Coventry 2 Leicester 0 - 23/02/2008
Coventry 2 Leicester 0 - 23/02/2008
Coventry City: Andy Marshall, Marcus Hall, Daniel Fox, Isaac Osbourne, Elliott Ward, Stephen Hughes (Kevin Thornton 7), Jay Tabb, Michael Hughes, Julian Gray (Wayne Andrews 86), Michael Mifsud, Leon Best (Robbie Simpson 84)
Subs not used: Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, Scott Dann
Booked: Kevin Thornton 36, Leon Best 41
Goals: Elliot Ward 32 (pen), Leon Best 79
Leicester City: Ben Alnwick, Jamie Clapham (Barry Hayles 82), Patrick Kisnorbo, James Chambers, Gareth McAuley (Bruno N'Gotty 51), Stephen Clemence, Matt Oakley, Iain Hume, Laczko Zsolt (Joe Mattock 45), DJ Campbell, Steven Howard
Subs not used: Richard Stearman, Matt Fryatt
Booked: Stephen Clemence 61, Gareth McAuley 31
Attendance: 23129
Referee: K Stroud
Teamtalk
Elliott Ward and Leon Best gave Coventry a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Leicester but the win was marred by a head injury to Stephen Hughes.
The victory - Coventry's first over the Foxes in 10 attempts since a 3-1 Premier League triumph at Filbert Street in April 2001 - came at a price as Sky Blues midfielder Hughes suffered a suspected broken jaw. Hughes, recalled to the starting XI after injury and handed the captain's armband by Coleman in the absence of suspended skipper Michael Doyle, was knocked unconscious inside the opening minute of the midlands derby. An early Leicester attack saw Hughes collide with a team-mate. It looked innocuous but when the ball was cleared, Hughes lay motionless on the ground just inside the penalty area. The game was stopped for more than five minutes as the midfielder was stabilised in the recovery position and strapped on to a stretcher. He left the field to a standing ovation and was replaced by Kevin Thornton.
Coventry, controversially, opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark. Leon Best latched on to a long punt forward, hotly pursued by Gareth McAuley. The two players tangled down the right-hand side of the box and Best's shot across goal went wide. However, referee Keith Stroud had seen an infringement and pointed to the penalty spot.
Ward stepped up, and Ben Alnwick - jumping up and down on his goal line and thrusting his palms against the crossbar in an attempt to distract the defender - got hands to the kick but could not keep it out. It was Ward's first league goal since he scored the winner in a 2-1 home victory against Wolves on March 13. The goal that sealed the three points came with just over 10 minutes to go and from a more likely source.
Thornton's lifted pass set Best on his way into the box, and his low shot across goal from a tight angle found its way into the far bottom corner. The win lifted Coventry above their rivals in the table, denying Leicester back-to-back league wins for the first time since April and plunging them deeper into the relegation mire. The first chance was created by the Foxes after 10 minutes following a swift break from Iain Hume. The Canadian received the ball from DJ Campbell just inside Coventry's half and ran goalwards before shooting from 25 yards out. Andy Marshall got down to his right to smother the effort.
Alnwick was forced into action soon after following Stephen Clemence's foul on Thornton. The diminutive midfielder picked himself up to take the free-kick from 30 yards out. His low, driven shot was parried by Alnwick before being scrambled clear.
Soon after the goal, neat link up play between Best and Jay Tabb on the edge of the 18-yard box saw the Irishman shoot just over the crossbar. Substitute Thornton was fortunate to receive only a yellow card for what appeared to be a two-footed lunge on Matt Oakley in the 36th minute. Substitute Joe Mattock came close for Leicester at the start of the second half following a surging run. His low, left foot shot from the edge of the box had Marshall scrambling across his goal line but the ball whistled just wide.
Ward and Best forced Alnwick into saves either side of the second goal, while Michael Mifsud could have added another late on but the Malta international shot over the crossbar after he had raced through on goal.
