Torquay 0 Coventry 1 - FA Cup4 - 24/01/2009
Torquay 0 Coventry 1 - FA Cup 4 - 24/01/2009
Torquay United: Scott Bevan, Kevin Nicholson, Steve Woods, Lee Mansell, Tim Sills, Roscoe Dsane (Musapha Carayol 88), Nicky Wroe, Chris Hargreaves, Wayne Carlisle (Danny Stevens 88), Lee Hodges, Matthew Green (Elliot Benyon 80)
Subs not used: Michael Poke, Chris Robertson, Tyrone Thompson, Steve Adams
Booked: Lee Mansell
Coventry City: Kieron Westwood, Marcus Hall, Ben Turner, Aron Gunnarsson (Elliot Ward 45), Daniel Fox, Michael Mifsud, Leon McKenzie, Michael Doyle, Guillaume Beuzelin (Kevin Thornton 64), Freddy Eastwood, Clinton Morrison
Subs not used: Andy Marshall, Scott Dann, Adam Walker, Sean Fraser, Curtis Wynter
Booked: Aron Gunnarsson
Goals: Elliot Ward 87
Attendance: 6,018
Referee: K Friend
Teamtalk
Elliott Ward scored a late winner as Coventry scraped past non-league Torquay United 1-0 at Plainmoor and into the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The half-time subsitute headed home Daniel Fox's corner in the 87th minute to avoid the embarrassment of a replay against a team three tiers below City.
The Gulls can consider themselves desperately unlucky not to have earned at least a replay, having dominated possession and chances in the second half.
But for a short spell in the first half, Coventry's stretched team created little and were bereft of invention.
To make matters worse for the Sky Blues, Aron Gunnarsson came off injured at half-time, although his replacement, Ward, ultimately provided the winning goal.
Torquay were first to threaten at Plainmoor when Lee Mansell's cross was caught by City goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.
Coventry soon began to stamp their authority on the game though with Freddy Eastwood missing the target first with a header and then a shot from the edge of the box, before Gunnarsson fired over from distance.
Daniel Fox looked certain to open the scoring in the 12th minute but Kevin Nicholson cleared his close-range effort, and keeper Scott Bevan was equally alert to deny Michael Mifsud's speculative volley from the right of the box.
The hosts responded with a header from top-scorer Tim Sills which flew over the bar and a shot from Wayne Carlisle from the centre of the box which was comfortably saved by Westwood.
Matthew Green should have hit the target for United but dragged his shot wide from the left, and the striker was unlucky to be denied by a good block from Ben Turner just before half-time.
Green was in action again early in the second half, heading straight at Westwood and then forcing the goalkeeper to parry his fierce left-footed shot following a swift counterattack.
The Gulls continued to dominate with Roscoe DSane shooting over and Carlisle blasting wide from long range, while Coventry could only muster a lacklustre response in Leon McKenzie's wayward shot.
Sills missed another header in the 72nd minute from Green's teasing cross and Steve Woods was also wasteful in the air as chances continued to go begging.
Chris Hargreaves was next to try his luck but could only shoot over the bar following DSane's cross, and Nicky Wroe was also off target with an opportunistic effort.
The missed chances eventually proved costly as Coventry took an unlikely lead. Fox's corner from the left swung into a crowded penalty area where Ward rose to head high into the goal.
That proved to be the last of the action as a stunned Torquay failed to mount a comeback in the dying minutes.
CCFC
Coventry City defender Elliott Ward came off the bench and grabbed a late winner to send the Sky Blues into the last 16 of the FA Cup.
Chris Coleman's side owned the first half in terms of possession and chances.
But non-leaque Torquay gave a terrific account of themselves in the second 45 minutes and for long periods of time seemed to have the Sky Blues against the ropes.
But Ward, making his first appearance following a near month-long absence with a knee injury, rose at the far post four minutes from time to head home Danny Fox's cross and send City through to the fifth round.
The Sky Blues dominated much of the attacking play in the opening 45 minutes and could have been a goal up at the interval.
But the Gulls did far from lie down with Matt Green, the goal hero from their third round success against Blackpool, proving to be the target of many of Torquay's attacks.
Freddy Eastwood had an early half opportunity to put the Sky Blues ahead after only three minutes, Clinton Morrison dummying Lee Mansell and getting to the goal line down the left flank and delivering a cross for Eastwood that proved just to high for the striker, his header going over the bar.
