COVENTRY CITY 1-1 LEICESTER CITY BY KEV MONKS
The one game a season Coventry City fans want the Sky Blues to win and all the team could muster was an uninspiring draw against a ten man Leicester side.
Micky Adams again made changes to the team that had won at Luton on Saturday.
With Stephen Hughes sustaining a dead-leg and Robert Page still out with a groin injury, Adams brought back Richard Duffy,Richard Shaw.Dennis Wise and James Scowcroft.
The atmosphere inside the Arena was the best this season as the City fans who included supporters from America,Canada,Norway, Northern and Southern Ireland found their voice early on.
But it was the five thousand from the other end of the M69 who were on their feet cheering first when the visitors took an eight minute lead.
The makeshift City defence which clearly was taking it's time to settle failed to spot a cross from the left that fell for Richard Stearman who volleyed in to the far corner of the net.
That big smile on the face of the visitors was wiped away,as two minutes later, James Scowcroft played a ball inside the area for Stern John who stuck out his right leg and steered the ball into the net.
Rob Kelly's side won two corners straight after with the second forcing Marton Fulop into a stunning 13th minute save.
Dennis Wise was getting abused by the away support and in the 14th minute,the midfielder was cautioned for an elbow on Johansson.
Eleven minutes later, Stern John had the ball in the net again but his header was ruled offside by the assistant referee on the NTL Stand side.
The main problem for City was that in front of goal,too many players were trying to take too many touches instead of just hitting first time efforts.
They were also struggling to find the width for their passing which they had done to great effect against Luton and at Wolves.
Fulop again stated his case for a full time move to our historical city with a fine 42nd minute stop from an Ian Hume shot.
The visitors were often reckless in some of their challenges. Patrick Kisnorbo made it into the book of Mr Hill for pulling down Dele Adebola and after the restart, Matty Fryatt was booked for a bad foul on Richard Duffy.
Our comments at half-time that someone was going to get sent off in this game proved correct as in the 66th minute, Kisnorbo flattened Andy Whing who had replaced Richard Duffy after he too had been done by the former Hearts defender.
Something else proved correct was the fact, that against ten men, City always seem to struggle. With Kevin Thornton and Don Hutchison being sent on for the quiet Dele Adebola and Gary McSheffrey, City were able to break through the visitors defence but in front of goal, today was not the day.
Leicester's Stephen Hughes rattled the post when given too much room in the 75th minute. City rallied with Stern John getting the ball past the keeper Paul Henderson only for his chance to be cleared off the line.
Dennis Wise went wide from a Whing cross and with five minutes left went a lot closer when he tried a trademark overhead kick which bounced off the crossbar.
A win over the local rivals would have been great but it was not to be and the City fans sloped off disappointed with only a draw.
HT CCFC 1-1 LCFC
FT CCFC 1-1 LCFC
ATT 26,672
Goals Richard Stearman (8),Stern John (11)
Booked Wise,Kisnorbo (Sent off 66),Fryatt
Team
Fulop,Duffy (Whing 57),Hall,Williams,Shaw, Doyle,Scowcroft,McSheffrey (Thornton 72), Adebola (Hutchison 72),John, Wise SNU Morrell,Heath
Leicester
Henderson, Stearman,Gerrbrand,Kisnorbo, Johansson,Maybury,Williams,Gudjonsson, Tiatto (Welsh 64),Fryatt (Hughes 70),Hume (Hammond 70). SNU Douglas, Brevett.