Coventry 2 Norwich 0 - 09/08/2008
Coventry 2 Norwich 0 - 09/08/2008
Coventry City: Keiren Westwood, Stephen Wright, Daniel Fox, Elliott Ward, Scott Dann, Guillaume Beuzelin, Aron Gunnarsson, Jay Tabb (Robbie Simpson 45), Julian Gray (Leon McKenzie 70), Freddy Eastwood (Kevin Thornton 83), Clinton Morrison,
Subs not used: Ben Turner, Danny Ireland
Booked: Leon McKenzie 85
Goals: Elliot Ward (48 pen), Leon McKenzie (86)
Norwich City: David Marshall, Dejan Stefanovic, Elliot Omozusi, John Kennedy, Jason Shackell, Wes Hoolahan, Sammy Clingan (Darel Russell 80), Mark Fotheringham, Lee Croft, Jamie Cureton, Arturo Lupoli (Koroma 63),
Subs not used: Adam Drury, Matty Pattison, Stuart Nelson
Booked: Dejan Stefanovic 39, Mark Fotheringham 77
Attendance: 22607
Referee: C. Webster
Teamtalk
Former Norwich striker Leon McKenzie came back to haunt his old club as he scored the final goal in Coventry's 2-0 victory over the Canaries.
Centre-back Elliott Ward gave the Sky Blues the lead as he converted from the spot moments after the second half had kicked off following a seemingly innocuous challenge by midfielder Sammy Clingan on Stephen Wright.
McKenzie's late strike earned Chris Coleman's men all three points as a total of 12 debutants took to the field at the Ricoh Arena.
Canaries boss Glenn Roeder gave debuts to six of his summer signings including on-loan Fiorentina striker Arturo Lupoli and former Portsmouth defender Dejan Stefanovic but it was the lesser-known John Kennedy who made the biggest early impact for the visitors.
The on-loan Celtic defender was on hand to make a vital block in the 16th minute when Coventry winger Julian Gray's cross-cum-shot drifted goalbound.
And five minutes later the Scot proved his attacking pedigree with a spectacular overhead kick which would have given his team the lead had team-mate Lee Croft not got in the way and inadvertently deflected the ball wide.
Coleman opted to field a completely new-look strike force as Freddy Eastwood and Clinton Morrison lined up alongside each other in the Sky Blues attack for the first time since their summer moves from Wolves and Crystal Palace respectively but neither player was afforded any space by a stoic Canaries defence.
It was the visitors who continued to press for the opener and the home defence were almost breached in the 27th minute as Jason Shackell leapt above static Coventry centre-back Ward but could not generate enough power from his header to test goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.
Former Arsenal striker Lupoli began to threaten towards the end of the first half but his optimistic effort from 20 yards out did not have the power to trouble Westwood.
But the home side came out of the tunnel a rejuvenated side and immediately took the lead at the start of the second half.
Jay Tabb was replaced by Robbie Simpson at the break but it was fellow midfielder Guillaume Beuzelin, a free signing from Hibernian this summer, who proved the inspiration for the Sky Blues' first goal of the 2008-09 campaign.
Beuzelin picked up the ball in the 46th minute and darted forward before feeding former Sunderland full-back Wright who took one touch before being felled by Norwich midfielder Clingan in the area.
Clingan's challenge appeared innocuous but referee Colin Webster had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and centre-back Ward stepped up to lash home the resulting spot-kick into the top right corner to give his side the lead.
The visitors were visibly riled by the decision and seemed determined to restore parity as soon as possible but Sky Blues goalkeeper Westwood was equal to Jamie Cureton's turn and shot after Croft's cross in the 52nd minute.
Roeder withdrew the diminutive Lupoli in the 62nd minute in favour of on-loan Portsmouth striker Omar Koroma in a bid to add a more physical presence to his attack.
And his decision almost paid off six minutes later as the Gambian striker found himself one on one but his effort was bravely smothered by Westwood.
The former Carlisle goalkeeper was in inspired form all day and had to call on all his agility to tip Croft's clipped effort over the crossbar in the 76th minute.
But it was McKenzie who put the result beyond doubt as the 69th-minute substitute followed up Morrison's effort which rebounded back off the bar and comfortably into his path to tap home and give his side all three points.
