Match Report 2002-2003
Tuesday 25 August, 2002, Division One
Coventry City At Valley Parade
Back to the old routine
After the wild excesses of the 2-2 draw with Burnley at the weekend City got back to normal service taking part in a game that was so much of a typical Nationwide Division One game it seemed at times staged as a display to show Saturday's exceptionality.
Coventry are a tidy team. They pass well but not exceptionally. They defend well but give a away a few, they have a couple of powerful strikers and that will put them in the top half of this division.
City are still bubbling under. This is the fourth draw at Valley Parade in five games and although that record could look great if the result pile up in the column to the left of the four, the idea that they might in the to the right is a worry.
This is a game that City could have won but perhaps did not deserve to, a spin from Saturday's deserved to win but were not allowed to.
Both goals in this encounter owed much to errors. City took the lead in the first half when Paul Evans lashed a shot from 35 yards low along the deck that Sky Blue keeper Fabien Debec took into his body with ease but some how let squirm out of his body with embarrassment.
Coventry's equaliser nine minutes from time Gus Uhlenbeek tried to win a goal kick bouncing the ball off Gary McSheffrey but lost out. McSheffrey cross and Jay Bothroyd headed in.
Bothroyd had committed one of few bad challenge in the game, a high tackle on Paul Evans, and City's Uhlenbeek had been guilty of the games only dive, and that was a half dive at best. Not a single yellow card was shown and the Referee was not booed all night. Mike Dean, take note.
Between the two goals City had the lion's share of the chances, mainly through a lively Danny Cadamarteri but he never looked on the same wave length as Michael Proctor and frankly the whole Bantam team looked jaded and badly in need of a rest.
Aidan Davison, who was enjoying an excellent game for City, did get his rest early. He went off injured on 70 minutes giving loanee Steve Banks a debut. At the end of the game the entire out field team City field, with the exception of Stephen Warnock and returning to fitness Wayne Jacobs, were hobbling or suffering some injury or another. We cannot do anything about the size of the squad, but it is a worry.
As is City's inability to turn "could wins" into wins although I seem to remember the last time we got the hang of doing that, we went up.
Man of the Match
Paul Evans
Getting back on top form.