COVENTRY CITY 0-0 WALSALL
CIty: Allsop, Webster, Johnson, Pennington, Martin, Haynes (Swanson 64), Finch, Fleck, O'Brien, Nouble (Jackson 84) Madine. Subs: Burge, C.Thomas, Swanson, Barton, Dion Kelly-Evans, Maddison.
Walsall: O'Donnell, Purkiss, Taylor, Downing, Chambers, Sawyers, Baxendale (Manset 75), Chambers, Cook, Grimes (Forde 61). Subs: MacGillvary, O'Connor, Flanagan, Morris, Clifford.
Referee R.Clark
Mascot James Martin
HT CCFC 0-0 WFC FT CCFC 0-0 WFC
ATT 8076
Goals None
Booked Finch
____________________
In a game that will be instantly forgotten Coventry City took a 0-0 draw at home to Walsall.
On the final Saturday of November, Coventry City took on Walsall at The Ricoh Arena at the end of a week, where we learned that there will be a new pitch at the Ricoh Arena, Reda Johnson apparently lost his captaincy due to having the wrong coloured urine and Matt Pennington had come in on a Youth loan whilst Shaun Miller, who was only signed by Steven Pressley in the summer, had gone out on loan to Crawley.
The Sky Blues had also managed to extend the loan of Gary Madine and he started in a City side that included Matt Pennington but was pretty much as expected.
Also as expected was the low turn out of City supporters and it was noticeable how quiet it was getting into the Ricoh Arena.
It was a pretty tentative start with Walsall seemingly having no problem in passing the ball on a pitch which was cutting up badly from the start.
Playing the ball on the deck from a Fleck error, allowed Romaine Sawyers to have the first of the game in the eighth minute which he sent high into the North Stand.
Two minutes later and Walsall had a corner which was easily cleared by the City defence which had Pennington making some good runs from right.
In the thirteen minute, Reda Johnson in sky blue gloves, won a header and then got forward to fire across the goal.
Now, not a a lot of people know that that Michael Cain had a shot from long range go wide as did James Baxendale.
Steven Pressley with his little book in his left hand was bawling out something incomprehensible to his players who were holding a Saddlers side that looked the more attack minded.
Jordan Cook curled followed after getting the ball from a neat bit of skill by Taylor before City won a 25th minute free kick.
A minute later and Pressley and MacFarlane quite right fumed at the assistant on the Main Stand side when Gary Madine was hauled down by James Chambers in the penalty area.
After some acting by Cain got Pennington a talking to from referee Mr Clark, City won a corner
Cain fired inches wide of the North Stand goal and O'Brien had a shot pushed away for a corner but there was no goals at half-time for the fifth time.
O'Brien sent over a cracking cross early in the second half as Darren Murray continued to come off the bench and bawl at players.
Sawyers forced Allsop into a good save and Jordan Cook fired wide in the 54th minute.
City went straight up the other end and won a corner thanks to Madine whilst under the scoreboard, those City supporters with lights on their phones tried to brighten up the game.
Nouble fired wide to a chorus of groans from the main stand did little to brighten up the game so Pressley sent on Danny Swanson for Ryan Haynes.
Swanson was straight on to win a 66th minute corner which was followed by another. The ball came out to Fleck, his shot was parried and then the ball was cleared again this time, Madine headed at O'Donnoll.
This brought both sets of supporters to life and in the 72nd minute, Pennington came up to head wide.
With fifteen minutes left, former City player Mathieu Manset came on for Baxendale and boos from some of the City support.
The Saddlers won a corner that Chambers headed wide from. A minute later, Madine won a corner. That failed so Simeon Jackson came on for Frank Nouble.
Time was ticking away as Walsall won two corners after Manset had showed why he was bombed out by Pressley by first giving the ball back to Allsop and then falling over.
That was about it and the final whistle was a relief.