CCFC
Coventry City made a superb start to the new season with two-second half goals to down the Canaries at the Ricoh Arena.
Elliott Ward was on target with a penalty just after the start of the second half.
But the story of the day was Leon McKenzie who came on as a second half substitute to net his 100th career league goal after an eight month injury lay-off.
The Sky Blues made a steady start in a reasonably eventless first half with limited opportunities from both sides.
Glenn Roeder's side enjoyed the lion's share of opportunities in the first period but it was City who went closest to opening the scoring when Julian Gray's cross-cum-shot just after quarter or an hour looped just over Norwich 'keeper David Marshall and his crossbar.
Norwich had more half chances to go ahead though, Lee Croft just failing to get a foot on a low cross from Arturo Lupoli, a flick from Jamie Cureton just putting the ball out of reach on seven minutes.
John Kennedy also had a chance to get on the scoresheet after 20 minutes with an athletic overhead kick from a corner delivery, only for his strike to go straight to Gunnarsson who made the clearance .
But it was Lupoli who provided most of the worries for the Sky Blues on the left flank, twice being denied in the six yard box by two solid blocks from Elliott Ward which both resulted in fruitless corners.
Coventry showed plenty of promise with their new look side though, Gunnarsson providing a number of probing balls and Freddy Eastwood and Clinton Morrison both looking lively.
Debutant 'keeper Keiren Westwood was also rarely troubled despite Norwich's dominance of possession in the first half with the back four of Ward, Scott Dann, Stephen Wright and Danny Fox remaining reasonably comfortable.
It was a complete reversal of fortunes after the break though, Coventry doing most of the running and finding themselves ahead just a minute into the second half.
Guillaume Beuzelin picked up a stray ball in the Norwich box only to be brought down by Sammy Clingan, leaving Ward to step up and blast the ball into the centre of the goal.
Coventry City 2 Norwich City 0
Norwich's best opportunity to level in the second half came in the 68th minute when a high ball bounced over Ward's head and to the feet of Canaries sub Omar Koroma, leaving him one-on-one with Keiren Westwood.
But Koroma's half-hit effort only found Westwood's hand which allowed the Sky Blues to clear away.
McKenzie was then introduced just after for Julian Gray and made his mark six minutes from time.
Beuzelin's through pass allowed Morrison to tap the ball past the Norwich 'keeper and knock it back across goal, his delivery clipping the bar with the ensuing McKenzie tapping home at the far post.
4thegame
Coventry City were nowhere near their best but they still managed an opening day victory over Norwich City.
After the visitors had the best of the opening half, Coventry scored at either end of the second period - Elliott Ward firing home a spot kick after 47 minutes and Leon McKenzie finishing off from close range after coming on as a substitute.
Chances were few and far between in a tense first half in which Norwich City offered the biggest attacking threat.
Both managers had given six players their debuts and some settled quicker than others as both teams looked to get off to the best possible start to the season.
Arturo Lupoli had several sights of goal early on but on several occasions he was denied by the impeccable Ward, who made two or three key blocks.
Sammy Clingan fired a long-range shot wide as Norwich edged the territorial advantage over the home team.
Coventry's new strike partnership of Freddy Eastwood and Clinton Morrison struggled to get on the ball in the first half as the home team failed to muster an effort on target.
Norwich defender Dejan Stefanovic was lucky to avoid a red card on his debut for the Canaries as he caught Jay Tabb's ankles on the edge of the area, but referee Colin Webster only booked the centre-back.
Coventry took the lead at the start of the second half from the penalty spot.
Guillaume Beuzelin was brought down by Clingan on the right-hand side of the box and Ward made no mistake with penalty on 47 minutes.
The visitors had plenty of chances to draw level. Lee Croft lost his footing at the key moment after 50 minutes when he could have crossed to the back post.
Lupoli headed over seconds later when the goal was gaping and his replacement Omar Koroma was denied an equaliser by an outstanding save from Keiren Westwood after 69 minutes.
Norwich had a great case for a penalty of their own when Dan Fox dragged down Wes Hoolahan in the box but, as the referee waved away their claims, Croft struck a fierce shot which produced another outstanding save from Westwood.
Despite the visitors' best efforts, Coventry doubled their lead at the death as Morrison's deft chip came back off the bar and McKenzie was on hand to tap in.
