COVENTRY CITY 2-2 PORT VALE
City: Murphy, Christie, Adams, Clarke, Willis, Fleck, Baker, Petrasso (Moussa 58), Thomas (Marshall 75), Akpom (Delfounseo 51), Wilson. Subs: Burge, Webster, McGeouch, Barton, Marshall.
Port Vale: Neal, Yates, Dickinson, Lines. Williamson (Griffith 84) Grimmer, Duffy, Knott, Myrie-Williams, Pope, Loft. Subs: Johnson, Jones, Robertson, Dodds, Tomlins, Birchall.
HT CCFC 0-1 PVFC FT CCFC 2-2 PVFC Att 1,627
Goals Doug Loft 37 seconds, Ben Williamson 73, Jordan Clarke 79, Callum Wilson 91
Referee R.Lewis
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Coventry City recovered from a poor start to snatch a draw against Port Vale with a late goal.
Port Vale boss Micky Adams, a man who is in the running for City supporter of the year for the amount of times, he has seen the club he both played for and managed, hit the nail firmly on the head this week when he said that he would have liked this game to be played in Coventry preferably at the Ricoh Arena.
Granted, it was a lovely sunny day but it would have still been better to play this game in our city than at a stadium which has seen redevelopment work start on it.
For one thing, City might have had some support as it was embarrassing that there was more for games involving Maidstone, Sutton United and Grimsby Town yesterday than bothered to go into Sixfields or was one of those standing on the hill.
The bearded Tim Fisher, former Vice Chairman John Clarke, former City defender Ian Butterworth, Sandra Garlick and a heap of scouts and assessors, saw a changed City side which had Cyrus Christie and Blair Adams back in the defence and Chuba Akpom up front, picking the ball out of the net after only 37 seconds when a mistake left in Doug Loft to lift the ball over Joe Murphy.
Callum Wilson went up the other end and had a shot saved by former City trialist Chris Neal before there were chances for Fleck and Baker.
There was more encouragement for the Sky Blues from the City support towards the side managed by Stephen Pressley, today wearing, a greyish black coat and brown shoes.
Akpom, back in the side until Arsenal Youth team’s next game, toe poked at Neal from a Wilson cross whilst at the other end, Jordan Clarke, who had a fine game at centre half, made a great block to stop an attack from the left.
As Moussa, Delfounseo and Marshall were sent out to warm up to good applause in the 20th minute, Port Vale, playing with a set game plan of closing down City’s midfield, won a corner and a free kick.
A free kick in the 28th minute annoyed Steven Pressley so much that he took umbrage with the fourth official along with Neil Macfarlane. Their protests did nothing and the place kick led to Joe Murphy having to make a great save to push over and concede a corner.
City’s defenders were not touch tight on their markers for long periods of the first half, allowing Loft to waste a good chance by firing over.
Vale, who included former Sky Blues loanee Richard Duffy and had former Sky Blue Chris Birchall on the bench, attacked again and a header down was kicked away before the referee, who booked Akpom for simulation, blew for the foul that everyone in the ground saw.
Just before the break, a Vale free kick turned to a corner, provoking one from the corporate area in the centre of the main stand at Sixfields to advise Steven Pressley that some height at the back was required.
With City a goal down and not playing particularly well, the mood was not good amongst the City support and a group of five supporters confronted Tim Fisher, who quickly got his minders in, at the break as the Sky Blue Song by Ted Heath's orchestra blasted out.
The rest of what was the second lowest home gate of the season, starting lambasting the referee for letting Port Vale re-take a 47th minute free kick after a City corner had been cleared.
The abuse of the referee was still going on as Nathan Delfounseo came on. There were a few comments made by some in the corporate area, probably due to articles over the last few days, in which his fitness and commitment levels were commented upon by the manager, which caused Delfousneo to turn round and glare at the crowd, before he replaced Chuba Akpom.
Two corners were won but nothing resulted, so Pressley sent on Franck Moussa for Michael Petrasso who had tried but was not enjoying much success in his last game unless a deal with QPR can be struck.
On the hour mark, a superb tackle from Richard Duffy, playing for a Vale side that had Robert Page out in the technical area more times than Micky Adams, denied Blair Adams .
Six minutes later and the City support fumed at the referee as Conor Thomas was adjudged to have shoved his opponent.
With seventeen minutes to go, the ranting and raging turned to groans when Richard Duffy crossed from the left and Ben Williamson forced the ball over the line as Joe Murphy watched on.
It would have been easy to think it was game over at this point but today, the Sky Blues had a bit of spirit left in them and they had some hope when they were given a 79th free kick which saw two Vale players cautioned. When Baker's kick came over, there was Jordan Clarke unmarked to head into the net.
Baker had two chances on goal and Blair Adams tried a forty yarder but in the first minute of the fifth added on, Callum Wilson raced through from a Marshall pass and scored from an acute angle and the Sky Blues had come back to earn a point.