BURNLEY 1-1 COVENTRY CITY
SAT APR 14 At Turf Moor
City: Murphy, Keogh, Cranie, Clarke (Christie 56 off 73), Hussey, Clingan, Bell (Bigirimana 56), Norwood, Nimely (Platt 56), McDonald. SNU Dunn, Willis
Burnley: Grant, Trippier, McCann, Edgar, Duff, Marney (Bartley 68), Stanislas, Ings, McQuoid, Wallace, Austin. SNU Lafferty, Jackson, Jensen
HT BFC 1-0 CCFC FT BFC 1-1 CCFC ATT 13,398
Referee A.Woolmer Assts M.Salisbury & S.Stockbridge
Booked Marney, Platt, Murphy
Goals: Charlie Austin (19), Clive Platt (66)
Man Of The Match - Richard Keogh and Clive Platt shared the votes with a nomination for Hussey. .
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CITY SUPPORT:
Around 700 from as far away as Kent and Southampton who made plenty of noise and backed the team superbly.
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CITY TEAM NEWS:
Andy Thorn made two changes bringing in David Bell and Alex Nimely.
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DIRECTOR WATCH
Only Steve Waggot and David Shortland were spotted. You would have thought for such an important game that the full board as it stands would have been in attendance.
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Coventry City remain third from bottom in the Championship and four points adrift of Bristol City who drew at Birmingham City after a 1-1 draw at Burnley.
The City supporters, who took over the Burnley Cricket Club before kick off, were in good heart on a cold day going into the ground to see City in their green/black for the last time, attacking the David Fishwick Stand..
For the first fifteen minutes, the majority of the play was at the end where the City fans were.
Alex Nimely fired over in the second minute and two minutes later, after a foul by McQuoid, a Clingan free kick fell for Oliver Norwood playing against the team he supports and he fired from twenty yards at Lee Grant.
In the ninth minute, the City support were convinced that the Sky Blues had taken the lead when Richard Keogh head on from a corner and David Edgar who looked to be behind the line cleared. Referee Mr Woolmer did nothing and with no indication from the assistant Mr Stockbridge in front of the Burnley fans to our left, the Sky Blues did not get the goal they deserved.
City attacked again straight away and Grant got down to Nimely's tenth minute shot from twenty yards and four minutes later, Grant dived the same away to push a Nimely effort away for a corner.
Burnley had done nothing but in the 19th minute, they took the lead when Charlie Austin was allowed a free header and planted it into the far corner of the net.
The City support stood looking at each other in despair, especially as news was coming through that Bristol City were winning at Birmingham.
Mr Woolmer incured the wrath of the City support when Ross Wallace karate kicked Jordan Clarke and did not even receive a talking to.
Murphy had to make a great save in the 33rd minute to prevent a good run as City clearly showed that not every player was up for the battle that a game of this magnitude needed.
Murphy saved with his feet to keep City in the game and although they forced two more corners, it was no surprise that some of the City support booed the players off.
With news that Bristol City and Doncaster were winning, half-time was probably one of the most depressing times I have witnessed whilst watching the Sky Blues in years.
The second half kicked off and saw the City fans trying to break a new record for how long they could sing "Twist N Shout".
The song was ended when Andy Thorn went for a triple substitution in the 56th minute, sending on Christie, Platt and Bigirimana for the hapless Bell who looked nowhere near fit, Jordan Clarke who had taken a knock and Alex Nimely who was not enjoying any service up front.
The trio had been on for ten minutes when the away end went absolutely mental when Clive Platt rose to direct a header in the back of the net.
The City support urged the Sky Blues on but in the 72nd minute, Cyrus Christie was sent crashing by a horrendous tackle in front of the Main Stand not far from the home dug out patrolled by Eddie Howe.
Oliver Norwood filled in a right back as the solid as ever Keogh drew huge cheers when he sent a ball onto the roof of the main stand.
Down to ten men, City were unable to get the ball to the forwards and get the victory they needed, with Joe Murphy wven resulting to abusing supporters who told him to hurry up in order to avoid a yellow card which he got, and had to settle for a point which keeps them in the Championship for another game.
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