Coventry 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0 - 15/03/2008
Coventry 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0 - 15/03/2008
Coventry City: Kasper Schmeichel, Scott Dann, Elliott Ward, Isaac Osbourne, Daniel Fox, Jay Tabb, Michael Doyle (Robbie Simpson 61), Stephen Hughes, Michael Mifsud, Kevin Thornton, Leon Best
Subs not used: Marcus Hall, Andy Marshall, Julian Gray, Wayne Andrews
Booked: Elliott Ward 5
Sheffield Wednesday: Lee Grant, Tommy Spur, Richard Wood, Richard Hinds, Mark Beevers, Frank Songo'o (Burton O'Brien 65), Sean McAllister, Graham Kavanagh, Wade Small, Marcus Tudgay (Enoch Showunmi 77), Deon Burton (Adam Bolder 83)
Subs not used: Robert Burch, Peter Gilbert
Booked: Frank Songo'o 19, Tommy Spur 29, Lee Grant 28
Attendance: 19283
Referee: J Singh
Teamtalk
Lee Grant produced two superb saves in the final 15 minutes as Sheffield Wednesday hung on for a 0-0 draw with Coventry at the Ricoh Arena.
Twice Grant kept out efforts from forward Michael Mifsud in the final quarter, after on-loan City stopper Kasper Schmeichel had kept his side in it in the first half with a stunning stop to deny Wednesday's Franck Songo'o.
Both teams had gone into the game in desperate trouble at the foot of the division, with the Owls just one point and one place out of the drop zone and the Sky Blues a point ahead of them.
And it was the home side who pressed first, inside the opening minute, Grant having to act smartly to punch clear a cross from Isaac Osbourne.
Coventry's Elliott Ward was booked early on for a foul on Richard Hinds, before Jay Tabb forced another stop from Grant with a shot from 12 yards.
At the other end, Schmeichel was brought into the action for the first time, coming to deal with a probing cross from Songo'o.
Wednesday's Graham Kavanagh was then handed an opportunity from a 30-yard free-kick after a foul by Scott Dann on Marcus Tudgay, but the midfielder's shot flew high over the crossbar.
Songo'o then followed Ward into the book for a foul on Stephen Hughes, before Kavanagh forced Schmeichel to punch clear his clever cross midway through the half.
Songo'o was perhaps lucky to stay on the field after a bad foul on Daniel Fox, with Grant and Tommy Spurr then making it three Owls cautioned inside the opening half an hour.
A weak effort from Tudgay was never going to seriously threaten to break the deadlock before Songo'o very nearly found the opening two minutes before the interval, only for Schmeichel to come to his side's rescue.
Grant made comfortable saves from Dann and Daniel Fox in the first 15 minutes of the second period, before the Sky Blues were forced into a change when the injured Michael Doyle had to be replaced by Robbie Simpson.
The Owls made a change of their own moments later when Burton O'Brien took over from Songo'o in a tactical switch.
But it was Coventry who came within a whisker of taking the lead when Mifsud fired in from 12 yards which forced a fantastic save out of Grant at the expense of a corner, which was cleared by Deon Burton.
Mifsud then had another couple of shots around the 80-minute mark which were both blocked by Mark Beevers, before the Malta international struck what looked to be a winner from 20 yards with six minutes left only for Grant to tip it round the post.
CCFC
The Sky Blues are held to a goalless draw by Sheffield Wednesday in a tie where, once again, they had more than enough chances to win.
The game started at a breakneck pace, with City pressing from the off and Wednesday keeper Lee Grant got a strong fist to a deep Isaac Osbourne cross as Leon Best looked to head City into the lead.
In the twelfth minute minute Grant produced a one-handed block from Jay Tabb as City broke with a three on one advantage but failed to make the most of the situation.
New loan signing Kasper Schmeichel had been a mere spectator in the City goal until the 24th minute when he punched a Graham Kavanagh cross to safety.
The remainder of the first half saw very little goalmouth action although the visitors did collect two quickfire bookings as City enjoyed a spell of pressure. In the 43rd minute Schmeichel demonstrated his agility when he did well to get down to a low driven cross to prevent any danger.
The second period began in a tentative fashion with both sides looking afraid of losing such a crunch fixture.
But in the 56th minute a rapid break involving Tabb and Mifsud resulted in the Maltese striker winning the ball off a Wednesday defender and when he could have squared for Doyle for a tap-in, he opted to shot from the tightest of angles but only found the side netting.
Mifsud then produced an inch perfect cross which found the Irishman but his header was blocked. It appeared that Doyle had been injured in the process but he returned to the action, adamant that he was fit to continue.
However, just after the hour, he was replaced by Robbie Simpson, the coaching staff deciding that they could not take any chances with a head injury.
City were beginning to press again and on 69, Thornton missed a golden opportunity to give the Sky Blues the lead when some neat interplay resulted in Tabb threading the midfield livewire through on goal but unfortunately he pulled his left footed shot wide of the target.
