COVENTRY CITY 1-0 NORWICH CITY BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
A.Marshall, Osbourne, Ward,Dann,Fox, Tabb,Thornton,Doyle,S.Hughes, Mifsud, Best (Simpson 85) SNU Ireland, Gray, Hall
NORWICH
D.Marshall, Shackwell, Croft, Dublin,Velasco (Pearce 21),Fotheringham, Camara (Cureton 27),Russell (sent off 84), Bertrand, Pattison, Doherty (sent off 52)
HT CCFC 1-0 NCFC FT CCFC 1-0 NCFC ATT 18 108
GOAL Jay Tabb (5)
REFEREE P.Taylor
BOOKED Doherty X2, Fox,Dann, Croft,Russell X2 Fotheringham
SENT OFF Doherty and Russell both for second bookable offences
MAN OF THE MATCH Jay Tabb beat Kevin Thornton to the votes.
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STARTING FORMATION
Chris Coleman kept faith with the team that had drawn with QPR on Wednesday after Jay Tabb got the all clear to play following him picking up a knock in the said game.
Glenn Roeder fielded Dion Dublin in his starting line-up
Best
Tabb Doyle S.Hughes Thornton Mifsud
Fox Dann Ward Osbourne
Marshall
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CITY SUPPORT
A good attendance with just over 1,700 Norwich for what is one of their nearer games. The supporters including a regular from Denmark backed the team all the way through to the final whistle and left happy.
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Coventry City had all the chances but one early goal was enough to beat nine man Norwich Ciity in a scintilating game.
"Attack,Attack,Attack,Attack, Attack" is a chant often sung by City supporters and the Sky Blues did just that right from the outset on a blustry afternoon at the Arena. City laid seige to the Norwich goal from the first whistle and were ahead inside six minutes.
Michael Doyle hit a perfectly timed long ball down the left channel for Jay Tabb. The midfielder cut inside and drove it low past David Marshall into the Jewson Stand end net.
This early goal was well cheered by the City support who lept to their collective feet as firstly another telling ball by Doyle fell for Leon Best (or Ducky as he has been nicknamed due to the colour of his boots). Best tried to lift the ball but David Marshall got to it and punched away for an eighth minute corner.
Unfortunately, the boots worn by Best are not scoring boots and he missed another good delivery from Tabb before Kevin Thornton flicked wide.
Unable to cope with the pace of Tabb,Thornton and to a lesser extent Michael Mifsud as Coventry marauded forward at will, Canaries boss Glenn Roeder, replaced both of his full backs.
This settled the visitors who had Dion Dublin up front. The former City striker was booed every time he touched the ball and was warned by the referee for using his arms. It looked like he would be the first player cautioned but that fell to Gary Doherty who was cautioned just before the interval.
City started the second half as they had done the first on the attack. They had let Doherty get in a 47th minute shot for Marshall to make his first save of the game but quickly broke through Best who found Thornton some eight yards out. His flick took the ball wide of the goal but he was soon back in the action using his tenacity to force Croft to to bring him down and go into the book.
That led to a corner from which Michael Doyle fired over. In the 52nd minute, Norwich were reduced to ten men when Gary Doherty took out Jay Tabb. A yellow then a red was produced as Doherty headed for the changing room.
Tabb,who has been announced as the South Wales Supporters Club Player Of The Year, was fouled again, this time by Darryl Russell in the 55th minute and you could tell it was only a matter of time before he too joined Doherty back in the warm.
With City's back four playing well as a unit and the midfield solid and first to the tackles, the pressure was kept on the visitors and the chances kept coming.
Elliott Ward hooked on from a 61st minute Fox free kick, only for David Marshall to make a great save diving to his right. Another foul on Tabb straight after led to another free kick which Fox had punched away.
Miichael Mifsud, who has not scored in the league for fifteen matches should have scored fifteen minutes from time when he burst through, only to fire a shot which Marshall easily dealt with.
It was becoming more obvious that City were not going to get the second goal they needed when a curling corner from Fox hit the far post in the 76th minute.
With six minutes to go, Darryl Russell, who should have been booked for a foul a few minutes earlier, took Jay Tabb from behind as he tried to get over the halfway line and was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Leon Best left to a standing ovation when he was replaced by Robbie Simpson as signs of tiredness crept into the Sky Blues team who had run themselves into the ground.
That tiredness saw Andy Marshall have to make a good save in the dying seconds but City held on to pick up three valuable points.
The City players left to a standing ovation and know that they must keep up this level of effort right the way to the end of the season.