SOUTHEND UNITED 2-3 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside goes the song and Coventry City made the most of a trip to Southend leaving with a 3-2 win.
For this game which saw City supporters take a day off work and fight their way through the traffic on the M1 and M25 all so Southend could have another Saturday market on their car park, Micky Adams fielded a team which was without Stern John and Chris Birchall due to international duty.
Back came David McNamee in a five man defence with Matt Heath also recalled.
In midfield,was Michael Doyle Stephen Hughes and Colin Cameron with Leon McKenzie up front with Dele Adebola.
As is common with away performances this season, City failed to stamp their authority on the game from the outset and it was the home side who kept Andy Marshall busy early on.
Inside a dilapidated Roots Hall (plans for a new stadium were announced last week), was a very noisy 788 City supporters, many of whom had taken over the numerous bars and a strip club in this coastal town, and were creating the best atmosphere at a City away game this season.
Luke Guttridge and Marcus Hall had made it into the book of referee Mr Drysdale who spotted David McNamee shoving Guttridge and awarded Southend a 28th minute penalty.
Freddie Eastwood,a player Micky Adams admitted this week that City could not afford to buy,stepped up and hit a poor kick which somehow got under the body of Andy Marshall and just over the line.
Kevin Maher and Michael Doyle were cautioned as City started to get back in the match.
Stephen Hughes had an earlier shot deflected for a corner and in the 42nd minute,the club captain got himself into a scoring position some twenty yards out. Hughes hit a ferocious shot which struck Adam Barrett and went into the net to draw City level.
Half time came and went and within ninety seconds of the restart,the Sky Blue Army were going absolutely mental when a lovely bit of pace from Leon McKenzie saw the striker force his way into the box. Adam Barrett was clumsy with his tackle and much to our delight Mr Drysdale awarded the Sky Blues who played in red a penalty, our first this season.
Colin Cameron grabbed the ball and placed it on the spot. The Shrimpers keeper went to his left and the former Wolves and Millwall midfielder sent the ball down the middle and into the net before racing to the City fans to celebrate.
In the 56th minute of an entertaining game, Kevin Maher fired against the post,the ball bobbled around but Elliott Ward was on the line to clear.
Neither side was now controlling the play but ten minutes later,Spencer Prior headed a corner onto the post. The ball came across the goal and again there was shoving. It looked like another penalty for the home side but after consulting his assistant,Mr Drysdale decided against it.
The referee also decided against a penalty in the 68th minute when Eastwood went over inside the area. It was a blatant dive and Eastwood will consider himself lucky not to have been cautioned.
This luck for Eastwood continued when City tried to win a corner at the other end four minutes later. A peach of a fifty yard punt from Simon Francis found the unmarked Freddie Eastwood who advanced before flicking the ball past Andy Marshall with the outside of his right boot to square the match.
The Sky Blues who were all giving their all, picked themselves up and got stuck into Southend once more.
In the 74th minute,the home keeper just grabbed the ball off the line from Dele Adebola following a cross from McKenzie who was the unanimous man of the match in our car.
But five minutes later, Adebola was not to be denied again when a McKenzie shot was blocked as was one from Doyle which was deflected into the path of Adebola who rammed the ball in for what turned out to be the winner.
It was a hard fought victory and City will deserve the plaudits they receive for this performance. Let's hope it continues.
HT SUFC 1-1 CCFC FT SUFC 2-3 CCFC
ATT 9,832
Goals Freddie Eastwood (28 pen & 72),Stephen Hughes (41), Colin Cameron (47 pen),Dele Adebola (79)
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside goes the song and Coventry City made the most of a trip to Southend leaving with a 3-2 win.
For this game which saw City supporters take a day off work and fight their way through the traffic on the M1 and M25 all so Southend could have another Saturday market on their car park, Micky Adams fielded a team which was without Stern John and Chris Birchall due to international duty.
Back came David McNamee in a five man defence with Matt Heath also recalled.
In midfield,was Michael Doyle Stephen Hughes and Colin Cameron with Leon McKenzie up front with Dele Adebola.
As is common with away performances this season, City failed to stamp their authority on the game from the outset and it was the home side who kept Andy Marshall busy early on.
Inside a dilapidated Roots Hall (plans for a new stadium were announced last week), was a very noisy 788 City supporters, many of whom had taken over the numerous bars and a strip club in this coastal town, and were creating the best atmosphere at a City away game this season.
Luke Guttridge and Marcus Hall had made it into the book of referee Mr Drysdale who spotted David McNamee shoving Guttridge and awarded Southend a 28th minute penalty.
Freddie Eastwood,a player Micky Adams admitted this week that City could not afford to buy,stepped up and hit a poor kick which somehow got under the body of Andy Marshall and just over the line.
Kevin Maher and Michael Doyle were cautioned as City started to get back in the match.
Stephen Hughes had an earlier shot deflected for a corner and in the 42nd minute,the club captain got himself into a scoring position some twenty yards out. Hughes hit a ferocious shot which struck Adam Barrett and went into the net to draw City level.
Half time came and went and within ninety seconds of the restart,the Sky Blue Army were going absolutely mental when a lovely bit of pace from Leon McKenzie saw the striker force his way into the box. Adam Barrett was clumsy with his tackle and much to our delight Mr Drysdale awarded the Sky Blues who played in red a penalty, our first this season.
Colin Cameron grabbed the ball and placed it on the spot. The Shrimpers keeper went to his left and the former Wolves and Millwall midfielder sent the ball down the middle and into the net before racing to the City fans to celebrate.
In the 56th minute of an entertaining game, Kevin Maher fired against the post,the ball bobbled around but Elliott Ward was on the line to clear.
Neither side was now controlling the play but ten minutes later,Spencer Prior headed a corner onto the post. The ball came across the goal and again there was shoving. It looked like another penalty for the home side but after consulting his assistant,Mr Drysdale decided against it.
The referee also decided against a penalty in the 68th minute when Eastwood went over inside the area. It was a blatant dive and Eastwood will consider himself lucky not to have been cautioned.
This luck for Eastwood continued when City tried to win a corner at the other end four minutes later. A peach of a fifty yard punt from Simon Francis found the unmarked Freddie Eastwood who advanced before flicking the ball past Andy Marshall with the outside of his right boot to square the match.
The Sky Blues who were all giving their all, picked themselves up and got stuck into Southend once more.
In the 74th minute,the home keeper just grabbed the ball off the line from Dele Adebola following a cross from McKenzie who was the unanimous man of the match in our car.
But five minutes later, Adebola was not to be denied again when a McKenzie shot was blocked as was one from Doyle which was deflected into the path of Adebola who rammed the ball in for what turned out to be the winner.
It was a hard fought victory and City will deserve the plaudits they receive for this performance. Let's hope it continues.
HT SUFC 1-1 CCFC FT SUFC 2-3 CCFC
ATT 9,832
Goals Freddie Eastwood (28 pen & 72),Stephen Hughes (41), Colin Cameron (47 pen),Dele Adebola (79)
Referee D.Drysdale
Booked Guttridge,Hall,Maher,Doyle
Team
Marshall,McNamee,Heath,Ward,Hall,Hughes,Doyle,Cameron,Adebola,McKenzie SNU Thornton,Osbourne,Hutchison,Kyle,Tabb
Southend
Flahavan,Francis,Hunt (Cambell Ryce 88), Prior,Barrett,Gower,Maher, Eastwood, Guttridge, Hamell, Harrold (Hooper 78) SNU Collis,Clarke, Paynter