Torquay's Steve Woods then had a half chance 60 seconds later, Nicholson's deep cross finding him a the far post from a free-kick, Woods touching the ball into the hands of Westwood.
Eastwood then got a second bite of the cherry after six minutes, chasing down a free ball and trying to chip the ensuing Bevan who came off his line and did just enough to put off the Welsh international.
Aron Gunnarsson had an opportunity on seven minutes, found by Guillaume Beuzelin's deep ball but failing to make a clean connection with the ball and guiding a weak shot straight at Gulls 'keeper Scott Bevan.
Danny Fox though had arguably the best chance to put City ahead on 11 minutes, receiving a ball from McKenzie in the left corner and dribbling as far as the corner of the six-yard area and firing past Bevan although his shot failed to beat Kevin Nicholson who cleared the effort off the line.
Infact the majority of the dangerous play occurred in the opening 15 minutes. The majority a result of City attacks.
But Green remained a threat throughout the half, always the target of long balls, putting him in a race with makeshift City centre half Gunnarsson, the defender winning the exchanges.
Green did though manage a shot after half an hour though, firing into Westwood's side netting.
Coventry's half ended on a bitter note though as Gunnarsson was substituted in injury time for Elliott Ward, Gunnarsson appearing to be in a bit of discomfort.
And Torquay turned the tables on City in the second half, creating much more in the way of attacking opportunities.
Seven minutes into the second half Westwood had to palm a corner delivery away from the underside of the crossbar.
He was then forced into making a superb save two minutes later, getting down low to beat away Nicholson's effort which squeezed its way through Ward and Hall
It was nearly blushes for the City rearguard on the hour, a communication mix-up between Turner, Westwood and Fox allowing Wayne Carlisle to launch a shot from the halfway line at an empty net although the shot ended up nowhere near the intended target.
Carlisle then had a shot at the edge of the area charged down by Turner and club top scorer Tim Sills headed over the bar after a cross from Green found him unmarked.
Wood's similar headed effort went the same way with 15 minutes to go and four minutes later Chris Hargreaves flashed a half volley over the bar.
But Torquay only had themselves to blame after creating a series of chances and not taking them, underlined when Ward towered above everyone else in Bevan's penalty box in the 86th minute to grab a crucial winner.
Torquay United: Scott Bevan, Kevin Nicholson, Steve Woods, Lee Mansell, Tim Sills, Roscoe Dsane (Musapha Carayol 88), Nicky Wroe, Chris Hargreaves, Wayne Carlisle (Danny Stevens 88), Lee Hodges, Matthew Green (Elliot Benyon 80)
Subs not used: Michael Poke, Chris Robertson, Tyrone Thompson, Steve Adams
Booked: Lee Mansell
Coventry City: Kieron Westwood, Marcus Hall, Ben Turner, Aron Gunnarsson (Elliot Ward 45), Daniel Fox, Michael Mifsud, Leon McKenzie, Michael Doyle, Guillaume Beuzelin (Kevin Thornton 64), Freddy Eastwood, Clinton Morrison
Subs not used: Andy Marshall, Scott Dann, Adam Walker, Sean Fraser, Curtis Wynter
Booked: Aron Gunnarsson
Goals: Elliot Ward 87
Attendance: 6,018
Referee: K Friend
Teamtalk
Elliott Ward scored a late winner as Coventry scraped past non-league Torquay United 1-0 at Plainmoor and into the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The half-time subsitute headed home Daniel Fox's corner in the 87th minute to avoid the embarrassment of a replay against a team three tiers below City.
The Gulls can consider themselves desperately unlucky not to have earned at least a replay, having dominated possession and chances in the second half.
But for a short spell in the first half, Coventry's stretched team created little and were bereft of invention.
To make matters worse for the Sky Blues, Aron Gunnarsson came off injured at half-time, although his replacement, Ward, ultimately provided the winning goal.
Torquay were first to threaten at Plainmoor when Lee Mansell's cross was caught by City goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.
Coventry soon began to stamp their authority on the game though with Freddy Eastwood missing the target first with a header and then a shot from the edge of the box, before Gunnarsson fired over from distance.
Daniel Fox looked certain to open the scoring in the 12th minute but Kevin Nicholson cleared his close-range effort, and keeper Scott Bevan was equally alert to deny Michael Mifsud's speculative volley from the right of the box.
