GILLINGHAM 4-2 COVENTRY CITY
City: Murphy, Clarke, Wills, Webster, Seaborne, Thomas, Fleck, Moussa (Marshall 81), Petrasso (Adams 27) Delfounseo (Baker 70), Wilson. Subs Christie, Baker, McGeouch, Burge, Barton.
Gillingham: Nelson, Martin, Legge, Weston, Gregory, Lee (Linquizi 70), Barnet, Hewitt, Hessenthaler (Davies 92), Akinfenwa (Fagan 77) McDonald. Subs, Dack, Borrowdale, Piggott, Baxter.
HT GFC 1-0 CCFC FT GFC 4-2 CCFC ATT 5447
Goals Bayo Akinfenwa pen 24 & 73 Callum Wilson pen 50, Myles Weston 55, Carl Baker pen 82, Jake Hessenthaler 90
Referee Darren Sheldrake.
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Ten man Coventry City went down to a penalties ridden 4-2 defeat at Gillingham.
Going back to the 1920's, City have lost the last nine away games before they are due to face Port Vale at home or what ground passes for a playing venue under the current owners whose kidnapping of the club and holding it captive out of the city until they can either get the Ricoh Arena at a price they want or get a new stadium built if they can find anyone to sell them some land, yet again at a price they want to pay for it.
Add into to this, manager Steven Pressley’s concerns about his side’s away form and the Sky Blues final midweek away game of the season, a trip to Gillingham was always going to be a difficult one.
For the City support, those who wondered why it was only £15 in advance for a ticket soon found out why when they discovered the prospect of sitting out in open bleacher seating.
However, it was not a bad night weather-wise and there was City supporters from London and the south, plus two coaches and a few car loads from Coventry who made it to Kent to see Franck Moussa back for a City side playing in sky blue with navy blue socks.
It was Moussa, who had the first chance of the evenng for City when he fired on to the roof of the net and also in the opening exchanges, former Sky Blue Cody McDonald managed to shoot well wide.
Andy Webster has been all over the place at Colchester and tonight it was Danny Seaborne who was all at sea, as he conceded two corners in the 18th minute and watched as Legge headed over a third over.
In the 21st minute, Wilson fired over. Gillingham went down the other end and Danny Seaborne tangled with McDonald, after initially getting on the wrong side of him. A penalty was awarded but at the insistence of Cody McDonald, who was leading the calls, Seaborne was sent off by Mr Shelldrake.
The portly Bayo Akinfenwa, stepped up sending Joe Murphy the wrong way and City were a goal down.
Steven Pressley lept into action and sent on Blair Adams for Michael Petrasso, which was a shame as this is likely to be Petrasso's last game for City unless a new loan can be agreed.
Adams was lively, even getting booked for getting stuck in and he helped to lift a City side which won two corners and Delfounseo flicking wide before Cody McDonald had a goal ruled out in stoppage time for offside, following a corner conceded by Jordan Clarke who had been first to pick up the captain’s armband when it was disgarded by the red carded Seaborne.
The ten men came out positively for the second half and with some good backing from the City support, they attacked through Callum Wilson, who was sent crashing in the 50th minute. Should the Gillingham defender been red carded as well? One could have argued that all night but Mr Shelldrake took no action other than awarding a penalty which Callum Wilson stepped up and scored to put City back on level.
Unfortunately, less than five minutes later and City were behind again when some poor midfield play from a City midfield and then the defence, allowed Myles Weston all the time he wanted to steer a free header at the far post past Joe Murphy.
It would have been easy just to have given up but the Sky Blues kept fighting with Blair Adams enjoying some freedom on the left flank and in the 61st minute, Adams had a shot from the left pushed round for a corner.
Jordan Clarke was next to test Nelson with a free kick which Nelson, who was being accused by some of the 268 City supporters of having an odour problem and lacking in friends, punched away.
Moussa and Thomas, then had chances as the pressure from City continued.
Any hope of getting anything from the game looked to have ended when Gillingham were awarded a 73rd penalty for a Webster shove. Again, Bayo Akinfenwa found it all too easy to score from the penalty spot.
But that was not the last penalty awarded by Mr Sheldrake as Wilson got through in the 82nd minute and was fouled. This time, Carl Baker, who had come on for Nathan Delfounseo, scored with the resulting penalty kick and set up the grandstand finish that the City supporters wanted.
However into the final minute of normal time. Joe Murphy came out thirty yards out of his goal and headed one chance away. The ball fell to Jake Hessenthaler, son of Andy, what looked about ten yards further towards the goal City were attacking and he lobbed into the empty net from 40 yards to send City to a 4-2 defeat and their fourth consecutive away loss