Scott Dann then produced a sublime 60-yard throughball into Mifsud's path. His first touch was exemplary but Grant produced an excellent one-handed save at full stretch to tip the ball wide.
It just wasn't Mifsud's day and when enterprising forward play from Osbourne found the Maltese rocket, his powerful shot was deflected inches wide.
Wednesday appeared more than happy with the point and in the dying stages made some changes to try and secure a share of the spoils but City continued to press and Grant made yet another save from a Mifsud shot, this time blocking a well struck 25-yarder to ensure the scoreline remained goalless.
At the final whistle, there was disappointment that the Sky Blues had failed to break the deadlock but once again there was no doubt that every player had given it their absolute all. Schmeichel did not have a single save to make all game but City must start to find the back of the net if they are to escape the relegation dogfight.
4thegame
The points were shared by relegation-threatened Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday in a tense affair at the Ricoh Arena.
Wednesday only had two shots, which were off-target, in the 90 minutes as Michael Mifsud was denied on a couple of occasions in the second half.
Coventry did manage a shot on goal when Kevin Thornton's header released Leon Best and his right-wing cross dropped to Jay Tabb. He controlled the ball before firing in a close-range shot which Lee Grant smothered.
Referee Jarnail Singh was the busiest man in the first half as he booked Elliott Ward for an early challenge on Richard Hinds, before then showing yellow cards to Franck Songo'o, Grant and Tommy Spurr in a ten-minute spell as the game threatened to spill over.
Wednesday didn't force their first corner until the 39th minute which Graham Kavanagh took and when the ball eventually came back into the box, Richard Wood failed to properly connect and Kasper Schmeichel was able to grab possession.
Coventry finally began to put the Owls' defence under some concerted pressure.
Mifsud exchanged passes with Tabb, but instead of electing to pass to Michael Doyle on the edge of the six-yard box, the Malta international elected to shoot and hit the sidenetting.
In the next attack, Mifsud teed up Doyle with a right-wing centre, but the Irishman's header hit right-back Hinds and flew over the bar.
Doyle was substituted after appearing to take a knock to the head in the challenge.
The Sky Blues should have broken the deadlock in the 68th minute when Tabb's great pass picked out the run of Thornton, but the midfielder fired his shot wide of the far post.
Danny Fox's fantastic 40-yard pass sent Mifsud clear and his shot was tipped wide by Grant.
Mifsud had another chance when Isaac Osbourne knocked the ball back to him and he unleashed an 18-yard shot which was deflected wide.
Coventry City: Kasper Schmeichel, Scott Dann, Elliott Ward, Isaac Osbourne, Daniel Fox, Jay Tabb, Michael Doyle (Robbie Simpson 61), Stephen Hughes, Michael Mifsud, Kevin Thornton, Leon Best
Subs not used: Marcus Hall, Andy Marshall, Julian Gray, Wayne Andrews
Booked: Elliott Ward 5
Sheffield Wednesday: Lee Grant, Tommy Spur, Richard Wood, Richard Hinds, Mark Beevers, Frank Songo'o (Burton O'Brien 65), Sean McAllister, Graham Kavanagh, Wade Small, Marcus Tudgay (Enoch Showunmi 77), Deon Burton (Adam Bolder 83)
Subs not used: Robert Burch, Peter Gilbert
Booked: Frank Songo'o 19, Tommy Spur 29, Lee Grant 28
Attendance: 19283
Referee: J Singh
Teamtalk
Lee Grant produced two superb saves in the final 15 minutes as Sheffield Wednesday hung on for a 0-0 draw with Coventry at the Ricoh Arena.
Twice Grant kept out efforts from forward Michael Mifsud in the final quarter, after on-loan City stopper Kasper Schmeichel had kept his side in it in the first half with a stunning stop to deny Wednesday's Franck Songo'o.
Both teams had gone into the game in desperate trouble at the foot of the division, with the Owls just one point and one place out of the drop zone and the Sky Blues a point ahead of them.
And it was the home side who pressed first, inside the opening minute, Grant having to act smartly to punch clear a cross from Isaac Osbourne.
Coventry's Elliott Ward was booked early on for a foul on Richard Hinds, before Jay Tabb forced another stop from Grant with a shot from 12 yards.
At the other end, Schmeichel was brought into the action for the first time, coming to deal with a probing cross from Songo'o.
Wednesday's Graham Kavanagh was then handed an opportunity from a 30-yard free-kick after a foul by Scott Dann on Marcus Tudgay, but the midfielder's shot flew high over the crossbar.
Songo'o then followed Ward into the book for a foul on Stephen Hughes, before Kavanagh forced Schmeichel to punch clear his clever cross midway through the half.
Songo'o was perhaps lucky to stay on the field after a bad foul on Daniel Fox, with Grant and Tommy Spurr then making it three Owls cautioned inside the opening half an hour.
A weak effort from Tudgay was never going to seriously threaten to break the deadlock before Songo'o very nearly found the opening two minutes before the interval, only for Schmeichel to come to his side's rescue.
