Stevenage Pour More Misery On City

Last updated : 09 November 2012 By Kev Monks at Ricoh Arena

COVENTRY CITY 1-2 STEVENAGE FC
SUN SEP 9 At Ricoh Arena, Coventry
League One
City: Murphy, Hussey (McDonald 75), Clarke, Wood, Edjenguele, Baker, Barton (Thomas 70), Jennings, Kilbane (c), Elliott (Ball 85), McGoldrick
Subs: Dunn (GK), Brown, McSheffrey, Daniels

Stevenage: Day, Gray, Charles, Ashton (N'Gala 46), Grant, Dunne, Akins, Roberts (c), Freeman, Agyemang (Haber 63), Shroot (Risser 46)
Subs: Arnold (GK), Tansey, Comminges, Lopez,

HT CCFC 1-1 SFC FT CCFC 1-2 SFC
ATT 9,458
Goals David McGoldrick (10), Robin Shroot (20), Marcus Haber (69)
Booked Kilbane, Baker, Gray, Jennings, Elliott
Referee Craig Pawson Assts K.Mattocks & R. Jones. Fth Official C.Boyeson
Man of The Match - David McGoldrick took the votes
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CITY SUPPORT: Considering this was live on tv, a good turn out with City supporters from as far away as Northern Ireland.
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CITY TEAM NEWS: Four changes were made to the side which beat Burton on penalties.
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WEATHER .A lovely sunny warm day.
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Coventry City are due to start interviewing potential managers tomorrow but who is going to want to work with a bunch of players who again demonstrated any lacking of passion, desire and committment, by going down to a 2-1 home defeat to Stevenage FC.

Richard Shaw who is understood to be one of the nine on the possible candidates to replace Andy Thorn got Adam Barton back from international duty and made four changes to the side that had beaten Burton on penalties on Tuesday for the first ever game against Stevenage FC, now without the likes of Craig Reid and Lawrie Wilson who left in the summer.

Considering this game was live on tv, there was a good turn out to see City attack the CT Stand for the first half and the Sky Blues, who were looking for their first win in League One, went straight on the attack.

Elliott, just missed a first minute Clarke cross and three minutes later, William Edjenguele fired wide at the back post from a corner, with another following.

In the seventh minute, City had the ball in the net when Day flapped and McGoldrick fired home. Only for the whistle to go for a foul on the one time City trialist Chris Day.

Then City attacked and in the tenth minute, David McGoldrick, got some space on the edge of the area and sent a terrific right footed looping twenty yarder high into the net.

Kilbane and Baker were booked by a referee who seemed not to know what the word consistent meant before Barton had a shot from inside the area blocked.

The Sky Blues have had a major problem in keeping a lead and in the 20th minute it happened again. The visitors in their third season as members of the Football League levelled when an attack down the left saw Joe Murphy only able to push away a Freeman shot and Robin Shroot banged home to delight the 461 members of the noisy away support.

Stephen Elliott had a goal ruled out for offside which it did not look from my view in the ground or according to those watching on TV around the world before Stevenage who looked good on the attack and hit a post just after the half hour mark to win a corner.

There was a nasty collision involving Richard Wood who returned, complete with bandage around his head and Ashton who went down the tunnel to seek urgent medical attention.

Baker fired wide and Gray was booked as the half came to a close.

Gary Smith made a double change with Ashton unable to resume, at the break in what was a slow to start second half.

On the hour mark, the game picked up with Day pushing away a McGoldrick header and a couple of chances.

Marcus Haber, who had only come on in the 63rd minute, missed in the 68th minute and then a minute later, some poor defending Charles in for a shot which Murphy stood tall and pushed away for a corner. That came in and with Barton asleep, Haber was able to head home, a knocked on header with ease from four yards.

Shaw sent on Conor Thomas in his first game back since being injured by Gary Deegan's parting gesture and replaced Chris Hussey with Cody McDonald.

Again, there were a few boos for Hussey from the East Stand and with five minutes remaining, Shaw, who had been passionless on the bench, made his last change bringing on Callum Ball.

Thankfully, the final whistle came and what had been another unacceptable ninety minutes of the product that Coventry City are trying to pass off as football came to an end.