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.

Coventry City 2 Gillingham 1

Match 23/13/1050 - Sunday, 15th September 2013 - League One

Coventry City (1) 2 Clarke 1, Moussa 83
Gillingham (1) 1 McDonald 10
Att. 2,046

Entrance: £11 Senior
Programme: £3
Mileage: 242/1,915
Matched played at Sixfields Stadium, Northampton

Match Report

It was very doubtful that I was the only Gillingham supporter that walked away from Northampton's Sixfields Stadium just a little bewildered by the turn of events, not necessarily of this match alone, but the early season happenings at Priestfield Stadium.

Of the match itself, Gillingham might have pinched an unlikely point but equally could have walked away with a five or six goal hiding had the Coventry City strike force of Leon Clarke and Callum Wilson not been so wasteful in front of goal coupled with the agility of Stuart Nelson and the belligerence of Adam Barrett.

The evening's social media was busy with opinions that were largely critical of Martin Allen and one wonders whether this was the catalyst for Paul Scally's open letter to supporters on Monday asking the fans to stay with the players during these difficult times.

There is an abundance of rumour and following the surprise transfer-listing of four senior players, Chris Whelpdale, Charlie Lee, Stephen Gregory and Antonio German, gossip quickly went into overdrive. Lee was already suspended following his sending off at Crawley, but the non-appearance in the squad of Whelpdale and German became the subject of much conjecture.

Personally, I'm not alone in thinking that the root of our problems this season has been in midfield and said it on almost every report. Fact that three of the four are midfielders seems to justify that opinion. Whelpdale hasn't been the same player we had on loan initially and Gregory has very few admirers among the paying customers. Although Lee has continued to be transfer-listed since the start of the season, he has probably been Gillingham's best player this season. German hasn't had many opportunities to make any great impression, but the few chances he has had, he has not done himself any favours. So there is justification for Allen's decision, given the known assertion from the chairman that in order to bring in new players, some have to leave.

But I do have an issue with the timing of the announcement. It seemed destructive to team morale for such a call to be made on the Thursday before the weekend fixture. But, that said, the principle positive that could be taken from this latest defeat was the determination of the players in the face of a second half onslaught when the wind blew in the favour of the lodgers from Coventry.

When the fixtures were announced back in June, one of the dates eagerly anticipated was the trip to Coventry and the Ricoh Stadium. But a row between the stadium landlords and the club has left them decamped at the soulless Sixfields with a group of protestors gathering on the hill behind the stadium for a free look as City attack the goal that is visible to them. As the teams turn round for the second half and the City attacks are out of view, the group disband and probably return to the pub.

What they were able to see, with the aid of binoculars I suspect, was a goal for their favourites within the opening minute of the game. Cyrus Christie crossed from the right to the far post where Clarke was able to beat Nelson with a shot that went in off a post. Although the supporters must hate seeing their team play in Northampton this was their 12th goal in a minute more than three matches, just reward for the small numbers that are making the 35 mile trip from Coventry.

It would have been easy for the heads to drop on the Gillingham side following the early setback, but to their credit they stormed back and were on level terms after 10 minutes when Cody McDonald scored against his former club from close range after a corner from Myles Weston was headed on by Leon Legge.

The score remained level at half time thanks to the combined efforts of Nelson, who made fine saves from Wilson and Jordan Clarke and a goal line clearance from the skipper, Barrett. Five minutes from half-time, Gillingham also survived when twice in a matter of seconds, they managed to get bodies in the way of goalbound efforts.

The second half opened with Clarke hitting the bar and Carl Baker striking a post. Frank Moussa brought another fine save out of Nelson as Gillingham were pinned in their own half for long periods. Their only outlet, given that Danny Kedwell was being forced to play as a supplementary defensive midfielder, was the long ball out to McDonald, whose pace was sufficient to keep the home side's back line on their toes.

Seven minutes remained when Allen sacrificed this outlet, substituting the striker for Gregory and this immediately backfired as City scored what was ultimately the winning goal. At the far post, Clarke headed Blair Adams' corner back across the face of goal and Moussa bundled the ball in from close range. Now chasing the game with little time remaining, Akinfenwa was thrown on to find an equaliser, but there was to be no reprieve.

The McDonald substitution had little bearing on the winning goal, but it was nonetheless a contentious decision given that Weston, as a prime example, was making very little impression on the game at that point.

Coventry have now overcome their 10 point deduction at the start of the season to haul themselves out of the bottom four whilst leaving Gillingham firmly rooted with only Notts County below them. Scally has made the rallying call for Saturday's home game against Bradford City as the pressure to find that elusive first win continues to rise. I suspect that another dogged display will not be enough to placate a support that is becoming increasingly frustrated with not only results but the general confusion that appears to surround the club at this present time and the murmurings of discontent will become clearly audible, and not only by the sound of keyboards tapping, should the outcome be defeat. There are no must win games before the end of September, but I guess Saturday is as close as its going to get.