SCUNTHORPE UNITED 2-1 COVENTRY CITY
City: Allsop, Willis, Webster (Miller 71), Clarke, Johnson (Sent off 23), Thomas (Swanson 67) Fleck, Haynes, Jackson (Hines 41), O'Brien, Nouble. Subs; Burge, Pugh, Miller. Phillips, Tudgay.
Scunthorpe: Olejnik, O'Neill, Liera, Canavan, Williams, Hawkridge (Adelakin 54), Sparrow, McAllister, McSheffrey (Myrie-Williams 81), Madden, Taylor (Kee 87). Subs: Weaver, Dawson, Boyce, Sutton.
HT SUFC 1-1 CCFC FT SUFC 2-1 CCFC ATT 2866
Goals Frank Nouble 16, Paddy Madden 37, Lyle Taylor 62
Referee M.Haywood
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Coventry City played for seventy minutes with ten men before going down to a 2-1 defeat at Scunthorpe United.
After two games back at the Ricoh Arena, it was two games on the road for the Sky Blue Army in the space of four days and the first was a trip to Lincolnshire to face Scunthorpe United.
A easy trip via the scenic route on a sunny September afternoon saw us arrive in plenty of time to catch up with some of the 359 strong City support including supporters from Newcastle, Nottingham, Kent, Southampton and the Midlands.
The City team was pretty much as expected with SImeon Jackson was brought in for Josh McQuoid, who had suffered concussion in the win against Yeovil Town on Saturday.
Playing for Scunthorpe and captaining The Irons was Gary McSheffrey and the former City player was straight on the attack winning a corner in the opening seconds with a shot that Allsop beat away.
City, in all white, won a corner at the other end against a Scunthorpe side who had McSheffrey, cheered by the City support, force Johnson into conceding a sixth minute flag kick.
Two minutes later and a McSheffrey free kick hit the wall before Madden fired wide after a Conor Thomas pass at the other end had been astray.
In the sixteenth minute, the City supporters were going mad when Frank Nouble ran through and cooly fired past Olejnik to give City the lead.
Seven minutes later and the City support were going mad but for a diffierent reason when Reda Johnson was sent off for a headbutt on Taylor, who, somehow escaped a caution for his part in the incident.
Ryan Haynes drew applause for a great defensive block before McAllister fired over and a Scunthorpe corner was dealt with by the referee who gave City a free kick and then one for the Iron's which saw the City support implying that Mr Haywood was not up to the standard required or words to that effect.
In the 37th minute. Scunthorpe were level when McSheffrey, looking offside, crossed for Paddy Madden to stroke home unmarked from twenty yards.
Jim O'Brien had an effort on goal before Pressley made a 41st minute change bringing on Seb Hines for Simeon Jackson, who again was playing out of position.
At half-time, the talk was all about the referee who had been met with chants of "You're Not Fit To Referee" from the City fans as a bad foul by Sparrow went unpunished.
Halftime came and went with no changes and the ten men took to the field, attacking the end where the City support were.
The 52nd booking of McAllister brought a massive cheer from the City fans who were delighting in ironic cheers every time City got a free kick as well belting out the Sky Blue Song.
On the hour mark. Allsop saved and a McSheffrey corner went across the goal. That served only as a marker for Scunthorpe as in their next attack, City stood and watched as a cross from the right by Madden fell for Lyle Taylor who would not even been on the pitch had the referee taken the correct decisions, to power a close range header into the net.
For the last twenty three minutes, Danny Swanson replaced Conor Thomas in midfield for a City team which was standing off far too much but defending bravely.
Unfortunately, they were not threatening the Scunthorpe goal and Steven Pressley, tonight in a red hoodie, decided to go for it and sent on Shaun Miller for defender Andy Webster against a Scunthorpe side whose home form is better than their away form.
With nine minutes left, Gary McSheffrey, who picked up all the man of the match trophies, clapped the City support who in turn gave him a standing ovation before roaring the team on in the hope of getting an equaliser.
Jim O'Brien fired across the face of the goal and City had two later corners but unfortunately, there was no equalising goal and the Sky Blues are still to win an away league game this since March.