COVENTRY CITY 0-2 CRYSTAL PALACE BY KEV MONKS
Team
Marshall, McNamee (Gray 7),De Zeeuw,Turner,Borrowdale (Thornton 79), Osbourne,Doyle, Hughes (Adebola 69), Tabb,Mifsud, Best SNU Page,Ward
PALACE
Sperroni, Lawrence,Hill,Hudson,Butterfield,Scanell (Ifill 85),Watson,Derry, Soares (Fletcher 82),Scowcroft,Morrison (Hills 68) SNU Freedman,Fontane
HT CCFC 0-0 CPFC FT CCFC 0-2 CPFC Goals Clinton Morrison (47), Paul Ifill (87)
Referee K.Stroud. Booked Soares,Derry,De Zeeuw.
Man Of The Match - Again us for wasting a public holiday and watching this dirge was the over whelming winner. There were votes for Leon Best,Andy Marshall,Stephen Hughes and Michael Mifsud.
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STARTING FORMATION
Iain Dowie had to make changes following the nightmare of Blackpool and four changes were made. Dimi Konstantopolous and Elliott Ward were dropped. Michael Hughes was injured and Kevin Kyle suspended. In came Andy Marshall,Stephen Hughes,Arjan De Zeeuw and Isaac Osbourne.
Again his former club, Dowie started with a 4-4-2 formation.
Mifsud Best
Tabb Doyle S.Hughes Osbourne
Borrowdale Turner De Zeeuw McNamee
Marshall
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WEATHER
The sun had disappeared by kick off time and it was a cloudy day which turned cold when the day-light ran out.
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CITY SUPPORTERS
The 22,134 crowd was the amount one would expect for a Boxing Day game. Again the atmosphere was muted and there were boos at both half-time and full time. Palace had a support of 1424 fans and were not as noisy as in previous visits.
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Coventry City again failed to provide any yuletide cheers with a 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace.
There had been much talk going into the game about whether the City boss would keep his job if Ray Ranson was to take over as I made my way into the Arena, hoping that the Sky Blues would emerge fired up by Dowie and ensure the nightmare at Blackpool came a distant memory. Unfortunately, what we got was a nervous start by the Sky Blues who kicked off attacking the Jewson Stand end.
Andy Marshall back between the sticks, was soon involved in the action when he came off his line and got down to a second minute cross from Sean Scannell before smothering the ball at the second attempt as former City striker James Scowcroft came in.
Dowie, who got as much stick from the Palace fans as the Coventry support gave Simon Jordan, had only named one former Palace player in the Sky Blues starting line-up in Gary Borrowdale and in the seventh minute, the left back was joined by Julian Gray, who came on to mighty boos from the visiting supporters when he replaced David McNamee who appeared to have tweaked a hamstring.
Isaac Osbourne was taken out of midfield and slotted in at right back and he watched on as another Scannell cross had to be dealt with by Marshall.
City did win a few corners but it was not until the 29th minute that they actually created something of note when Jay Tabb's shot was deflected for a corner after Mifsud had collected a longkick upfield from the City custodian. Doyle took the kick which found Stephen Hughes who stabbed the ball wide.
If there was a fifty/fifty ball to be won or seconds to be had, then it was Neil Warnock or Colin to many of the Sheffield media's side that got the ball. City, like they have done in the last few home games, lacked any purpose and urgency and relied way too heavily on the tactic of hit and hope from a midfield which looked like they had forgotten how to create anything.
Three minutes before the interval, a tame shot from Mifsud after good work by Leon Best, who to be fair had held the ball up reasonably well, was easily dealt with. Palace broke through Clinton Morrison. This time, Marshall managed to palm the ball and grab it at the second attempt,drawing a rare bit of applause from the City support.
Boos rang out at half-time and two minutes into the second half, there were more jeers as Palace took the lead.
Arjan De Zeeuw, whose mastery of being able to make a defensive header go no further than ten feet, is beyond compare, allowed a harmless looking Watson free kick over his head and there was Clinton Morrison who gratefully accepted the chance to score from about eight yards.
A cloud of doom encircled those parts of the stadium frequented by Sky Blues supporters. But in the 58th minute, it lifted as City were awarded a penalty thanks to referee Mr Stroud and his assistant on the Tesco Stand side correctly spotting a shirt pull by Clint Hill. The defender escaped a caution but Tom Soares didn't and went into the book for mouthing off.
Michael Doyle prepared himself to take the kick as the CT Stand rose to their feet, expecting to celebrate a goal. As Doyle placed the ball on the spot, Soares came into the area and wished Julian Sperroni all the best best shaking his hand.
This delay, which sent the game into the sixty minute mark, put off Doyle who aimed a low kick right at the keeper who was easily able to get down to his left to smother.
Michael Mifsud and Stephen Hughes had shots. Hughes' effort proved to be his last of the game as the effects of flu took its toll on him and he was replaced by Dele Adebola.
This moving to 4-3-3 had little effect so Kevin Thornton was sent on to huge cheers. Palace also made changes. Morrison and Soares ambled off the pitch as did Sean Scannell who made way for Paul Ifill in the 85th minute.
The former Millwall midfielder, had been on the pitch for one minute and twenty six seconds when he added a second goal for the visitors.
Arjan De Zeeuw gave away a pointless free kick with a tackle which saw him booked. The ball went down the left. Paul Ifill got the ball, quickly got past Ben Turner and drilled a left footer low into the the net before racing across to celebrate with the jubiliant visitors from Croydon.
At the other end, there were a few chants of "What A Load Of Rubbish" followed by a massive walk out as Palace picked up their third straight win at the Ricoh.
To be honest, it was rubbish. Three wins from twelve home games and yet another afternoon of giving the visitors a non stressful time is not acceptable by any standards. We need a massive improvement in the home form and we need it starting with the game against Ipswich on Saturday.