CCFC
Chris Coleman guided the Sky Blues to an excellent victory over local rivals Leicester City in his first game as Sky Blues manager.
A first half penalty from Elliott Ward and Leon Best strike 12 minutes from time gave City all three points after a much improved performance at the Ricoh.
Coleman made three changes to the side, welcoming Stephen Hughes and Julian Gray back into midfield, while Danny Fox returned at left-back.
But the Sky Blues suffered the worst possible start to the game when in the second minute, Hughes fell to the floor after the ball appeared to hit him in the face, with the midfielder subsequently stretchered off with a suspected head injury following a long delay.
It forced Coleman to shuffle his pack very early in the match, with Kevin Thornton coming on to replace the 31-year-old.
Coventry created a great opportunity to open the scoring on 14 minutes. From a short free kick, Danny Fox fired his shot towards goal. Ben Alnwick could only parry the ball and the ball eventually came to Elliott Ward, who dragged his chance wide.
Michael Hughes lifted one over on 29 minutes as both teams tried to find a rhythm, before the Sky Blues were awarded a penalty a minute later when Leon Best was pushed by Gareth McAuley.
In front of 5000 Leicester fans in the Jewson Stand, Elliott Ward coolly stepped up to take the resulting spot kick and blasted it under Alnwick and into the back of the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
A clever piece of play from Thornton and Best saw the ball fall to Tabb just a minute later with the former Brentford man hitting his shot well but seeing it fly wide.
Thornton was in the thick of it for the wrong reasons on 36 minutes when he became the first player to go into the book, following a challenge on Zsolt Laczko.
But Coventry City would keep the advantage going into the break in a first half which certainly wasn't short of physical challenges.
It continued a feisty affair after the break and Ward tried to double the advantage - and his own tally - when he volleyed into the keeper's arms just after the hour.
The Sky Blues had to soak up a fair bit of Foxes pressure but were defending stoutly and in the 78th minute they doubled their advantage.
The effervescent Thornton was the architect, playing Best into space, the striker hitting a sweet low drive across Alnwick and into the far corner of the net.
That goal effectively killed off any challenge from the visitors but Marshall produced a superb save from Iain Hume late on to preserve his clean sheet and round-off an excellent first game for Coleman's Coventry.
4thegame
Chris Coleman tasted victory in his first game as Coventry City manager, a win which lifted the Ricoh Arena side above their Midlands rivals.
But the win came at a cost for the new Coventry boss. The game was held up for six minutes after a nasty looking injury to captain Stephen Hughes.
Marcus Hall made a fine block to deny Matt Oakley who let fly from 22 yards out but the home defender appeared to catch Hughes with his follow through and the midfielder crashed to the floor.
He was attended by a team of medics and the club doctor before being stretchered off and then taken to hospital by ambulance.
It took a while for both sides to pick up the pace of the game after the early incident. Kevin Thornton, who came on for Hughes, caused problems with his direct running from midfield and in the 14th minute won a free-kick in a dangerous area.
Danny Fox fired in from outside the area and when Ben Alnwick beat the ball out, it just evaded the on-rushing Leon Best.
At the other end, Andy Marshall did well to hold on to a bobbling shot from Iain Hume.
The game needed a goal and it came to the home side on the half hour mark, courtesy of referee Keith Stroud. Fox played a superb long pass to Best in the area. He and Gareth McAuley tussled, but there looked nothing untoward until the official blew up and pointed to the spot.
Coventry seemed as surprised as Leicester, but Elliott Ward gladly stroked the spot-kick home.
Thornton was a tad lucky to escape with just a yellow card when he appeared to catch Oakley late on the ankle.
Ian Holloway was forced to make chanegs either side of half-time because of injury and saw his side mount a spirited, if fruitless, comeback.
Despite establishing a territorial advantage they never really looked threatening enough inside the final third.
Their hopes were snuffed out 11 minutes from time when Best turned in a shot from a very tight angle after good work from Thornton.