The hosts responded with a header from top-scorer Tim Sills which flew over the bar and a shot from Wayne Carlisle from the centre of the box which was comfortably saved by Westwood.
Matthew Green should have hit the target for United but dragged his shot wide from the left, and the striker was unlucky to be denied by a good block from Ben Turner just before half-time.
Green was in action again early in the second half, heading straight at Westwood and then forcing the goalkeeper to parry his fierce left-footed shot following a swift counterattack.
The Gulls continued to dominate with Roscoe DSane shooting over and Carlisle blasting wide from long range, while Coventry could only muster a lacklustre response in Leon McKenzie's wayward shot.
Sills missed another header in the 72nd minute from Green's teasing cross and Steve Woods was also wasteful in the air as chances continued to go begging.
Chris Hargreaves was next to try his luck but could only shoot over the bar following DSane's cross, and Nicky Wroe was also off target with an opportunistic effort.
The missed chances eventually proved costly as Coventry took an unlikely lead. Fox's corner from the left swung into a crowded penalty area where Ward rose to head high into the goal.
That proved to be the last of the action as a stunned Torquay failed to mount a comeback in the dying minutes.
CCFC
Coventry City defender Elliott Ward came off the bench and grabbed a late winner to send the Sky Blues into the last 16 of the FA Cup.
Chris Coleman's side owned the first half in terms of possession and chances.
But non-leaque Torquay gave a terrific account of themselves in the second 45 minutes and for long periods of time seemed to have the Sky Blues against the ropes.
But Ward, making his first appearance following a near month-long absence with a knee injury, rose at the far post four minutes from time to head home Danny Fox's cross and send City through to the fifth round.
The Sky Blues dominated much of the attacking play in the opening 45 minutes and could have been a goal up at the interval.
But the Gulls did far from lie down with Matt Green, the goal hero from their third round success against Blackpool, proving to be the target of many of Torquay's attacks.
Freddy Eastwood had an early half opportunity to put the Sky Blues ahead after only three minutes, Clinton Morrison dummying Lee Mansell and getting to the goal line down the left flank and delivering a cross for Eastwood that proved just to high for the striker, his header going over the bar.
Torquay's Steve Woods then had a half chance 60 seconds later, Nicholson's deep cross finding him a the far post from a free-kick, Woods touching the ball into the hands of Westwood.
Eastwood then got a second bite of the cherry after six minutes, chasing down a free ball and trying to chip the ensuing Bevan who came off his line and did just enough to put off the Welsh international.
Aron Gunnarsson had an opportunity on seven minutes, found by Guillaume Beuzelin's deep ball but failing to make a clean connection with the ball and guiding a weak shot straight at Gulls 'keeper Scott Bevan.
Danny Fox though had arguably the best chance to put City ahead on 11 minutes, receiving a ball from McKenzie in the left corner and dribbling as far as the corner of the six-yard area and firing past Bevan although his shot failed to beat Kevin Nicholson who cleared the effort off the line.
Infact the majority of the dangerous play occurred in the opening 15 minutes. The majority a result of City attacks.
But Green remained a threat throughout the half, always the target of long balls, putting him in a race with makeshift City centre half Gunnarsson, the defender winning the exchanges.
Green did though manage a shot after half an hour though, firing into Westwood's side netting.
Coventry's half ended on a bitter note though as Gunnarsson was substituted in injury time for Elliott Ward, Gunnarsson appearing to be in a bit of discomfort.
And Torquay turned the tables on City in the second half, creating much more in the way of attacking opportunities.
Seven minutes into the second half Westwood had to palm a corner delivery away from the underside of the crossbar.
He was then forced into making a superb save two minutes later, getting down low to beat away Nicholson's effort which squeezed its way through Ward and Hall
It was nearly blushes for the City rearguard on the hour, a communication mix-up between Turner, Westwood and Fox allowing Wayne Carlisle to launch a shot from the halfway line at an empty net although the shot ended up nowhere near the intended target.
Carlisle then had a shot at the edge of the area charged down by Turner and club top scorer Tim Sills headed over the bar after a cross from Green found him unmarked.
Wood's similar headed effort went the same way with 15 minutes to go and four minutes later Chris Hargreaves flashed a half volley over the bar.
But Torquay only had themselves to blame after creating a series of chances and not taking them, underlined when Ward towered above everyone else in Bevan's penalty box in the 86th minute to grab a crucial winner.
posted by SkyBlueSnowy at 10:21 pm
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