retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Saturday 13 September 2003

CITY 1
Joachim 58

Wigan Athletic 1
McMillan 88

Two points dropped as Joachim Jewel not enough

A 25-yard free kick two minutes from time off the left boot of Steven McMillan denied City after Julian Joachim had earlier struck by far and away their best goal of the season to date.

Less than 12,000 fans turned out to witness the Sky Blues, who had failed to score in their last two matches, suddenly bring the game to life 13 minutes into the second half when Patrick Suffo latched onto a headed clearance by Youssef Safri before running half the length of the pitch when he eventually picked out the on-rushing JOACHIM who gleefully smacked a right foot volley into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

It was a goal good enough to enliven a dire game, especially in the first half when Wigan had the better of the chances with Geoff Horsfield twice being denied by Scott Shearer.

SBA replaced the ineffective Barrett midway through the first half in a bold move which saw McAllister brought on and the midfielders doing their best to slide balls through the Wigan defence who, although excellent in the air, were clearly lacking pace over the ground.

The luckless Andy Morrell was replaced by transfer-listed Joachim at half time and immediately the Sky Blues were lifted with Suffo going close before Joachim did break the deadlock.

City looked in little danger of ever surrendering the lead until a free kick was awarded just outside the area with just minutes remaining.

McMillan took the free kick very quickly as the Sky Blues were busy trying to organise a six man defensive wall but could only watch the ball fizz past their ears and into the top corner of the net.

There remained an excellent chance for substitute Pipe in stoppage time but he was closed down just as he had looked to have set himself whilst only 10 yards out for what would have been a dramatic winner.

MATCH STATS

CITY 1 - 1 Wigan Athletic

Goal Attempts

Coventry City 6
Wigan Athletic 7

Corners

Coventry City 3
Wigan Athletic 2

retired_trainer21

The Sky Blues Line Up

... and how they rated

Shearer 7
Whing 6
Staunton 7
Davenport 6
Konjic 7
Mansouri 7
Pead 7
Barrett 5 (McAllister 26 - 7)
Morrell 5 (Joachim 45 - 7) (goal, 58)
Suffo 7 (Pipe 81 - 6)
Safri 7

retired_trainer21

SBA talks exclusively to CM Stories

Conceding a late goal is one of the worst feelings you can experience in football - and on Saturday we paid the biggest possible penalty as two points slipped from our grasp.

In fairness it was an excellently executed free kick but as a manager I have to look at what we could have done to prevent it. Television replays and further inspection has informed me that there were so many holes in our defensive 'wall' that it was hardly worthy of such a description.

The fact that we were defending a 1-0 lead with not long to go probably added to the panic which abounded in my players as the kick was awarded. This one incident meant that Saturday turned out to be a very frustrating day for us all.

I was absolutely delighted with the way had responded after half time, they seemed pepped up and ready to take the win off a lowly Wigan side who didn't cause us many problems after we had gone in front until that late, late intervention.

Nothing can be done about it now though and we must look ahead to Saturday's game at Preston North End where I'll be looking for a response from the players who are just as angered as I am at snatching a draw from the jaws of victory.

Sky Blue News Update to follow ...

retired_trainer21

Tuesday 16 September 2003

As the season reaches the half dozen games mark, time for a more light-hearted look at the Sky Blue Scene ...

Life-long fan and regular contributor to a City fanzine, Graham Abraham gives his view from the stands ...


CET: Thanks for coming in to talk to us Graham

Graham: No problem at all

How many games do you get to in a typical Sky Blue Season??

All of them, I've got a season ticket in West Terrace Block 6 and go to all the away games, sometimes by coach and sometimes by car

That's some dedication Graham ...

It's become a way of life. I'm grateful that I'm in the kind of work to be flexible enough to go and watch a midweek game and earn enough to be able to make all the games without giving it much of a thought - I try and plan my holidays around City matches.

So you try and get away in the summer then ...

Yeah, but if ever I did something as stupid as to get married and have kids it would have to change

... you'd have to cut down on matches then ...

No, I'd have to cut down on my holidays!!!

What did you think of the appointment of current manager SBA??

I thought the club were a bit daft to take him on when there were other experienced managers available at the time.

... and have the first six games done anything to change your view on that??

Not really, it's a bit early to judge but 7 points from 6 games is hardly play-off form which is what we're looking for. The last few seasons have all been finished for us by March.

What has been the best performance of the season so far do you think??

The game against Cardiff at home, well, it's the only one we've won so it ain't as if I've got loads to choose from!! I was well gutted after Saturday against Wigan, I thought the free kick should have been brought back because the lad seemed to take it too quickly. Our wall hadn't even been set properly.

Graham, once again, thanks again for talking to us and we look forward to seeing you again when the season reaches the 12-game mark.

Cheers, and Play Up Sky Blues ...



News Updates To Follow ... plus your CET Match Report on City's game at Preston ...

retired_trainer21

Thursday 18 September 2003

SKY BLUE NEWS UPDATE

- SBA is rumoured to be vigorously stepping up his efforts to attract players to the club. He is reported, both in Warwickshire and Lancashire, to be tracking Oldham Athletic's 27-year old midfielder Paul Murray as well as keeping tabs on Marc Bircham of Queens Park Rangers.

Murray looks the more likely addition to the Sky Blues squad with Rangers likely to insist on a hefty bid to even consider releasing Bircham from Loftus Road.

SBA is looking at his own playing assets at the Ryton Training Ground, mulling over the possibility of a part-exchange deal.

