PRESTON NORTH END 2-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Team
Westwood, Clarke, Keogh, Hussey, Wood (Cameron 78), Baker (Bell 58), Clingan, Gunnarsson, McSheffrey (McIndoe 76), Jutkiewicz, Eastwood. SNU Quirke, O'Donovan, O'Halloran, Ruffles
Preston
Turner, Morgan, St Ledger, Ashbee, Carter (Barton 73), Johnson (Nicholson 73), Tracy (Ellington 82), Brown, Hume, Jones, Gardner. SNU Lonergan, Parry, Clarke, Wright.
HT PNE 1-0 CCFC FT PNE 2-1 CCFC ATT 12 269
GOALS Iain Hume (23), David Bell (70), Nathan Ellington (90+4)
Referee G. Eltringham
Booked Keogh, Cameron, Hume
Man Of The Match. The City supporters for watching this.
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Coventry City rewarded the 152 of us at Burnley on Tuesday night but at Deepdale's, the Sky Blues record of never having won a league game at Preston continued with a last gasp defeat.
With City away games in Lancashire in March record increasing to 57% thanks to the 2-2 draw at Burnley on Tuesday, it was back up the M6 on a gloriously sunny day to Preston North End.
Around a thousand City supporters had taken the offer of £10/£5 admission and with the close proximity of Blackpool, a good number of the City support, made a weekend of it.
The City support which included one supporter from Kent's 550th consecutive match as well as supporters from London, Surrey, Southampton and Bristol as well as the Midlands saw a City team which had Chris Hussey coming in for Stephen O'Halloran.
Unfortunately, City could not continue where they left off against Burnley and Preston with former City loanee Iain Turner in goal, were able to pressurise the City midfield every time they even looked at the ball.
The home side boosted by their win over Scunthorpe on Tuesday were able to attack through Ricardo Gardner at will.
He forced Westwood to grab a shot and then make a good block after he had centred.
McSheffrey forced Turner into a save at the other end but after "Andy Thorn Sky Blue Army" chants and "Your Cat's Going In The Bin" had faded, Clingan gave a 23rd minute ball away and it was played across to IAIN HUME who swept the ball past Westwood.
City's 4-3-3 formation changed to 4-5-1 with only Lukas Jutkiewicz up front but it did little to get City near to the Bill Shankley Kop End stand and before Preston hit the bar in first half stoppage time, all City could muster was an over-hit Jordan Clarke ball into the area.
We needed some cheer after a woeful first half but there was little early on.
Gunnarsson changed his mind about shooting first time and a 49th minute chance which was wasted brought a few jeers from some of the City support who were clearly not happy with the performance so far.
Carl Baker had been over-run and was replaced in the 58th minute by David Bell. Yet again, it proved to be an inspired substitution as in the 66th minute and with the City support a few down, thanks to some ejections at front and rear of the away end, Bell helped Eastwood won the first of two corners which saw Richard Keogh head onto the bar.
Then, a 70th minute long ball was sent up to Jutkiewicz who expertly picked out DAVID BELL who flicked the ball with his right boot into the bottom corner of the net.
Phil Brown made a double change and Thorn sent on Michael McIndoe and Nathan Cameron inbetween Keogh making two good headers away.
McIndoe had a shot wide just before four minutes of stoppage time was announced.
We were getting to the last minute of that when Chris Hussey instead of hoofing the ball upfield, conceded a corner.
The ball came over, NATHAN ELLINGTON got to it to bundle it past Westwood, who ended up in an argument with a City fan on the final whistle. The home fans went barmy, with some including blokes with kids taunting the City supporters with threatening and offensive gestures which added to a miserable performance that is best forgotten as soon as possible.
City are now in 20th place and will have to use the two-week break to work out how, they can ensure we are not in a relegation battle.