Coventry City: Keiren Westwood, Stephen Wright, Daniel Fox, Elliott Ward, Scott Dann, Guillaume Beuzelin, Aron Gunnarsson, Jay Tabb (Robbie Simpson 45), Julian Gray (Leon McKenzie 70), Freddy Eastwood (Kevin Thornton 83), Clinton Morrison,
Subs not used: Ben Turner, Danny Ireland
Booked: Leon McKenzie 85
Goals: Elliot Ward (48 pen), Leon McKenzie (86)
Norwich City: David Marshall, Dejan Stefanovic, Elliot Omozusi, John Kennedy, Jason Shackell, Wes Hoolahan, Sammy Clingan (Darel Russell 80), Mark Fotheringham, Lee Croft, Jamie Cureton, Arturo Lupoli (Koroma 63),
Subs not used: Adam Drury, Matty Pattison, Stuart Nelson
Booked: Dejan Stefanovic 39, Mark Fotheringham 77
Attendance: 22607
Referee: C. Webster
Teamtalk
Former Norwich striker Leon McKenzie came back to haunt his old club as he scored the final goal in Coventry's 2-0 victory over the Canaries.
Centre-back Elliott Ward gave the Sky Blues the lead as he converted from the spot moments after the second half had kicked off following a seemingly innocuous challenge by midfielder Sammy Clingan on Stephen Wright.
McKenzie's late strike earned Chris Coleman's men all three points as a total of 12 debutants took to the field at the Ricoh Arena.
Canaries boss Glenn Roeder gave debuts to six of his summer signings including on-loan Fiorentina striker Arturo Lupoli and former Portsmouth defender Dejan Stefanovic but it was the lesser-known John Kennedy who made the biggest early impact for the visitors.
The on-loan Celtic defender was on hand to make a vital block in the 16th minute when Coventry winger Julian Gray's cross-cum-shot drifted goalbound.
And five minutes later the Scot proved his attacking pedigree with a spectacular overhead kick which would have given his team the lead had team-mate Lee Croft not got in the way and inadvertently deflected the ball wide.
Coleman opted to field a completely new-look strike force as Freddy Eastwood and Clinton Morrison lined up alongside each other in the Sky Blues attack for the first time since their summer moves from Wolves and Crystal Palace respectively but neither player was afforded any space by a stoic Canaries defence.
It was the visitors who continued to press for the opener and the home defence were almost breached in the 27th minute as Jason Shackell leapt above static Coventry centre-back Ward but could not generate enough power from his header to test goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.
Former Arsenal striker Lupoli began to threaten towards the end of the first half but his optimistic effort from 20 yards out did not have the power to trouble Westwood.
But the home side came out of the tunnel a rejuvenated side and immediately took the lead at the start of the second half.
Jay Tabb was replaced by Robbie Simpson at the break but it was fellow midfielder Guillaume Beuzelin, a free signing from Hibernian this summer, who proved the inspiration for the Sky Blues' first goal of the 2008-09 campaign.
Beuzelin picked up the ball in the 46th minute and darted forward before feeding former Sunderland full-back Wright who took one touch before being felled by Norwich midfielder Clingan in the area.
Clingan's challenge appeared innocuous but referee Colin Webster had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and centre-back Ward stepped up to lash home the resulting spot-kick into the top right corner to give his side the lead.
The visitors were visibly riled by the decision and seemed determined to restore parity as soon as possible but Sky Blues goalkeeper Westwood was equal to Jamie Cureton's turn and shot after Croft's cross in the 52nd minute.
Roeder withdrew the diminutive Lupoli in the 62nd minute in favour of on-loan Portsmouth striker Omar Koroma in a bid to add a more physical presence to his attack.
And his decision almost paid off six minutes later as the Gambian striker found himself one on one but his effort was bravely smothered by Westwood.
The former Carlisle goalkeeper was in inspired form all day and had to call on all his agility to tip Croft's clipped effort over the crossbar in the 76th minute.
But it was McKenzie who put the result beyond doubt as the 69th-minute substitute followed up Morrison's effort which rebounded back off the bar and comfortably into his path to tap home and give his side all three points.
CCFC
Coventry City made a superb start to the new season with two-second half goals to down the Canaries at the Ricoh Arena.