Richard Shaw and Dean Gordon have not featured too heavily in SBA's first team plans thus far this season and may be offered as bait in any future deals of this nature.

- 22 year old Michael Doyle, brought in from Celtic in the summer, has grown increasingly disheartened in recent weeks at his constant omission from the first team squad. With SBA currently adopting a narrow 4-1-3-2 system in most games the side would appear to be crying out for someone who can raid down the left hand side (which would also enable more opportunities for the talented David Pipe on the right flank - he has been deployed mainly as a striker thus far).

Doyle could well fit the bill although SBA is currently over-looking the youngster, who has been playing regularly for the reserves this season.

- The Sky Blues have employed another coach - Andy Garner - his wages reported to be worth £350 per week.

- Stockport County have been in negotiations with City to loan Julian Joachim but the deal has broken down - any loan deal of interest for Joachim would need to significantly slash the Sky Blues' part of a £10,000 a week current deal, however Stockport were unwilling to increase an initial offer to pay just 10% of the player's wage.

SBA has stated that whilst Joachim is scoring goals like the screamer he scored on Saturday, he is doing more in the way of marketing himself (Joachim is currently on the transfer list) than he ever could be in joining a struggling Second Division outfit.


The Sky Blues travel to Preston and go in search of their first away victory of the season on Saturday afternoon ... don't miss the CET Match Report ... to appear here ...

retired_trainer21

MATCH REPORT from the CET

Saturday 20 September 2003

Preston North End 1
Fuller 44

CITY 0

Gould denies City their share of the spoils

A single glance at the match statistics would tell you all you needed to know in order to summarise this game. Unfortunately for City the scoreline is the only statistic which doesn't reflect favourably on them.

Former Sky Blues goalkeeper and son of two-time City manager Jonathan Gould denied them what would have been a deserved draw. He pulled off a string of fine saves, most notably a superb one handed tip around the post in injury time from Gary McAllister's fiercely struck low drive.

SBA started with unfamiliar formation. He deployed Patrick Suffo up front on his own with Julian Joachim pushing forward from the left and David Pipe, who again impressed, pushing forward from the right. With Preston playing just three at the back there seemed to be plenty of space throughout for the City wide men who were found with impressive regularity by the likes of Safri and Pead.

City's cause was not helped on the half hour when Suffo was chopped down by centre back Chris Lucketti. Suffo was treated but was replaced by Andy Morrell a few minutes into the second half when it became clear he was still being hampered by the injury.

Lucketti was sent off nine minutes from time and that was the signal for the SBA to throw everything at Preston. Indeed 3 of the 5 City shots on target came within these last nine minutes plus stoppage time.

Preston had earlier scored from what was to be their only shot at goal for the entire game. Craig Pead lost the ball in midfield before Richard Cresswell released Ricardo Fuller. Scott Shearer was hesitant in coming off his line and Fuller beat him at his near post with a left footed finish.

A defeat for City then which pushes them down to the depths of 19th in the Division One table but it was good to see the City fans applauding the side off at the final whistle. For they, along with the rest of us, had not been totally pre-occupied with the final score, frustrating as it was. It seemed that the general consensus was that the Sky Blue season was about to kick into gear. The performance was much improved, it is imperative that the results follow suit.

BIG MATCH STATS

Preston North End 1 - 0 CITY

Goal Attempts

Preston North End 1
Coventry City 5

Corners

Preston North End 4
Coventry City 4

retired_trainer21

Sky Blues Line Up

... and how they rated

Shearer 4
Whing 8
Warnock 7
Davenport 7 (YC)
Konjic 7
Mansouri 4 (McAllister, 48 - 7)
Pead 7 (Barrett, 77 - 7)
Pipe 7
Joachim 7
Suffo 7 (Morrell, 48 - 7)
Safri 7

SBA's weekly column to appear here as he gives the final verdict on City's frustrating day in Lancashire ...

retired_trainer21

SBA talks exclusively to CM Stories

Tuesday 23 September 2003

Those who attended Deepdale will know deep down that we should have brought 1, and maybe all 3 points back from Preston on Saturday.

As the manager it can be sometimes difficult to hide your own frustration when giving an assessment to the players after the game - but that is all part and parcel of being a football manager - especially when the stakes are so high for all concerned.

I can assure the fans that the players are anxious to get out there and put it right this weekend as Reading visit Highfield Road.

It has been stated by a former manager of this club that the league table no longer lies once you get ten games into a season - and that a team's position at that juncture will not be far away from where the team will finish the season.

Not necessarily the case but given the encouraging performance on Saturday we will be striving to improve on our current position with three points against Reading.

We must be more clinical in front of goal - for it is goals that win matches, and that fact was never more evident than in the Preston game where they won the match thanks to their only attempt at goal throughout.

The system I played worked in the sense that we produced worthwhile chances whilst still keeping it tight at the back.

4 goals in our first 7 matches is very poor on the face of it and I shall be giving every encouragement to the side (in terms of tactics) to get us goals on Saturday.

David Pipe has excelled on the right hand side and much of the supply against Preston came via him. I used Julian Joachim on the opposite side and although we don't have anyone screaming out to play on the left at the moment I feel it would be unfair to deny Pipe his claim for a place on the right flank (his natural position) solely in the interests of the balance of the side.

To appear here ... match report on City's game against Reading as the Sky Blues look to push back up to a mid-table position ...

retired_barbara45

SBA OUT!

retired_trainer21

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News WILL appear here on Tuesday night

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