of whom were pretending to be Irish for the day in honour of Shane Nicholson's red card at Burnley being rescinded, started to put the pressure on.

It was a brief spell of pressure which lead to the Baggies taking the lead in the 36th minute. Former Sunderland and Villa striker Kevin Phillips sent a header onto the bar and the unmarked Paul Robinson raced to the rebound to head in.

In the last minute of the half, things got worse when Ben Turner got in a challenge which was at best clumsy and like the rest of his team plus the City support was astounded when a red card was waved in his face by referee Chris Foy.

Liam Davis was sent on at left back after a break which saw some of the 87 FA Cup Winning Team introduced.

In the 51st minute,Dele Adebola created City's best chance when he beat two defenders and sent a left footed shot towards the roof of the net. Unfortunately,Dean Kiely, the former City Youth keeper got a hand to it to push it onto the bar and over.

In the 63rd minute,a goal-line clearance by the industrious David McNamee stopped Albion from wrapping up the match. Kevin Phillips had two good chances.

The City supporters who had turned out in numbers with supporters from Wales,Northern Ireland and The Irish Republic amongst a crowd of 26,463 were still in reasonable voice, hoping that Michael Mifsud who could not find the same sort of space that he was afforded at Sheffield Wednesday last week or another City player, would do something to give us something to cheer about.

Kevin Thornton offered a few glimmers of hope as did substitute Chris Birchall who had one shot blocked whilst the rest looked like they were already on their night out in Birmingham.

With five to go, Iain Dowie was sent to the stand for voicing his objections to some of the decisions being made by the Merseyside based referee who had lost his contact lens.

Now a dive by Diomansy Kamara over the legs of Marcus Hall in the first half had been pure theatre and the City supporters had vented their spleen at him. A 79th minute caution drew cheers from the Sky Blue faithful and in stoppage time, a trip on David McNamee who had also been booked drew massive cheers at Kamara saw a yellow and then a red card.

That was the last of the cheers as the team were booed off on the final whistle. Many left but there was a reasonable turn-out to clap the players who did a lap of the ground. I won't use the word "honour" as that is reserved for a job well done and this like most of the games this season was not a job well done.

Losing three home games on the trot at a time when you have your season ticket on sale is not good for business and we'll see how much this has had an effect when the Arena opens its doors to the Sky Blues in August.

HT CCFC 0-1 WBA FC FT CCFC 0-1 WBA FC
ATT 26,343

Goals Paul Robinson (36)

Referee C.Foy Booked Kamara X2, McNamee
Sent off Turner (44), Kamara (91)

Team
Marshall,Hall (Birchall 74), Ward,Hughes (Davis 46) ,Doyle,Adebola,Osbourne,Mifsud,McNamee,Thornton (Tabb 78),Turner (sent off 44) Subs Steele,Kyle

West Brom
Kiely,Robinson,Perry,Greening,Gera,Chaplow (Koren 89),Kamara (Sent off 91),Koumas,McShane,Phillips (MacDonald 80),Sodje (Albrechtsen 46) Subs Daniels,Ellington