COVENTRY CITY 1-1 SWANSEA CITY BY KEV MONKS
TEAM
Westwood, Wright (Osbourne 33, Hall 45+1), Dann, Ward, Fox, Doyle,Simpson, Beuzelin (Gunnarsson 69), Eastwood, Morrison, Mifsud. SNU Marshall, Best
SWANSEA
De Vrries, Rangel, Monk, Bessone, Gomez, Tudor-Jones,Pratley, Gower (Butler 90), Scotland (Bauza 79), Pintado SNU Krysiak, Tate, MacDonald
HT CCFC 0-0 SCFC FT CCFC 1-1 SCFC
ATT 15,149
GOALS Jordi Gomez (67), Danny Fox (86)
REFEREE M.Haywood
BOOKED Fox, Beuzelin
MAN OF THE MATCH Michael Mifsud and Freddie Eastwood shared the votes.
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STARTING LINE-UP
Chris Coleman named the same team which started at Sheffield Wednesday. Jay Tabb was added to the bench but was still suffering from flu and sent home.
Swansea boss Roberto Martinez was not allowed to play Dimi Konstanopolous who is on loan at the Liberty Stadium until December 28th.
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Coventry City earned their first home point for a month with a late goal against Swansea City.
On a bitterly cold night at the Ricoh Arena, there was hope that the Sky Blues could get something against a hard working Swansea side who have done well so far in their first season back in the Championship for a few years and it was a hope that came to fruition as for the first half an hour, the Sky Blues played some good football.
Michael Mifsud, on the right was always a threat as City attacked the CT Stand in the first half. A low cross from the Maltese international after a through ball from Beuzelin caused an initial panic in the visiting defence and won a fifth miute corner.
Elliott Ward fired at the keeper from the resulting flag kick. This was cleared. The ball came back to Eastwood. A shot had De Vries whose facial mask made him look like something out of Silence Of The Lambs, fumbling. Clinton Morrison, was first to the loose ball and banged it into the net only to be ruled out for offisde by the flag happy chappy on the Tesco Stand side-line.
Mifsud dragged a shot across the face of the goal and then found Eastwood to supply a great cross for Morrison to head wide in the ninth minute.
Although,some of the passing in the final third was not brilliant, it was still better than what had been seen in the last two home games and the City support, some of whom would have seen calling cards in the Tesco Stand toilets advising them that "only w&nkers boo their own players", were reacting accordingly with applause and encouragement.
Danny Fox over hit a couple of corners and then earned himself a 20th minute booking which will see him miss the game at Reading on Monday night.
City's best chance (after the disallowed goal) came in the 23rd minute when Robbie Simpson who looked less than comfortable on the left side of midfield, got in a drive that was heading for the top corner before De Vries dived to his right to push for a corner.
Fredrico Bessone had a good chance for the visitors whose supporters had started the Welsh songs early on, but at the other end, Ward, Beuzelin and Doyle all had chances.
Things looked good but football has a habit of kicking you in the teeth when you least expect it and for the last fifteen minutes of the first half things went from bad to worse.
Freddie Eastwood was denied a possible penalty in the 31st minute and two minutes later, Stephen Wright who had been solid at right back pulled up and had to be replaced by Isaac Osbourne.
Swansea started to attack Osbourne who was getting sucked in, a couple of chances for the visitors came down his flank. But in the 40th minute, Osbourne went down under a tackle and his seven minnutes of action was over. He was treated off the pitch but had to be helped to his feet and slowly hobbled round the pitch from the Tesco Stand back to the changing rooms.
After Jason Scotland fired wide, Michael Mifsud twice threatened to give City a short-handed lead but his first shot was deflected for a corner and in stoppage tim, he sent the ball across the face of the goal.
Seconds before the break, Swansea born Chris Coleman decided to send on Marcus Hall, who took over the right back role.
Hall, who played at Doncaster in that position, looked in control in the second half. It was a second half that brought the City support to life with a very loud chorus of the 'Sky Blue Song' echoing round the ground as Robbie Simpson was treated in the 53rd minute.
It should have been 1-0 Coventry in the 56th minute when Guilluame Beuzelin curled wide with only the keeper to beat and then Eastwood had a shot blocked.
Even Keiren Westwood, who had done well to deny Scotland in the 59th minute, had a shot on target but in the 67th minute, he was kicking seven shades out of the left hand goalpost in frustration as Swansea took the lead.
Beuzelin was cautioned by referee Mr Haywood for a 64th minute trip and just over a minute later, he was adjudged to have tripped an opponent on the edge of the area. It look a foul from behind where I was, but others who had different angles, thought that Beuzelin had got the ball before the man.
Mr Haywood marched a four man wall back and this gave Jordi Gomez, who seemed keen to show his diving skiils, enough room to curl a free kick into the net and run round in front of the CT Stand blocks 27 and 28 before being surrounded by his jubilant grey kitted team-mates.
Chris Coleman replaced Beuzelin with Aron Gunnarsson and the Sky Blues put together a good move in the 73rd minute when a telling ball from Ward found Mifsud who had his cross cum shot hacked away.
Mark Gower (apt name for a Swansea player!) caused some concern with a curling effort. City went up the other end and got a 77th minute free kick. Fox's kick found Mifsud, again De Vries fumbled and there was Morrison to fire home. The City support jumped up but the linesman on the Main Stand side had his flag up to rule the goal out for offside.
City started to have a spell of pressure, sensing that a point at least was within their grasp and in the 86th minute, they got it. A free kick on the right side, some twenty odd yards out after Robbie Simpson had been crocked. Danny Fox took the kick and curled it high into the net.
Some of the 791 clearly riled Swansea support tried to get towards the City fans in the scoreboard but were blocked by stewards whilst on the other side of the divide, there was a surge towards the visiting fans. It ended as quickly as it started.
Clinton Morrison had a stoppage time shot hacked away but a point was all both sides took from an entertaining game.