BARDSLEY RESUMES FULL TRAINING
Coventry City's Phil Bardsley has returned to full training followign an injury which has kept him out of a month's football. He will be fit to face Sheffield United on the 27th.
27/11/07
After a comfortable 1-0 victory over stugglers Blackpool, it was on to an away game with promotion hopefuls Sheffield Utd. United were 9th in the league in a good position to push on, and form of late had been okay, with 3 wins in 6.
Injuries now. Lee Martin was unfortunately on the sidelines again with a groin tear, but Bardsley returned.
Now to the team news. Just 3 changes, Bardsley returned at right back, and injured Lee Martin was replaced by Gray. And also, Leon Best was quite tired so I pushed Mifsud up front and put Cairo in for Best on the right.
----------------------Marshall
--Bardsley---------Varga-----Ward------Fox
-----Cairo------Tabb-----Taarabt----Gray
----------------------Mifsud-----Thiago
Subs (5): McKenzie, Osbourne, Doyle, Best, Thornton.
FORM GUIDE: (league)
Sheff Utd: W L L W W L
Coventry: D W W D L W
We arrived at Bramall Lane with 3 points in our heads, and we weren't going to give all of the points up without a severe and hard fought fight. Sheffield nited weren't in great form and we had only lost 1 in 9 games, so we were firm favourites going in to it, be results are one thing, odds are another. We got into the dressing rooms fully focussed,a and otu we went to play our game.
A pretty bad start, Tabb took the ball off Montgomery in midfield, but then lost it straight away to Beattie, James Beattie saw Speed running in on the left, played a superb through ball to Speed, Speed struck first time with his left boot with some venom, but his shot was a couple of feet over. On 5 mins, Sheffield United had another chance, Montgomery shielded the ball from jay Tabb and Adel Taarabt, and played a great 30 yard ball across to Lee Hendrie on United's left hand side, he whipped a cross in and Rob Hulse attempted an acrobatic and ambitious bicycle kick effort, which went a few feet wide. Good effort though. A minute later, we had a chance, Taaravt recieved ba long ball from Marshall at the back, and he passed to Mifsud on the edge of the 18 yard box, and curled one round Paddy Kenny who was desperately scramblling across to get the ball, he missed it but was relieved to see it just go past the left hand post. Great effort from Michael Mifsud. On 13 mins, Sheff Utd had a great chance to bag a goal, Hendrie picked up on an awful pass from tabb, ran in and found Beattie all alone in front of goal, all he had to do really was hit the target, ut he went for power rather than placement and his shot went miles over. On 19 mins, we took the lead, we were awarded a free kick on the halfway line because Rob Hulse handled the ball, Elliott Ward floated the ball into teh box, Mifsud controlled, turned and shot straight into the bottom corner. Great goal. 1-0. On 21 mins, we nearly scored again, some great defending from Stan Varga saw the ball cleared all the way to Mifsud on the halfway line, Thiago made a decoy run taking two defenders off Mifsud, Mifsud ran towards the box, then took it outwide leaving Thiago alone then passed, Thiago took 2 touches and shot from 15 yards, Paddy Kenny parried and United cleared. On 26 mins, Taarabt showed some skilled to Kilgallon, Kilgallon got frustrated at how he couldn't get the ball off the youngster and gave a silly foul away, Fox stepped up and unleashed a curling shot, it looked liek it was going into the top corner, but it curled a bit too much and rustled the side netting. Unlucky. On 27 mins, we had a great chance to extend our lead, an Adel Taarabt shot was blocked, the rebound came to Tabb who was 12 yards out with a coupe of defenders artound him, he tried a curler, but it went a foot and a half wide. Unlucky again, but should have done better, at least work the keeper. On 30 mins, Sheffield United got the equaliser, a long ball from Kilgallon wasn't deelt with by the defence, Lee Hendrie picked the ball up and forced home from 18 yards. Poor defending really. On 33 mins, we had the chance to retake the lead, Mifsud was tripped on the edge of teh area by Gary Speed, Fox stepped up and smashed at goal, Kenny parried, Mifsud picked up the loose ball and put across the six yard box, but United hoofed clear. On 45 mins, we had yet another chance, Mifsud had a glaring chance to score, he hit sraight at Kenny, the ball came out to Thiago who's touch saw the ball gho out for a goal kick. Awful finishing. Half time, I was happy but not that happy, yet another defensive callamity had thrown away the lead, and attacking callamities had seen us fail to gain the lead back. At half time I brought Best on for Thiago.
A decent start to the half, on 52 mins, Gray robbed Montgomery of the ball and set Mifsud off who squared to Best who smashed at goal, but his shot hit the top of the bar and out. Good effort. On 61 mins, United nearly took the lead, a route one effort, saw Hulse put through after Ward let a long ball drop, Hulse was through but Marshall made a great save off his line. On 67 mins, we messed up some more defending, another long ball, Marshall came out to collect stupidly as the ball bounced over his head, Beattie picked up and scored. Thats one way to throw a game away. What a f*cking tw*t. FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On 80 mins, I made my changes, McKenzie on for Taarabt, and Thornton on for Tabb. Full time, and we had well and truly thrown the game away. F*cking defence is sh*t, about as good as having 4 Titus Bramble's, bunch of jokes. F*cking hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sheffield United 2-1 Coventry
Mifsud
Marshall-5
Bardsley-6
Varga-7
Ward-6
Fox-6
Cairo-6
Taarabt-7
Tabb-7
Gray-6
Mifsud-7
Thiago-6
-----------------
McKenzie-6
Osbourne-unused sub
Doyle-unused sub
Best-6
Thornton-6
Man Of The Match was James Beattie.
F*cking useless b*stards!....
