CRYSTAL PALACE 1-0 COVENTRY CITY BY KEV MONKS
If you don't create chances,you don't win matches and shot shy Coventry City let down their supporters by going down to a 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.
Not since the 1987 FA Cup Final and Charity Shield had City supporters paid £30 to watch the Sky Blues in London,so it was an excellent turn out of 791 City supporters,some of whom who endured four hour treks round the M25 and up the A23 plus the same time back, that ended up in the dilapidated Arthur Wait Stand at Selhurst Park.
What those who made it to a ground where City have had more wins than at the Ricoh (19-15) discovered on their arrival was that leading scorer Stern John was dropped.
Whether his reaction to being substituted last week against Leeds was a factor, was something myself,some of our supporters from London and the Home Counties,plus good friends from Germany and Norway discussed as his replacement Leon McKenzie made his way onto the pitch.
The inclusion of McKenzie, born a few hundred yards from Selhurst Park was the only change in the City starting line-up.
Palace included James Scowcroft whose £500,000 move in the summer was seen as good business. The Bury St Edmunds born player who started up front for the Eagles was booed by a small minority of the City support.
The game started in bright sunshine and saw Andy Marshall the busier of the two keepers pushing a seventh minute Clinton Morrison shot on to the post for a corner.
When the jogging bottomed Hungarian keeper was forced into action at the other end,it was to catch a tenth minute header from Kyle.
Michael Doyle worked well with Jay Tabb today with both the Irishman combing for Tabb to rifle a long ranger which just whistled past the far post.
In the 24th minute,the pace of Tabb saw him body checked by Matt Lawrence who was cautioned by referee Mr Woolmer, who was originally was the fourth official and stepped into the breech to replace Uriah Rennie.
A minute later,Kyle was fouled by Elliott Ward's brother Darren on the edge of the area. Stephen Hughes swung in the place kick for Elliott Ward at the far post to nod wide.
Palace, with Ben Watson on for the injured Danny Butterfield, forced Marshall into another fine save from a 40th minute Leon Cort header before David McNamee was booked for a trip and the half came to a close.
With the clouds having passed over and sunshine now swathing the ground, City were first to show in the second half.
A trip on Kyle some twenty seconds into the second period won a free kick. Stephen Hughes curled the twenty five yarder round the wall but Gabor Kiraly saw it and dived low to his right to beat it away.
In the 54th minute the only goal of the game came the way of the home side. Mark Kennedy played the ball inside to Gary Borrowdale who banged the ball into the penalty area. Clinton Morrison stuck out his left leg and was able to volley past the wrong footed Andy Marshall.
There was an altercation with the stewards who ejected one City supporter following the goal.
If City were to maintain their place in the top six which they had started the game in,they had to get back in the match,so Micky Adams went for a triple 68th minute substitution.
Stern John, who had been chanted for by the City support, came on for Kevin Kyle. Dele Adebola replaced McKenzie and Colin Cameron came on for Michael Doyle.
James Scowcroft who had not really bothered the City defence but with twenty minutes remaining, he dispossessed Ward and centred for Morrison who headed over when he really should have scored.
Why Colin Cameron had been brought on was puzzling some of the City fans behind me and in the 72nd minute, a bad ball from the former Wolves player left David McNamee to make a challenge on Morrison who fell to the ground. The referee came over, McNamee protested his innocence but it was to no avail as the referee waved a yellow and then a red card in the way of City's right back.
Chris Birchall who again battled well went to right back as City regrouped.
Playing against ten men is always hard and City defended well even if they struggled to cope with bouncing balls inside the penalty area.
If you don't create chances,you don't win matches and shot shy Coventry City let down their supporters by going down to a 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.
Not since the 1987 FA Cup Final and Charity Shield had City supporters paid £30 to watch the Sky Blues in London,so it was an excellent turn out of 791 City supporters,some of whom who endured four hour treks round the M25 and up the A23 plus the same time back, that ended up in the dilapidated Arthur Wait Stand at Selhurst Park.