Coventry City: Andy Marshall, Marcus Hall, Daniel Fox, Isaac Osbourne, Elliott Ward, Stephen Hughes (Kevin Thornton 7), Jay Tabb, Michael Hughes, Julian Gray (Wayne Andrews 86), Michael Mifsud, Leon Best (Robbie Simpson 84)
Subs not used: Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, Scott Dann
Booked: Kevin Thornton 36, Leon Best 41
Goals: Elliot Ward 32 (pen), Leon Best 79
Leicester City: Ben Alnwick, Jamie Clapham (Barry Hayles 82), Patrick Kisnorbo, James Chambers, Gareth McAuley (Bruno N'Gotty 51), Stephen Clemence, Matt Oakley, Iain Hume, Laczko Zsolt (Joe Mattock 45), DJ Campbell, Steven Howard
Subs not used: Richard Stearman, Matt Fryatt
Booked: Stephen Clemence 61, Gareth McAuley 31
Attendance: 23129
Referee: K Stroud
Teamtalk
Elliott Ward and Leon Best gave Coventry a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Leicester but the win was marred by a head injury to Stephen Hughes.
The victory - Coventry's first over the Foxes in 10 attempts since a 3-1 Premier League triumph at Filbert Street in April 2001 - came at a price as Sky Blues midfielder Hughes suffered a suspected broken jaw. Hughes, recalled to the starting XI after injury and handed the captain's armband by Coleman in the absence of suspended skipper Michael Doyle, was knocked unconscious inside the opening minute of the midlands derby. An early Leicester attack saw Hughes collide with a team-mate. It looked innocuous but when the ball was cleared, Hughes lay motionless on the ground just inside the penalty area. The game was stopped for more than five minutes as the midfielder was stabilised in the recovery position and strapped on to a stretcher. He left the field to a standing ovation and was replaced by Kevin Thornton.
Coventry, controversially, opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark. Leon Best latched on to a long punt forward, hotly pursued by Gareth McAuley. The two players tangled down the right-hand side of the box and Best's shot across goal went wide. However, referee Keith Stroud had seen an infringement and pointed to the penalty spot.
Ward stepped up, and Ben Alnwick - jumping up and down on his goal line and thrusting his palms against the crossbar in an attempt to distract the defender - got hands to the kick but could not keep it out. It was Ward's first league goal since he scored the winner in a 2-1 home victory against Wolves on March 13. The goal that sealed the three points came with just over 10 minutes to go and from a more likely source.
Thornton's lifted pass set Best on his way into the box, and his low shot across goal from a tight angle found its way into the far bottom corner. The win lifted Coventry above their rivals in the table, denying Leicester back-to-back league wins for the first time since April and plunging them deeper into the relegation mire. The first chance was created by the Foxes after 10 minutes following a swift break from Iain Hume. The Canadian received the ball from DJ Campbell just inside Coventry's half and ran goalwards before shooting from 25 yards out. Andy Marshall got down to his right to smother the effort.
Alnwick was forced into action soon after following Stephen Clemence's foul on Thornton. The diminutive midfielder picked himself up to take the free-kick from 30 yards out. His low, driven shot was parried by Alnwick before being scrambled clear.
Soon after the goal, neat link up play between Best and Jay Tabb on the edge of the 18-yard box saw the Irishman shoot just over the crossbar. Substitute Thornton was fortunate to receive only a yellow card for what appeared to be a two-footed lunge on Matt Oakley in the 36th minute. Substitute Joe Mattock came close for Leicester at the start of the second half following a surging run. His low, left foot shot from the edge of the box had Marshall scrambling across his goal line but the ball whistled just wide.
Ward and Best forced Alnwick into saves either side of the second goal, while Michael Mifsud could have added another late on but the Malta international shot over the crossbar after he had raced through on goal.
CCFC
Chris Coleman guided the Sky Blues to an excellent victory over local rivals Leicester City in his first game as Sky Blues manager.