Elliott Ward was on target with a penalty just after the start of the second half.
But the story of the day was Leon McKenzie who came on as a second half substitute to net his 100th career league goal after an eight month injury lay-off.
The Sky Blues made a steady start in a reasonably eventless first half with limited opportunities from both sides.
Glenn Roeder's side enjoyed the lion's share of opportunities in the first period but it was City who went closest to opening the scoring when Julian Gray's cross-cum-shot just after quarter or an hour looped just over Norwich 'keeper David Marshall and his crossbar.
Norwich had more half chances to go ahead though, Lee Croft just failing to get a foot on a low cross from Arturo Lupoli, a flick from Jamie Cureton just putting the ball out of reach on seven minutes.
John Kennedy also had a chance to get on the scoresheet after 20 minutes with an athletic overhead kick from a corner delivery, only for his strike to go straight to Gunnarsson who made the clearance .
But it was Lupoli who provided most of the worries for the Sky Blues on the left flank, twice being denied in the six yard box by two solid blocks from Elliott Ward which both resulted in fruitless corners.
Coventry showed plenty of promise with their new look side though, Gunnarsson providing a number of probing balls and Freddy Eastwood and Clinton Morrison both looking lively.
Debutant 'keeper Keiren Westwood was also rarely troubled despite Norwich's dominance of possession in the first half with the back four of Ward, Scott Dann, Stephen Wright and Danny Fox remaining reasonably comfortable.
It was a complete reversal of fortunes after the break though, Coventry doing most of the running and finding themselves ahead just a minute into the second half.
Guillaume Beuzelin picked up a stray ball in the Norwich box only to be brought down by Sammy Clingan, leaving Ward to step up and blast the ball into the centre of the goal.
Coventry City 2 Norwich City 0
Norwich's best opportunity to level in the second half came in the 68th minute when a high ball bounced over Ward's head and to the feet of Canaries sub Omar Koroma, leaving him one-on-one with Keiren Westwood.
But Koroma's half-hit effort only found Westwood's hand which allowed the Sky Blues to clear away.
McKenzie was then introduced just after for Julian Gray and made his mark six minutes from time.
Beuzelin's through pass allowed Morrison to tap the ball past the Norwich 'keeper and knock it back across goal, his delivery clipping the bar with the ensuing McKenzie tapping home at the far post.
4thegame
Coventry City were nowhere near their best but they still managed an opening day victory over Norwich City.
After the visitors had the best of the opening half, Coventry scored at either end of the second period - Elliott Ward firing home a spot kick after 47 minutes and Leon McKenzie finishing off from close range after coming on as a substitute.
Chances were few and far between in a tense first half in which Norwich City offered the biggest attacking threat.
Both managers had given six players their debuts and some settled quicker than others as both teams looked to get off to the best possible start to the season.
Arturo Lupoli had several sights of goal early on but on several occasions he was denied by the impeccable Ward, who made two or three key blocks.
Sammy Clingan fired a long-range shot wide as Norwich edged the territorial advantage over the home team.
Coventry's new strike partnership of Freddy Eastwood and Clinton Morrison struggled to get on the ball in the first half as the home team failed to muster an effort on target.
Norwich defender Dejan Stefanovic was lucky to avoid a red card on his debut for the Canaries as he caught Jay Tabb's ankles on the edge of the area, but referee Colin Webster only booked the centre-back.
Coventry took the lead at the start of the second half from the penalty spot.
Guillaume Beuzelin was brought down by Clingan on the right-hand side of the box and Ward made no mistake with penalty on 47 minutes.
The visitors had plenty of chances to draw level. Lee Croft lost his footing at the key moment after 50 minutes when he could have crossed to the back post.
Lupoli headed over seconds later when the goal was gaping and his replacement Omar Koroma was denied an equaliser by an outstanding save from Keiren Westwood after 69 minutes.
Norwich had a great case for a penalty of their own when Dan Fox dragged down Wes Hoolahan in the box but, as the referee waved away their claims, Croft struck a fierce shot which produced another outstanding save from Westwood.
Despite the visitors' best efforts, Coventry doubled their lead at the death as Morrison's deft chip came back off the bar and McKenzie was on hand to tap in.
posted by SkyBlueSnowy at 10:40 pm
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