COVENTRY CITY 1-1 SCUNTHORPE UNITED BY KEV MONKS
Team
Konstantopolous,McNamee,Ward,Turner,Hall,Tabb (Cairo 71),S.Hughes (M.Hughes 78),Doyle,McKenzie (Andrews 75),Gray,Adebola SNU Osbourne,Borrowdale
Scunthorpe
Murphy (sent off 48), Youga (sent off 83),Crosby,Logan (Taylor 46),Williams,Butler,Goodwin (Petersen 92), Cork, Hurst (Lillis 49),Forte,Hayes SNU Baraclough,Ameobi
HT CCFC 0-0 SUFC FT CCFC 1-1 SUFC
Goals Michael Doyle (pen 49), Jack Cork (67)
Referee M.J.Jones
Booked Youga X2,M.Hughes,Lillis
Att 14036
Man Of The Match Jay Tabb beat Michael Doyle in the votes
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STARTING FORMATION
Iain Dowie made three changes from the side that lost at Norwich City on Saturday. Kevin Kyle was injured,Arjan De Zeeuw was rested and Isaac Osbourne dropped to the bench, so Dowie brought in Elliott Ward,Leon McKenzie and Julian Gray.
McKenzie Adebola
Gray Doyle S.Hughes Tabb
Hall Turner Ward McNamee
Dimi
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CITY SUPPORT
To be honest, the attendance was pretty much as expected and was the lowest since we moved to the Arena. The support who were there was pretty muted not that there was much to cheer about.
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Coventry City failed to beat nine men in their first ever league game against Scunthorpe United at the Arena tonight.
With Iain Dowie making three changes from the side which performed badly at Norwich, the game took place in a largely muted atmosphere.
Again, we had to endure the chants of "Your Grounds Too Big For You" from the 600+ Scunthorpe fans sat in the away end as City looked far more livelier than they had done against Norwich but failed to show any cutting edge in front of goal in the first period.
In the passing department, City took their time to get going but when they did, Jay Tabb who ran himself into the ground and Julian Gray did get a good share of the ball.
It was the Irishman who had the best chance of the game so far in the 21st minute when he fired wiide with his right from a telling ball from Stephen Hughes.
City should have gone ahead in the 28th minute when Gray delivered a ball to Leon McKenzie in the centre of the penalty. The former Norwich striker, should have done better as he headed this gift over and wide of the goal at the Jewson Stand end.
A minute later and there was controversy. Jay Tabb skipped into the penalty and was stopped by Youga on the edge of the area. Tabb went down inside the area and referee Mr Jones blew his whistle.
"Penalty", we all shouted. However, the assistant on the East Stand side had his flag pointing out rather than across his chest. The Scunthorpe players noticed this and surrounded the referee who consulted with the fourth official before awarding a free kick out side the box which Stephen Hughes drove wide of the far post.
There was nothing of note until three minutes before the break when a great ball from Hughes found Marcus Hall on the left. The left back sent over a deep cross for Leon McKenzie to again fire wide, meaning that it is now ten consecutive games that City have not scored in the first half.
Scunthopre boss Nigel Adkins made one change at the break but three minutes in, he was forced into another change when his keeper Joe Murphy was sent off.
Leon McKenzie had flicked on for Tabb on the right of the penalty area,Murphy came flying out and sent Tabb flying and a penalty was awarded.
Josh Lillis came on in goal with Hurst having to make way and the new custodian was sent the wrong way by Michael Doyle whose penalty went into the bottom corner of the net to give City the lead.
A rare chorus of the "Sky Blue Song" echoed around the less than half full ground as yet again, City failed to make their numerical advantage count.
The Irons nearly scored in the 57th minute when a shot from Republic Of Ireland B international Jim Goodwin crashed against the bar. However, ten minutes later, it was the Scunthorpe fans who were going mental when Ward was not tight enough on Jack Cork and allowed Alan Cork's son, who scored twice against City for Chelsea Reserves last season, to fire home a Williams cross.
Jay Tabb had come off worse in a previous encounter with Goodwin, replaced by Ellery Cairo and within the space of seven minutes, Dowie used the remainder of his substitues, bringing on Michael Hughes and Wayne Andrews.
City Reserves leading scorer nearly put City ahead in the 79th minute when he flicked a header from a Cairo cross across the face of the goal and out for a goal kick.
With the City support growing increasingly more frustrated, the ten men of Scunthorpe became nine seven minutes from time.
Youga was cautioned for a foul on the Main Stand side and then less than a minute, thwarted Adebola as he ran in. Mr Jones was close at hand and made Youga see yellow then red.
With Lillis in the Scunthorpe goal clearly time-wasting (and later cautioned for it), a bicycle kick from Marcus Hall,after a Doyle corner,went over the bar and with it went any chance of a late victory.