COVENTRY CITY 1-1 OLDHAM ATHLETIC
City: Burge, Willis (Odelusi 79),Pennington, Johnson, Stokes, Fleck, Ward, Barton (Maddison 56), O'Brien (Jackson 66) Nouble, Proschwitz. Subs: Charles-Cook, Conor Thomas, Phillips, Martin,
Oldham: Coleman, Brown, Kelly, Jones, Poleon (Morgan-Smith 76), Philliskirk, Winchester (Kusunga 84), J.Wilson, Lockwood, Turner
(Murphy 66). B. Wilson. Subs: Kean, Elokobi, Mellis, Wilkinson.
HT CCFC 0-1 OAFC
FT CCFC 1-1. OAFC
ATT 7,256
Goals Danny Philliskirk 13, Reda Johnson 91
Referee A.Madley
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Reda Johnson left it late to snatch Coventry City a point against Oldham Athletic at the Ricoh Arena.
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On the evening of what had been a gloriously sunny day in Coventry, the Sky Blues took on Oldham Athletic still needing a win at least to avoid being dragged into the relegation zone.
Tony Mowbray fielded an unchanged team for the game which saw City attacking the North Stand for the first half.
What few supporters including a City supporter from Northern Ireland, there were in the ground, with some stuck on the M6 due to a person on the bridge at Corley Services, were quite noisy as Nick Proschwitz had a shot deflected for a sixth minute corner.
Ward slipped a ball forwards two minutes later, Reda Johnson headed it down and Proschwitz hit Coleman's left hand post with a header when he had the whole goal to aim at.
In the thirteenth minute, the 106 Oldham fans I had counted in the away end, although the official figure given was 156 were celebrating when the Latics had a free kick and Danny Philliskirk was left unmarked at the back to score.
Oldham won a seventeenth minute corner which Proschwitz headed away.
City's midfield which had Grant Ward playing some good balls combined to set up Jim O'Brien which was beaten away by Coleman and led to the first of two corners and a penalty shout when Chris Stokes was sent flying.
Fleck got in a 25th minute twenty yard shot that Coleman again dived to push away for a corner.
Following some good ball handling from one of the main stand stewards who was having more touches of the ball than some of the players, Nouble won a corner on the half hour mark which Coleman flapped away.
Grant Ward got a shot on the turn from distance at Coieman and James Wilson fired over before the Sky Blues won a 36th minute corner as Tony Mowbray stood with his hands in his pockets looking on from his technical area.
A poor refereeing decision saw Chris Stokes booked and Oldham end up with a free kick and then a 42nd minute corner which thankfully went well wide.
Nouble won a corner in the two minutes that were added on by a referee that clearly thought that he was the star of the show.
Tony Mowbray, exchanged words with the fourth official, as the second half got underway, in a game watched by a good number of scouts including West Ham's assistant manager and some agents, as well as Marcus Hall in the press box.
Grant Ward had the first chance of the second half when he fired over in the 47th minute for a City side which needed a lift.
That lift came in the form of City supporters who started to make some noise. With chants of "Sky Blue Army" the City support tried to lift the team which had Jordan Willis sent over a 51st minute cross that Coleman had to deal with.
Oldham won a corner as a massive "Sky Blue Song" boomed out from the City support, some of whom were using the lights on their phones before James Maddison, who scored in the 4-1 defeat at Oldham was sent for Adam Barton.
City won a corner but with Mr Madley not spotting a shirt pull on Nouble, the Sky Blues were again denied a possible penalty.
Simeon Jackson came on for Jim O'Brien who gave the captains armband to Reda Johnson to lead a City side for the last twenty three minutes, which was starting to give Joel Coleman in the Latics goal, a bit more work to do.
Jackson could only toe poke for Coleman to dive onto and Connor Brown made a right fool of himself with two poor balls before Mowbray used his last substitute by sending on Samni Odelusi for Jordan Wiilis.
Murphy was booked for a foul and John Fleck swung in a free kick which James Maddison got to and then fired in a shot which went for a corner.
Winchester certainly did not get off like a shot when he was replaced by Kusunga.
Kelly joined the list of those in the book and gave City a free kick which ended up with Proschwitz heading wide.
Jones was booked and Nouble fired over, whilst Steve Ogrizovic aand Neal MacFarlane both remonstrated with the fourth official who announced six minutes of added time.
In that time, City attacked and there was Reda Johnson to head in an equaliser, sparking of scenes of jubilation which included one individual getting all the way down to the Oldham bench and giving it the biggie, before the stewards appeared.
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Ward and Proschwitz wasted too good chances by firing wide as City got the important point they deserved which would have been three if the standard of refereeing had been better from one of the best home performances since Tony Mowbray took charge.
This match report is dedicated to the memory of the mum of one of my best friend's, who sadly passed away over the weekend. RIP Mrs Payne.