What those who made it to a ground where City have had more wins than at the Ricoh (19-15) discovered on their arrival was that leading scorer Stern John was dropped.
Whether his reaction to being substituted last week against Leeds was a factor, was something myself,some of our supporters from London and the Home Counties,plus good friends from Germany and Norway discussed as his replacement Leon McKenzie made his way onto the pitch.
The inclusion of McKenzie, born a few hundred yards from Selhurst Park was the only change in the City starting line-up.
Palace included James Scowcroft whose £500,000 move in the summer was seen as good business. The Bury St Edmunds born player who started up front for the Eagles was booed by a small minority of the City support.
The game started in bright sunshine and saw Andy Marshall the busier of the two keepers pushing a seventh minute Clinton Morrison shot on to the post for a corner.
When the jogging bottomed Hungarian keeper was forced into action at the other end,it was to catch a tenth minute header from Kyle.
Michael Doyle worked well with Jay Tabb today with both the Irishman combing for Tabb to rifle a long ranger which just whistled past the far post.
In the 24th minute,the pace of Tabb saw him body checked by Matt Lawrence who was cautioned by referee Mr Woolmer, who was originally was the fourth official and stepped into the breech to replace Uriah Rennie.
A minute later,Kyle was fouled by Elliott Ward's brother Darren on the edge of the area. Stephen Hughes swung in the place kick for Elliott Ward at the far post to nod wide.
Palace, with Ben Watson on for the injured Danny Butterfield, forced Marshall into another fine save from a 40th minute Leon Cort header before David McNamee was booked for a trip and the half came to a close.
With the clouds having passed over and sunshine now swathing the ground, City were first to show in the second half.
A trip on Kyle some twenty seconds into the second period won a free kick. Stephen Hughes curled the twenty five yarder round the wall but Gabor Kiraly saw it and dived low to his right to beat it away.
In the 54th minute the only goal of the game came the way of the home side. Mark Kennedy played the ball inside to Gary Borrowdale who banged the ball into the penalty area. Clinton Morrison stuck out his left leg and was able to volley past the wrong footed Andy Marshall.
There was an altercation with the stewards who ejected one City supporter following the goal.
If City were to maintain their place in the top six which they had started the game in,they had to get back in the match,so Micky Adams went for a triple 68th minute substitution.
Stern John, who had been chanted for by the City support, came on for Kevin Kyle. Dele Adebola replaced McKenzie and Colin Cameron came on for Michael Doyle.
James Scowcroft who had not really bothered the City defence but with twenty minutes remaining, he dispossessed Ward and centred for Morrison who headed over when he really should have scored.
Why Colin Cameron had been brought on was puzzling some of the City fans behind me and in the 72nd minute, a bad ball from the former Wolves player left David McNamee to make a challenge on Morrison who fell to the ground. The referee came over, McNamee protested his innocence but it was to no avail as the referee waved a yellow and then a red card in the way of City's right back.
Chris Birchall who again battled well went to right back as City regrouped.
Playing against ten men is always hard and City defended well even if they struggled to cope with bouncing balls inside the penalty area.
Marcus Hall should have equalised late on when he shot into the side netting but it was not to be and yet again we left Selhurst Park for the third consecutive time in a year with a defeat.
HT CPFC 0-0 CCFC
FT CPFC 1-0 CCFC
ATT 16,093
Goal Clinton Morrison (54)
Booked Lawrence,McNamee x2,McAnuff,Morrison,Tabb
Team
Marshall,McNamee,Hall,Page,Ward,Hughes,Doyle (Cameron 68),Kyle (John 68),Birchall,McKenzie (Adebola 68),Tabb. SNU Heath, Hutchison
Palace
Kiraly,Lawrence,Ward,Cort,McAnuff,Scowcroft,Morrison, (Freedman 89),Kennedy,Hughes (Kuqi 71),Butterfield (Watson 18),Borrowdale SNU Sperroni,Green