Grant made comfortable saves from Dann and Daniel Fox in the first 15 minutes of the second period, before the Sky Blues were forced into a change when the injured Michael Doyle had to be replaced by Robbie Simpson.
The Owls made a change of their own moments later when Burton O'Brien took over from Songo'o in a tactical switch.
But it was Coventry who came within a whisker of taking the lead when Mifsud fired in from 12 yards which forced a fantastic save out of Grant at the expense of a corner, which was cleared by Deon Burton.
Mifsud then had another couple of shots around the 80-minute mark which were both blocked by Mark Beevers, before the Malta international struck what looked to be a winner from 20 yards with six minutes left only for Grant to tip it round the post.
CCFC
The Sky Blues are held to a goalless draw by Sheffield Wednesday in a tie where, once again, they had more than enough chances to win.
The game started at a breakneck pace, with City pressing from the off and Wednesday keeper Lee Grant got a strong fist to a deep Isaac Osbourne cross as Leon Best looked to head City into the lead.
In the twelfth minute minute Grant produced a one-handed block from Jay Tabb as City broke with a three on one advantage but failed to make the most of the situation.
New loan signing Kasper Schmeichel had been a mere spectator in the City goal until the 24th minute when he punched a Graham Kavanagh cross to safety.
The remainder of the first half saw very little goalmouth action although the visitors did collect two quickfire bookings as City enjoyed a spell of pressure. In the 43rd minute Schmeichel demonstrated his agility when he did well to get down to a low driven cross to prevent any danger.
The second period began in a tentative fashion with both sides looking afraid of losing such a crunch fixture.
But in the 56th minute a rapid break involving Tabb and Mifsud resulted in the Maltese striker winning the ball off a Wednesday defender and when he could have squared for Doyle for a tap-in, he opted to shot from the tightest of angles but only found the side netting.
Mifsud then produced an inch perfect cross which found the Irishman but his header was blocked. It appeared that Doyle had been injured in the process but he returned to the action, adamant that he was fit to continue.
However, just after the hour, he was replaced by Robbie Simpson, the coaching staff deciding that they could not take any chances with a head injury.
City were beginning to press again and on 69, Thornton missed a golden opportunity to give the Sky Blues the lead when some neat interplay resulted in Tabb threading the midfield livewire through on goal but unfortunately he pulled his left footed shot wide of the target.
Scott Dann then produced a sublime 60-yard throughball into Mifsud's path. His first touch was exemplary but Grant produced an excellent one-handed save at full stretch to tip the ball wide.
It just wasn't Mifsud's day and when enterprising forward play from Osbourne found the Maltese rocket, his powerful shot was deflected inches wide.
Wednesday appeared more than happy with the point and in the dying stages made some changes to try and secure a share of the spoils but City continued to press and Grant made yet another save from a Mifsud shot, this time blocking a well struck 25-yarder to ensure the scoreline remained goalless.
At the final whistle, there was disappointment that the Sky Blues had failed to break the deadlock but once again there was no doubt that every player had given it their absolute all. Schmeichel did not have a single save to make all game but City must start to find the back of the net if they are to escape the relegation dogfight.
4thegame
The points were shared by relegation-threatened Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday in a tense affair at the Ricoh Arena.
Wednesday only had two shots, which were off-target, in the 90 minutes as Michael Mifsud was denied on a couple of occasions in the second half.
Coventry did manage a shot on goal when Kevin Thornton's header released Leon Best and his right-wing cross dropped to Jay Tabb. He controlled the ball before firing in a close-range shot which Lee Grant smothered.
Referee Jarnail Singh was the busiest man in the first half as he booked Elliott Ward for an early challenge on Richard Hinds, before then showing yellow cards to Franck Songo'o, Grant and Tommy Spurr in a ten-minute spell as the game threatened to spill over.
Wednesday didn't force their first corner until the 39th minute which Graham Kavanagh took and when the ball eventually came back into the box, Richard Wood failed to properly connect and Kasper Schmeichel was able to grab possession.
Coventry finally began to put the Owls' defence under some concerted pressure.
Mifsud exchanged passes with Tabb, but instead of electing to pass to Michael Doyle on the edge of the six-yard box, the Malta international elected to shoot and hit the sidenetting.
In the next attack, Mifsud teed up Doyle with a right-wing centre, but the Irishman's header hit right-back Hinds and flew over the bar.
Doyle was substituted after appearing to take a knock to the head in the challenge.
The Sky Blues should have broken the deadlock in the 68th minute when Tabb's great pass picked out the run of Thornton, but the midfielder fired his shot wide of the far post.
Danny Fox's fantastic 40-yard pass sent Mifsud clear and his shot was tipped wide by Grant.
Mifsud had another chance when Isaac Osbourne knocked the ball back to him and he unleashed an 18-yard shot which was deflected wide.
posted by SkyBlueSnowy at 11:21 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home