Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Ipswich 2 Coventry 1 - 03/05/2009

Ipswich 2 Coventry 1 - 03/05/2009

Ipswich Town: Richard Wright, Tommy Smith, Pim Balkestein, Alex Bruce, David Norris, Owen Garvan, Jaime Peters, Giovani Dos Santos (Danny Haynes 64), Jon Stead, Pablo Gonzalez Counago (Alan Quinn 75), Kevin Lisbie (Velice Sumulikoski 84)
Subs not used: Bartosz Bialkowski, Matthew Richards
Goals: Giovani Dos Santos 24, Pablo Gonzalez Counago 26

Coventry City: Keiren Westwood, Ben Turner, Elliott Ward, James McPake (Jermaine Grandison 34), Isaac Osbourne (Guillaume Beuzelin 59), Aron Gunnarsson, Michael Doyle, Robbie Simpson, Freddy Eastwood, Clinton Morrison, Leon Best (Ashley Cain 65)
Subs not used: Danny Ireland, Kevin Thornton
Booked: Clinton Morrison 29
Goals: Clinton Morrison 79

Attendance: 27225
Referee: G Laws

Teamtalk
Giovani dos Santos and Pablo Counago were on target for Ipswich as Roy Keane's first game at Portman Road ended in a 2-1 win over Coventry.

Dos Santos broke the deadlock on 24 minutes and Counago doubled the advantage two minutes later to ensure Town finished on a high in the Championship - and with two straight victories for Keane.

Coventry netted a late consolation through Clinton Morrison but could not prevent Keane making it two wins out of two since his since his appointment.

Keane, who emerged to a rapturous reception, brought in Jonathan Stead and Tommy Smith for Matt Richards and Ivan Campo.

For Coventry, Chris Coleman called up Leon Best and James McPake for Marcus Hall and the suspended Daniel Fox.

City winger Robbie Simpson had the first effort on goal but dragged his left-footed shot wide.

But Ipswich dominated the early stages in blustery conditions and Counago came agonisingly close with a 25-yard curling effort.

His strike partner Stead, who latched on to a Counago pass, had the ball in the net in the 22nd minute but was flagged offside.

Dos Santos found the net soon after when he cut inside from the right flank and curled home from 20 yards out. The ball took a slight deflection off visitors' full-back Ben Turner.

The home side doubled their advantage in the 26th minute, with Counago calmly slotting home after a Stead shot had been blocked.

Despite conceding twice in quick succession, Coventry remained dangerous on the break.

Best shot wide after a jinking run down the left and it needed a last-ditch challenge from Ipswich full-back Jaime Peters to deny Freddy Eastwood.

Coventry had an extraordinary escape in the 52nd minute when Counago managed to divert a Norris shot on to the crossbar, with City goalkeeper Keiren Westwood beaten.

The Spaniard had crouched down on the goal-line in an attempt to avoid his team-mate's effort on an open goal but inadvertently guided it to safety.

With Ipswich holding on to a comfortable lead, Mexican waves started to go round the stands as the game developed an end of season feel.

Ipswich substitute Danny Haynes, on for Giovani, shot just wide with an attempted lob after running on to a Stead diagonal pass but there was little goalmouth action.

Coventry had created little in the second half until captain Morrison pulled a goal back in the 79th minute with a poacher's effort, turning in a knock-down from central defender Elliott Ward after an Eastwood corner.

The goal gave the visitors renewed vigour and Eastwood had a hooked effort deflected over by Ipswich substitute Veliche Shumulikoski.

Simpson hit the bar with a 25-yard free-kick with virtually the last kick of the game as an equaliser evaded the Sky Blues.

CCFC
Coventry City signed off their 2008/09 Championship campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

A quick first-half double salvo from Giovani Dos Santos and Pablo Counago gave the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead but Clinton Morrison popped up with his 12th goal of the season with 12 minutes to go to make the remaining moments of the second half a little more interesting.

