Colchester United 2-1 Coventry City
Coventry City: Burge Willis, Hyam, Stokes, McDonald, Shipley, Bayliss, Kelly (Reid 92),, Vincenti. Biamou (Clarke-Harris 62). McNulty. Subs: O'Brien, Devon Kelly-Evans, Haynes, Barrett. Ponticelli.
Colchester Walker, Prosser, Kent, Eastman, Wright, Comley, Stevenson (Murray 82), Vincent-Young (Dickenson 78), Senior (Szmodics 70), Mandron, Ogedi-Uzokwe. Subs: Gilmartin, Inniss, Lapslie, Mandeville
Goals: Ogedi-Uzokwe 26 pen, Tom Bayliss 55, Mandron 88
Att 3,319
Coventry City went down to a late defeat at Colchester United.
Into the final third of the season and the Sky Blues enter it needing to win most of their matches if they are to have any hope of getting promoted at the first time of asking.
Having a load of injuries was not helpful to that quest but it is what it is and surely, the City squad is good enough to get the job done was one question we pondered on as we made our way to Colchester for a midweek League Two fixture.
A wet night and some horrific journies with one coach not even getting to the game after being stuck on the M25 saw around 400 City supporters getting into the ground and being housed in the side stand, to see Lee Burge in goal., Dominic Hyam in defence and Peter Vincenti in midfield with Ben Stevenson starting for the home side.
City in their Sky Blue kit, looked lively in the opening exchanges and in the second minute, Liam Kelly made a run and played in Chris Stokes who drove into the side netting.
Colchester's first chance came in the 16th minute with Lee Burge getting down to a twenty yarder to force a corner.
Stevenson fired over to hoots of derision from some of the City supporters which was more good natured micky-taking than anything serious.
What was serious was the referee giving a 26th minute penalty when Ogedi-Uzokwe went down whilst attempting a bicycle kick. There was no appeal but a penalty it was and Ogedi-Uzokwe beat Burge with ease.
Stevenson fired wide following a 43rd minute corner as did Stokes before the half ended.
Stevenson continued to look classy in midfield whilst Tom Bayliss did his best to try and get City going forward and in the 55th minute, Vincenti did something right started a move, which saw the ball come over from the left, after Shipley's shot was saved and Tom Bayliss ran in and smack it powerfully into the net, sparking scenes in the away end.
Clarke-Harris came on with twenty-eight minutes to go for a City side that had McNulty hit a post in the 64th minute.
A Shipley corner was headed wide with Clarke-Harris winning another in the 72nd minute which was cleared off the line.
A foul on Chris Stokes from a two footed challenge did not give City the penalty that the City support wanted.
A Marc McNulty shot was saved by Walker before the U's replaced Stevenson who left to applause from some of the City support on a night that was cold after the rain had stopped.
It looked a draw but in the 88th minute. Mandron headed home and it was another defeat.