COVENTRY CITY 0-0 BURTON ALBION City win 10-9 on penalties
JOHNSTONE’S PAINT TROPHY ROUND ONE 04/09/12 at the Ricoh Arena
Team: Murphy, Hussey, Brown, Christie, Wood, Baker, Jennings (Daniels 85), Kilbane, McSheffrey, McGoldrick, McDonald (Elliott 46). SNU Dunn, Malaga, O’Donovan, Ball, Edjenguele.
Burton: Atkins (Lyness 46), Corbett, Webster, Taylor, Palmer, McCrory, Paterson (Richards 68), Holness, Dyer, Bell, Kee (Yussuf 59). SNU Palmer, Garnett
HT CCFC 0-0 BAFC FT CCFC 0-0 BAFC PENS City win 10-9
ATT 5,437
Referee O’Langford Assts D.Plowright & A.Scregg. Fourth Official I.Dudley.
Booked None
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WEATHER: A dry quite warm and pleasant night
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Joe Murphy was the hero as Coventry City needed penalties to beat League Two Burton Albion in their first ever Johnstone’s Paint Trophy game.
With competition rules dictating that club’s must field six players who have started either their previous match or started most of the matches so far this season, Caretaker manager Richard Shaw fielded a strong team which saw Cyrus Christie and Richard Wood back in defence. Gary McSheffrey started in midfield whilst there was a home debut for loanee David McGoldrick.
The lowest crowd for a City home match at the Ricoh Arena, saw a turgid forty five minutes of football, which from the quality of players City had on the pitch, many felt was unacceptable.
To be fair, Burton, who have knocked Sheffield United and Leicester City out of the League Cup, were not a bad side but the sight of some City players not being able to pass to another against a League Two team, was enough for some in the East Stand which was open along with the away end and main stand, to start booing the City players, in the 19th minute after one wayward pass.
City had two real main chances to take the lead. Cody McDonald had an eighth minute effort saved by the legs of Ross Atkins and in the 28th minute, Carl Baker forced Atkins into a handed save with a 28th minute against a Burton side which only forced Joe Murphy into one save when he pushed away a low drive from Lee Bell.
For the second half, City sent on Stephen Elliott for Cody McDonald and Burton boss Gary Rowett swapped his keepers with Dean Lyness coming on.
Carl Baker went close with two efforts before Billy Kee directed a Cleveland Taylor cross from the right on to the bottom of Murphy’s left hand post in the 52nd minute.
In order to keep themselves awake, the City support, who were not for some reason singling out Chris Hussey to be booed, were cheering every time a City player touched the ball.
It briefly lifted the players with Elliott sending a twenty yarder over and seconds later. McGoldrick tried from the same distance but Burton's sub keeper fisted the drive over for a corner.
Lyness made a great save from Elliott, who had burst through in the 71st minute and two minutes later from a corner, McSheffrey had a shot blocked.
Carl Baker fired into Lyness’ chest before six minutes from time, Richards had only Murphy to beat, only to fluff his chance.
Shaw sent on Billy Daniels and City won a couple of corners before the game went into three minutes of stoppage time.
McGoldrick, who did not have a bad home debut, played in Gary McSheffrey but he sent the ball into the empty CT Stand.
Daniels then fired at Lyness from 25 yards and McGoldrick fired wide after Murphy had saved at the other end to send the match into penalties.
In this competition, if the match is level after ninety minutes then it goes straight to penalties and so it did.
The penalties were taken at the end nearest the two coach loads of Burton fans.
Cleveland Taylor went first and scored as did Gary McSheffrey. Chris Palmer scored as did Carl Baker. Damien McCrory scored as did David McGoldrick. Arron Webster scored as did Kevin Kilbane. Then Justin Richards scored as did Stephen Elliott.
It was now 5-5 with the keepers so far helpless and the penalties went to sudden death.
Lee Bell scored as did Billy Daniels. Ade Yussuf scored as did Reece Brown. Jack Dyer scored as did Chris Hussey, then Andrew Corbett scored as did Cyrus Christie.
It was 9-9 when Marcus Holness stepped up and Joe Murphy dived to his right to save. If City scored, they were through. Richard Wood stepped up but Lyness saved his spot kick.
Burton’s keeper Dean Lyness took their 11th kick. Joe Murphy went to his right again and saved. The former Scunthorpe keeper composed himself and stepped up to take City’s next spot-kick. He absolutely buried it and Coventry City had progressed into the second round.