It was Robbie Simpson who had the first real effort on goal after five minutes though, Leon Best holding the ball up for him and playing Simpson in to dribble past Alex Bruce and flash a shot across the goalmouth and just wide of Richard Wright's far post.

Jon Stead gave the Sky Blues a fright seven minutes later, charging down a clearance from Keiren Westwood which ended up dribbling harmlessly behind for a goal kick.

But Counago produced the hosts' first real effort on target shortly after, shooting just wide of Westwood's near post from 25 yards out.

Dos Santos then went one better on 23 minutes after firing Ipswich ahead with the help of a fortunate deflection.

The Mexican attacker started on the touchline and worked his way to the edge of the Coventry D before firing and watching his strike steer its way past Westwood with the help of a deflection.

Counago then double the hosts' lead two minutes later after another fortunate rebound, James McPake taking the full force of Jon Stead's initial effort in the face and Counago sliding the loose ball past Westwood from the corner of the six-yard area.

Freddy Eastwood had a chance to get one back three minutes later and was only denied by a last-ditch tackle by Bruce on the corner of Richard Wright's six-yard area.

Best also steered a header on target from Isaac Osbourne's cross ten minutes before the break, although Wright saved comfortably.

And Robbie Simpson was also teed up for a shot on goal after Clinton Morrison latched onto Aron Gunnarsson's long throw two minutes before the break, but could only guide it just wide of the far post.

David Norris nearly made it 3-0 six minutes after the restart, Dos Santos cutting a ball back from the by-line but Norris' shot hitting the underside of the crossbar before being collected by Westwood.

Ashley Cain injected a bit of pace in the second after replacing injured Isaac Osbourne, making it two good performances from two academy players following the first-half introduction of Jermaine Grandison for injured James McPake.

The Sky Blues finally got on the scoresheet 12 minutes from time, Eastwood's corner being met by the head of Elliott Ward who headed down at Morrison's feet allowing the strike to turn and sweep home a shot past Wright.

Coleman's side were unlucky not come away with a draw from Portman Road when Robbie Simpson's last-gasp free-kick struck the underside of the crossbar with Wright well beaten.

But it was not to be for the Sky Blues as Peters launched the loose ball clear from the set-piece allowing the referee to blow time on the Sky Blues' 2008/09 campaign.

4thegame
Two goals in two minutes sealed a third league win in a row for Ipswich - their best run of the season - to give new boss Roy Keane a winning start at Portman Road.

On-loan Tottenham winger Giovani Dos Santos and Spanish striker Pablo Counago netted for Town, while Clinton Morrison got a second-half consolation for the visitors, who battled away throughout.

Coventry made the brighter start with Robbie Simpson and Leon Best both shooting wide, either side of a Counago 20-yard curler which went just past the post.

Jon Stead converted a Counago pass but he was offside and Jaime Peters' cross was just too high for David Norris as Town upped the tempo.

They duly got the breakthrough on 24 minutes when Counago fed Dos Santos who cut in from the right wing and fired an angled drive beyond Keiren Westwood with the aid of a deflection.

On 26 minutes it was 2-0 when Kevin Lisbie crossed, Stead's shot on the turn struck Coventry defender James McPake in the face, but rebounded kindly to Counago, who cleverly clipped over Westwood.

Westwood denied Lisbie and Stead, while at the other end Peters and Alex Bruce made fine blocks to deny Eastwood and Doyle respectively, while Richard Wright saved a Best header.

Town should have scored a third on 52 minutes when Stead's cross found Norris six yards out, but his goalbound shot hit team-mate Counago, deflected onto the bar and was scrambled clear.

The game went into a flat period before livening up late on as first Stead found sub Danny Haynes but his chip over Westwood went wide.

Morrison then gave Coventry hope when he prodded home from close range on 79 minutes after Elliot Ward headed down an Eastwood corner.

Wright denied Morrison by racing out of his area and then he tipped over a deflected Eastwood shot, before the final kick of the match saw Simpson curl his free kick from 20 yards against the angle of post and bar with Wright well beaten.

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