Ten Man Coventry City Come Back To Draw

Last updated : 24 February 2018 By CNS Sport
Mansfield Town 1-1 Coventry City 
 
Coventry City: Burge, Grimmer, Willis, Haynes, McDonald, Bayliss, Doyle, Kelly, (Hyam 21), Shipley, McNulty, (Ponticelli 67), Clarke-Harris (Biamou 80). Subs; O'Brien, Stokes, Vincenti, Reid
 
Mansfield: Logan, Bennett, Benning, Pearce, Anderson, Potter, King (Mellis 79),, McDonald. Hamilton. Rose. Hemmings (Miller 74). Subs; Olejnik, Diamond,.Atkinson, Spencer, Pentney
 
Goals: Kane Hemmngs 15,  Jonson Clarke-Harris 69 pen
 
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Att 6,105

Coventry City had ten men but came back to take a point at Mansfield Town.

Back after the FA Cup exit friendly and the Sky Blues were off to Mansfield Town, sitting tenth in the League Two table.

The City support snapped up every available ticket for a game at "The Oldest Professional Football Ground In The World" as it said in the stand opposite where the City support were housed in what is a three sided stadium that offered good views of the local area.

Mark Robins had Rod McDonald and Michael Doyle back for City in their Sky Blue kit, who lined up for a minute's silence for the two Coventry children tragically killed on Thursday afternoon in the Stoke area of Coventry.

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City attacked the far end and were straight on the attack winning two corners inside the opening three minutes with a Clarke-Harris header saved.

Following two minute's applause from the City support which included supporters from Germany, the game came to live in the 13th minute when Jordan Willis was sent off for a foul he had no choice but to give in order to prevent a goal as the Mansfield forward was clean through.

That led to a free kick in the D and in Alex MacDonald's effort went after taking a number of deflections with Kane Hemmings being credited with the goal.

Jack Grimmer moved over to centre half before Mark Robins took off Liam Kelly and brought on Dominic Hyam in the 21st minute

Rod McDonald headed at Logan and the home side headed over from a corner.

Clarke-Harris, was as lively as ever for Citt and had another effort denied by Logan for a 34th minute corner which came to nothing.

As did another in the 38th minute which was cleared up to Hemmings who ran through and was stopped by Burge with his legs.

Hemmings missed with an absolute free header before a half ended and the referee was booed off by some of the City support.

Mansfield had the first corner of the second half and then proceeded to look for a decision every time a player went down.

Tom Bayliss continued to run himself into the ground for a City side that was allowing the Stags way too much room down the left flank.

Burge saved from Hemmings before Jordan Ponticelli came on for Marc McNulty, who had been well marked all afternoon.

In the 68th minute., Ryan Haynes got through and hit a shot which Logan pushed away off the post. City attacked again and somehow were awarded a penalty when Jonson Clarke-Harris who was already falling went down. It did not look a penalty but none of the City supporters cared as Jonson Clarke-Harris stepped up and fired powerfully into the net.

With the City support joining in with a minute's applause for someone from Mansfield who had sadly passed away, there was little difference between the two sides.

Clarke-Harris took a knock and was replaced for the last ten minutes by Max Biamou in a game which saw Burge making a good save from an 82nd minute MacDonald free kick.

Biamou won City a corner as a chorus of "If we score we are on the pitch" worried the local police and stewards, who had been using dogs trained to sniff out explosives to stop City supporters, who face a three year ban from the Ricoh Arena, from bringing any into the ground.

None were let off and whilst the Mansfield defence panicked at times, Coventry City were able to end their run of losing games with a point.

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