A first half penalty from Elliott Ward and Leon Best strike 12 minutes from time gave City all three points after a much improved performance at the Ricoh.
Coleman made three changes to the side, welcoming Stephen Hughes and Julian Gray back into midfield, while Danny Fox returned at left-back.
But the Sky Blues suffered the worst possible start to the game when in the second minute, Hughes fell to the floor after the ball appeared to hit him in the face, with the midfielder subsequently stretchered off with a suspected head injury following a long delay.
It forced Coleman to shuffle his pack very early in the match, with Kevin Thornton coming on to replace the 31-year-old.
Coventry created a great opportunity to open the scoring on 14 minutes. From a short free kick, Danny Fox fired his shot towards goal. Ben Alnwick could only parry the ball and the ball eventually came to Elliott Ward, who dragged his chance wide.
Michael Hughes lifted one over on 29 minutes as both teams tried to find a rhythm, before the Sky Blues were awarded a penalty a minute later when Leon Best was pushed by Gareth McAuley.
In front of 5000 Leicester fans in the Jewson Stand, Elliott Ward coolly stepped up to take the resulting spot kick and blasted it under Alnwick and into the back of the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
A clever piece of play from Thornton and Best saw the ball fall to Tabb just a minute later with the former Brentford man hitting his shot well but seeing it fly wide.
Thornton was in the thick of it for the wrong reasons on 36 minutes when he became the first player to go into the book, following a challenge on Zsolt Laczko.
But Coventry City would keep the advantage going into the break in a first half which certainly wasn't short of physical challenges.
It continued a feisty affair after the break and Ward tried to double the advantage - and his own tally - when he volleyed into the keeper's arms just after the hour.
The Sky Blues had to soak up a fair bit of Foxes pressure but were defending stoutly and in the 78th minute they doubled their advantage.
The effervescent Thornton was the architect, playing Best into space, the striker hitting a sweet low drive across Alnwick and into the far corner of the net.
That goal effectively killed off any challenge from the visitors but Marshall produced a superb save from Iain Hume late on to preserve his clean sheet and round-off an excellent first game for Coleman's Coventry.
4thegame
Chris Coleman tasted victory in his first game as Coventry City manager, a win which lifted the Ricoh Arena side above their Midlands rivals.
But the win came at a cost for the new Coventry boss. The game was held up for six minutes after a nasty looking injury to captain Stephen Hughes.
Marcus Hall made a fine block to deny Matt Oakley who let fly from 22 yards out but the home defender appeared to catch Hughes with his follow through and the midfielder crashed to the floor.
He was attended by a team of medics and the club doctor before being stretchered off and then taken to hospital by ambulance.
It took a while for both sides to pick up the pace of the game after the early incident. Kevin Thornton, who came on for Hughes, caused problems with his direct running from midfield and in the 14th minute won a free-kick in a dangerous area.
Danny Fox fired in from outside the area and when Ben Alnwick beat the ball out, it just evaded the on-rushing Leon Best.
At the other end, Andy Marshall did well to hold on to a bobbling shot from Iain Hume.
The game needed a goal and it came to the home side on the half hour mark, courtesy of referee Keith Stroud. Fox played a superb long pass to Best in the area. He and Gareth McAuley tussled, but there looked nothing untoward until the official blew up and pointed to the spot.
Coventry seemed as surprised as Leicester, but Elliott Ward gladly stroked the spot-kick home.
Thornton was a tad lucky to escape with just a yellow card when he appeared to catch Oakley late on the ankle.
Ian Holloway was forced to make chanegs either side of half-time because of injury and saw his side mount a spirited, if fruitless, comeback.
Despite establishing a territorial advantage they never really looked threatening enough inside the final third.
Their hopes were snuffed out 11 minutes from time when Best turned in a shot from a very tight angle after good work from Thornton.
posted by SkyBlueSnowy at 11:52 pm
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