Coventry Choke Against Stoke

By CovSid67
November 6 2005

It's all becoming so predictable, so boringly predictable. Start OK, then panic and collpase as soon as the opposition score. And with the defence as poor as it is, conceding is always on the cards...

Things started OK enough, with the news that Coventry City were playing a winger on the wing - Andy Impey (Somebody almost familiar with the role, having recently been converted to a full-back from said position). On the left side of midfield was Michael Doyle (OK, not a winger, but two wide players in the two wide positions is too much to ask for, isn't it?), and in the first few minutes he sent over a decent cross, and had a decent effort go just over the bar. Not the worst start by a somebody being played out of position I've seen this season....

A rasping drive from Hall then stung Simonsen's hands, before a clanger in the Stoke defence saw Nalis score his second goal in Coventry City colours (That's two more than our "influential" captain has managed this season....).

Adebola could and should have scored a second a few minutes later, while a scramble in the Stoke area saw three different efforts for the home side fail to hit the net. Another surging Adebola run saw his efforts finish with an effort that went wide of the post, while Duffy burst through only to disappointingly send his effort wide.

Stoke, without their first choice central defensive pairing of Broomes and Duberry, and having lost six of their last seven games, were there for the taking, with an absolute rout looking on the cards during the first 20 minutes. Then Coventry City simply stopped playing. Again.

A Stoke City corner was headed goalwards, though a good stop by Fulop denied them a goal - for a while at least.

Soon after, a decent enough looking clearance by the home defence landed at the feet of Taggart, whose low drive flew past Fulop to make the score 1-1. If the ball came to him like this 100 times I guarantee he wouldn't strike it as sweetly....

There were two more chance for Coventry City before the half-time interval, with a Hughes effort forcing Simonsen into a save, and a cross-come-shot from Adebola going out for a throw-in.

A disappointing half-time scoreline, but a few words from the boss would surely see us come out all fired up, and ready to earn our second win in five days? Wrong again. The team might have come out in body, but certainly not in mind - they were garbage....

A speculative lob from Impey forced Sorensen into a fine save early in the second half, tipping the ball over the bar for a corner. Within minutes Coventry City had conceded again.

The goal from Blackburn loan striker Gallagher was a decent enough effort, but had anybody in Sky Blue actually looked bothered about winning the ball, it would never have been allowed to happen. In fact, I can't remember a Coventry City player looking overly bothered about winning any 50-50 ball until Thornton was introduced in the 60th minute.

A fine Impey cross was headed into the side netting by Scowcroft, before the former was replaced - a decision that baffled most supporters in the ground. Davis replaced the former Leicester player, with youngster Kevin Thronton replacing Nalis - another strange decision (Which could surely only be down to match fitness?).

The final half hour saw Coventry totall lose their shape, and the match official totally lose the plot.

Within minutes of coming on, Thornton was give a half minute lecture, and within five minutes had been booked. Gallagher was also booked for an off-the-ball incident involving Thornton. When he wasn't keeping the referee busy, Thornton did actually look like one of very few Coventry players on the pitch that had a clue - but one or two against eleven is only ever going to result in one winner, and so it proved.

As if the goings on on the pitch weren't bad enough, a few jobsworth stewards started kicking out Coventry City supporters doing no harm to anybody. Numbers are dropping as it is, without people chucking out the loyal fans still paying for and suffering these sort of displays....

Having ignored the fact Stoke's defence failed to move back more than six yards for an earlier free kick, the referee did make Coventry City move a good 12+ yards from the ball. Thankfully Stoke wasted the effort.

A late free kick for Coventry City was taken by Marcus Hall, and found the head of Adebola, but his effort was saved well by Simonsen.

Woeful stuff.