Own Goal Gives City Grounds For A Good Away Win

Last updated : 01 October 2012 By Kev Monks at Boundary Park

OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0-1 COVENTRY CITY 

City: Murphy, Clarke (Edjenguele 85), Wood, Reckord, Bailey, Moussa, Henderson (McDonald 52), Baker (c), McSheffrey (Fleck 65), McGoldrick
Subs: Dunn (GK), Hussey, Elliott, Barton.
 
Oldham Ath: Bouzanis, Grounds, Wesolowski (Simpson 91), M'Voto, Croft, Furman (c), Derbyshire, Montano, Byrne (Smith 91, Baxter, Wabara. Subs: Cisak (GK), Brown, Tarkowski, M'Changama, Hughes
 
HT OAFC 0-0 CCFC FT OAFC 0-1 CCFC ATT 4,022
 
Referee: D Coote. Assistant Referees: B Cropp, S Ross
Fourth Official: M Astley  Booked Montana, Croft, McGoldrick
Goal Grounds Own Goal 89
Man Of The Match Joe Murphy took the votes in our car with nominations for Fleck, Baker and Reckord.
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Coventry City recorded their first league win of the season with a 1-0 victory at Oldham.
 
Mark Robins, who insisted that his City team travelled up on the day of the game, instead of wasting money on hotels and over-nightstays, fielded two changes from the side beaten at Arsenal at this three sided delapidated stadium, which had plenty of character.
 
There might not have been the number of City supporters that there were on Wednesday but the 562 present made plenty of noise both in their support of the Sky Blues and their abuse of Oldham boss Paul Dickov, who put former Sky Blue Robbie Simpson on the bench.
 
City were forced to defend early on as the Latics won two corners bringing the rather portly Lee Croft to the attention of the City support. 
 
With Oldham always first to the second ball and City's passing clearly now that of a League One club rather than a club with so much top flight and Championship experience, the home side were always going to have the better of the play, despite, the endeavours of loanees Bailey, Henderson, Reckord and McGoldrick.
 
Joe Murphy kept himself alert with two good catches before McGoldrick headed over just before the break.
 
With the kids in the end to our right, throwing mars bars at the City fans, the Sky Blues showed far more purpose in the second half.
 
Clarke had a 51st minute shot blocked and the ball fell for Jamie Bailey who curled round the post.
 
Cody McDonald came on for Conor Henderson to add to City's attack but in the 55th minute, it was Oldham who came closest to scoring when Wabara struck the post with a low drive.
 
Six minutes later, Oldham attacked again and Wood had to clear the lines.
 
Gary McSheffrey had not had the best of games and he was replaced in the 65th minute by John Fleck.
 
Oldham fired twice at Murphy before Fleck's appearance on the pitch started to galvanise the team.
 
A Brown free kick saw Latics keeper Dean Bouzanis pull down his own defender but the ball hit McGoldrick and roll into the side netting.
 
Bailey was whipping in some cracking crosses but McDonald was not reading them and missed a peach of a ball in the 78th minute.
 
Four minutes later, City, who had gone bottom of the table due to Bury leading, put together their best move of the game. The move ended up with Franck Moussa who put in another good shift getting a shot on the left which Bouzanis dived to his right to push round for a corner.
 
Jordan Clarke picked up a knock in a heavy tackle and was replaced by Edjenguele.
 
City attacked down the left, through Jamie Reckord who had been pushed into a left midfield role. Reckord sent over a low cross right into the mixer, Bouzanis missed it and under pressure from the incoming Cody McDonald, something clearly seen by the City support but not the media from their restricted view in the Main Stand, Jonathan Grounds put through his own net, sparking scenes of jubilation in the away end part of the Rochdale Road stand.
 
Oldham sent on Robbie Simpson and Smith but City almost snatched a second goal when Bouzanis saved from both McGoldrick and McDonald before Mr Coote blew time on a much needed City win.