Coventry City 1 Gillingham 0

Match 20/14/1129 - Friday, 5th September 2014 - League One

Coventry City (1) 1 Nouble 10
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 27,306

Entrance: £5 Senior
Programme: £3.00
Mileage: 305/1,486
New Ground: 261

Match Report

This was Coventry City’s night of celebration with their return to the Ricoh Arena. The Sky cameras were there to broadcast this momentous day in the history of the home club. Gillingham had only one role to play in this piece of grand theatre, that of party-pooper. They could have, and probably should have, played their part to the full.

Coventry’s 18 months in exile at Sixfields, Northampton came to an end a fortnight previously and it was announced that their first fixture back on home soil would be against Gillingham with the television paymasters dictating that the welcome home party would be held on a Friday night.

Arriving at a pre-paid parking space, a walk to a fish and chip shop that was supposedly two minutes away but took 15, it was noticeable how many different variations of the home shirt were being proudly displayed by the faithful, obviously dug out of cupboards to be worn once more by fans that had been forced to boycott their club in terms of their patronage whilst the team was in exile.

Average crowds of 15,000 or more nosedived to 2,500 at Northampton as the row with the stadium owners ACL over the price of renting the Ricoh forced the Sky Blues from their home. Coventry’s return home was a victory for fan power and a packed stadium took the roof off with a wall of noise as the teams took to the field.

As would have been expected with such a level of support, the home side started the match with an adrenalin rush but that was very nearly dampened in the early minutes when ex-Coventry striker Cody McDonald narrowly failed to get on the end of a teasing cross.

The goal that the 27,000 home fans craved was not long in coming and, inevitably, it would have to come from the boot of Frank Nouble, a former Gillingham loanee. A pass to the left wing saw Ryan Haynes speeding clear of Callum Davies and into the box. The midfielder pulled the ball back for Nouble, who angled a side-foot shot into the far corner, to allow the Ricoh to ratchet up the decibel levels a notch or two more.

At this point, just ten minutes into the game, the visiting supporters, amounting to nearly 500, probably feared the worst for their favourites. But despite the continued pressure, through a first half totally dominated by the hosts, the Gillingham back line superbly marshalled by John Egan held firm with Stephen Bywater only asked to make a couple of comfortable saves from Nouble and Connor Thomas.

After surviving an early second half chance, Gillingham started to the dominate proceedings and a powerful header from Kortney Hause had the visiting supporters out of their seats but his effort just cleared the bar whilst an Egan header from a corner brought a good stop from Ryan Allsopp at his near post.

Jake Hessenthaler and Bradley Dack were exerting more influence in the middle of the field and despite the ongoing noise being generated these was a sense of nervousness coming from the City defence.

Gillingham’s final 20 minute assault that deserved an equaliser would have been futile had a 65th minute effort from John Fleck, an outrageous lob from the left wing, 50 yards out, that had Bywater back-pedalling to touch the ball over the bar.

The introduction of Luke Norris added significant threat and successive headers from Egan failed to find the target.

If that had been inevitability about Nouble’s early goal, then the same thoughts must have entered every Coventry supporter in relation to Cody McDonald. That moment arrived with five minutes remaining, a cross from the left teed the striker up for a volley from an acute angle, unfortunately it was too acute and the ball nestled only in the side netting.

There was still one last chance; Antonio German slid a pass across the face of goal where Norris agonisingly failed to get a touch.

The final whistle was naturally greeted with rapturous acclaim by the long-suffering City fans whilst we, as the party-poopers, were left with the long ride home and time to reflect on what might have been.

The cynical amongst us might guess that their next home game, against Yeovil Town, will attract less than half of their homecoming attendance, especially as this game was priced very favourably at a tenner a head. I think the feel good factor might last a while longer, but this does not look like a Coventry City side that will be knocking on the promotion door and ultimately it is results that keep the turnstiles clicking.

The Ricoh provided a fantastic atmosphere and it was a pleasure to be a part of the celebration that marked the success of people power, but that nagging thought that we may well have spoilt the party remained the next morning.