IPSWICH TOWN 2-1 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Team
Westwood, Osbourne (Beuzelin 57), Gunnarsson, McPake (Grandison 33), Ward, Doyle, Simpson, Eastwood, Best (Cain 65), Morrison SNU Ireland, Thornton
Ipswich
Wright, Bruce, Garvan, Counago (Quinn 75), Norris, Lisbie (Schumilokski 84), Peters, Balkestein, Dos Santos (Haynes 63), Smith, Stead SNU Bialowski, Richards
HT ITFC 2-0 CCFC FT ITFC 2-1 CCFC ATT 27,225
GOALS Dos Santos (23), Counago (25), Morrison (78)
Referee G..Laws Booked Morrison
Man Of The Match Jermaine Grandison took the votes
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Coventry City finished their miserable end to the 2008/09 season with a 2-1 defeat at Ipswich Town.
Having won just once in ten matches, we trudged down the A14 on a cloudy morning to Suffolk, glad that this was the final game of the season.
With rumours that City Assistant Manager Steve Kean could be leaving the club circulating amongst the City support, we joined the 1,000 or so following in the upper tier of the Cobbold Stand.
Fancy dress was the order of the day and there was Fred Flintstone, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, plenty of beach wear, the Spice Girls, all cheering the Sky Blues or All Blacks as City were in their away kit, on to the pitch.
It was a City team that was without Marcus Hall who had been injured in training and one that also has Andy Marshall miss out on his final CCFC appearance due to injury. Ben Turner took over at left back with James McPake partnering Elliott Ward at the back.
Michael Doyle and Aron Gunnarsson were in central midfield with Simpson on the right and Eastwood on the left whilst Leon Best and Clinton Morrison led the attack.
With no noise from the Tractor Boys who had much to sing about with their rivals being relegated and a new boss in Roy Keane, a man who got some stick from sections of the City support, all the noise coming out of Portman Road was from the away fans.
It was a positive start from Chris Coleman's side. Robbie Simpson fired wide after breaking into the area in the 7th minute.
Some good work from Eastwood saw a corner won three minutes later as the Tractor Boys to our left, were told that all their tractors were made in Cov.
Leon Best was unlucky in the 16th minute when he cut inside past Garvan and drove just the other side of the far post.
However, today was a day when luck was not that belonging to Coventry City.
In the 23rd minute, Jamie Peters got the ball on the right, played it to Giovani Dos Santos and his low drive from around 23 yards beat Keiren Westwood.
The Ipswich fans were still celebrating as a ball from the left smacked James McPake. The Scot crashed to the ground quicker than Ricky Hatton and was out cold. The rebound fell to Pablo Counago who beat Westwood before celebrating.
McPake required smelling salts and had to be replaced in the 33rd minute. He left the pitch to no applause from the City fans and Jermaine Grandison came on.
The youngster slotted in very well at the back alongside Elliott Ward's whose wave at the end of the match indicated that he feels he will not be wearing a sky blue shirt next season.
Simpson, Best who had a header at Richard Wright, Eastwood and Simpson from the edge of the area all had chances before City were booed off by some of the support with others launching into a chant of "Sky Blue Army".
City came out for the second half again trying to be positive but in the 51st minute, they were saved from going three goals down when a Kevin Lisbie shot was blocked on the line by Pablo Counago who had run in to help the ball into the net.
"Sign Him Up" sang the City fans for this great defensive clearance, which also saw Westwood get one decisive touch.
Isaac Osbourne was hurt marking Dos Santos and after treatment had to walk round towards the tunnel. He reacted to some abuse by some of the Ipswich fans behind the goal and had to be restrained by Physio Michael McBride.
Guilluame Beuzelin came on in midfield as Aron Gunnarsson switched to right back.
In the 65th minute, Coleman brought on Ashley Cain to add a bit of pace.
Coleman could have done with another substitution when Counaga turned villain after shoving Aron Gunnarsson into the advertising hoardings in the 69th minute.
The Icelander was clearly in pain and miffed at the lack of action from referee Graham Laws.
Revenge was demanded by the City support, who finally had some reward for all their time, effort and financial outlay in getting to Portman Road, which this season had the second dearest admission price in the Championship, in the 79th minute.
A sortee by Cain led to a corner. When the ball came in there was Clinton Morrison, to score from inside a crowded penalty area.
We celebrated the goal and roared City on to get another. Eastwood had an 84th minute shot pushed over for a corner before a combination of Westwood and Grandison denied Danny Haynes.
Four minutes of stoppage time was added on. In the last minute, City won a free kick, some twenty odd years out. Robbie Simpson took it and curled it onto Wright's right hand post.
It denied City a point they would have been lucky to attained but it was a much better performance and there are some positive signs on which to build next season.
This match report is dedicated to the memory of Yorkshire Sky Blue Chris Gately who sadly passed away on Friday May 1st after a serious illness.