| Another disheartening performance from City against
bottom club Stockport effectively extinguishes any faintly lingering
automatic promotion hopes.
 Stockport,
led by former City tall guy Carlton Palmer, had brought with them a
dismal record of eleven straight defeats. They left Highfield Road
happy with a point.
Palmer, shrugging off a bloodied nose and an arm injury, held
together a spirited Stockport defence that kept an uninspired City
attack at bay.
Thompson almost got City off to a sure start but his second
minute drive from 25 yards hit the post. Other chances fell to
Mills, Carsley, Joachim and Delorge but none found the back of the
net.
Briggs and Daly had close calls for Stockport in the final 15
minutes but luckily for City neither converted.
Nilsson gave Robert Betts his first full league debut, but the
youngster was replaced by Quinn in the final stages.
A draw is at least a point, but by all accounts this result must
be seen as disappointing if not downright disturbing.
If City can't beat, on their own turf, the bottom club who have
had only 2 wins out of 30 Nationwide Division One matches all season
do they really deserve to go back up to the top flight?
On this performance it would be like F & M revisited - lambs
to the slaughter.
MATCH REPORTS FROM AROUND THE WEB :
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE EXTERNAL LINKS
MAY NOT BE PERMANENT
COVENTRY CITY :
Magnus Hedman, Marcus Hall, Richard Shaw, Gary Breen, David
Thompson, Lee Carsley, Lee Mills, Muhammed Konjic, Jairo Martinez
(Julian Joachim, 58), Laurent Delorge, Robert Betts (Barry Quinn,
78)
Subs not used : Morten Hyldgaard, Thomas Antonelius, Jay Boothroyd
STOCKPORT COUNTY :
Andy Dibble, Carlton Palmer, Dave Challinor, Colin Woodthorpe, Ali
Gibb, Aaron Lescott, Damien Delaney, Keith Briggs, Luke Beckett
(Chris Williams, 87), John Daley, Robert Clare
Subs not used : Sam Turner, Petri Helin, Glynn Hancock, Andrew Welsh
GOALS : none
REFEREE : C Penton (Woodindean)
BOOKINGS :
Coventry - Breen (66, foul)
Stockport - Woodthorpe (24, foul), Gibb (59, dissent)
ATTENDANCE : 12,448
COVENTRY LEAGUE POSITION : 9th with 44 points |
