ROTHERHAM UNITED 1-3 COVENTRY CITY
City:Murphy, Adams, Webster, Willis, Christie, Thomas (Barton 90), Daniels, Baker, Moussa (Phillips 88), L. Clarke, Wilson (Dagnall 75). Subs: Burge, Phillips, Haynes, Urquhart, Barton, Garner.
Rotherham United: Collin (GK), Bradley, Arnason, Morgan (C), Skarz, Agard, Frecklington, Milson (O'Connor 62), Tavernier, Revell, Vuckic.
Subs: Shearer (GK), Brindley, Mills, Worrall, Tubbs, Tidser.
HT RUFC 1-0 CCFC FT RUFC 1-3 CCFC ATT 9154
Goals Joe Skarz 33, Carl Baker pen 70 & 104, Joe Skarz Own Goal 85
Ref G.Sutton Booked Christie Sent Off Morgan
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Coventry City started 2014 by coming back to snatch a 3-1 victory at Rotherham in one of the most dramatic games in years.
The first game of 2014 was the same as the first game of 2005,which was a trip to Rotherham United.
Instead of visiting a Millmoor stadium which had plenty of character, the City support which travelled on a wet, miserable day from as far as Germany, went a couple of hundred yards from Millmoor to New York in down town Rotherham for their first visit of a New York Stadium that is now celebrating its second season.
Inside a ground that looks impressive on three sides, City manager Steven Pressley made three changes from the team that drew with Oldham on Sunday. Jordan Willis came in for the suspended Danny Seaborne, with Billy Daniels and Franck Moussa also in.
The Millers were the first to attack with a header from Ravell over in the second minute. City went up the other end and Blair Adams hit the far post with a thumping shot that rebounded back.
In the sixth minute, Carl Baker had to concede a corner and when the ball came back, Joe Murphy dived to his right to push away a Milsom twenty yarder.
Another great save came in the 11th minute when Murphy pushed over a Tavernier shot and then used his legs to block two minutes.
Tavernier fired wide in the 20th minute as the rain came down this time a lot heavier. The Millers attacked again and Murphy made another great save to deny Frecklington.
Tavernier delivered a corner that thankfully did not get the touch it needed before there was another corner for a Millers team, who looked clearly up for this game, followed in the 25th minute.
With City having to rely on goalkeeper Joe Murphy to hoof the ball up as their best form of attack, the City supporters turned on the referee for not punishing some of the fouls that were being committed.
In the 33rd minute, a free kick to the Millers saw a player run off and Joe Skarz drill the ball into the net.
Steven Pressley was quite rightly furious with the standard of officiating and was sent to the stand, after another shove on Wilson inside the area went unpunished, leaving the City support to boo off the referee Mr Sutton and his assistants at the start of an interval which saw former Sky Blue Andy Williams wheeled out for a chat.
City were far more positive when they trotted out for the second half and were straight on the attack winning two corners inside the opening minute of the second half.
Chants of "Go For It City" boomed out of the away end but lacking any width and playing down the centre third of the pitch, things were going to be tough, unless, things could be changed.
The Sky Blues were handed two 51st minute corners only for possession to to be twice conceded.
Christie flashed a cross wide and a 56th minute free kick for City led to Baker taking a corner. That along with a cross was headed away by Craig Morgan, who for me, had an excellent game.
Steve Evans sent on Michael O'Connor as the Millers continued to limit the amount of ball that Callum Wilson had.
In the 67th minute, Carl Baker fired wide following a collision between a defender and keeper.
Three minutes later and Baker had the ball in the net and the 1,198 City supporters were going mental when Morgan brought down Wilson and was promptly sent off. After consulting his assistant, Mr Sutton awarded a penalty and Carl Baker stepped up and stroked the ball to Collin's right to get City back in the match..
There was seventeen minutes remaining when Callum Wilson went down and landed on his right shoulder. Wilson got to his feet but was helped off by City's physio Dave Hart and Chris Dagnall came on.
Moussa drove across the area with ten to go before Dagnall won a corner.
Collin pulled off a great save from Christie. That led to a corner. The ball came in and was flicked on by Franck Moussa and went in off a defender.
The away end went absolutely mental. Who actually scored- the City support were initially uncertain but what the goal did was to put City in front with five minutes left.
The every game occurrence of Franck Moussa being substituted took place in the 88th minute and saw Aaron Phillips come on.
A minute later and there was the worrying sight of a stretcher being called for Conor Thomas who was out cold.
Play was held up, taking the game past the hundred minute mark as Thomas, looking in a bad way and not having moved all the time he was on the deck, was taken off to a standing ovation from the City support and good applause from the home fans.
The drama was far from over and Rotherham won a penalty but Joe Murphy pulled off a brilliant save diving to his left to block O'Connor's spot kick and it was cleared for a corner.
With no keeper back due to Collin having come up for the flag kick, Carl Baker tried his luck inside his own half and the ball went in watched by Aaron Phillips who had ran in just in case, sparking even more scenes of jubilation amongst a City support, who today certainly had value for money from a highly dramatic game.