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Much was made of it being City’s first win at Coventry since 1965 but such has been the totally different fortunes of both clubs that it was only our 2nd league visit there in the intervening 38 years. It’s hardly laying a bogey, is it? But if there was any performance to confirm that Cardiff are not just back in Division One but competing with the rest and the best, this may well be seen as the defining one.
City were literally “sent to Coventry” both on and off the field. Off it, the game was selected for live Sky t.v. coverage and 12:30pm kick-off but, despite that, City fans showed again that they are second-to-nobody as over 1,200 took the 125 mile trip along the M50/M5/M42 in a crowd of 11,767 only slightly better than Cov’s midweek crowd of 10,872 said to be their lowest home crowd for decades.
For a rare change, the crowd did not include myself as I made the 15 minute and 7 mile trip from Barry to The Lansdowne Pub packed with both bars showing the game on big screen including a number of regular away fans. The novelty of seeing City away in the local proved too tempting but football’s expensive these days so it also saved us £35 in travel/ticket alone. Of course, I’m a fair-weather gloryseeker!!
An already (too) small squad was decimated by injuries (Rhys Weston, Peter Thorne, Jason Bowen, Scott Young and Alan Lee) plus suspensions (Willie Boland and
and Andy Campbell starting three game bans after seeing red at Crystal Palace a fortnight ago whilst Graham Kavanagh served a one game suspension after receiving 5 yellow cards).
Lennie promised adequate replacements in the transfer/loan market before this game but it never materialised so he took the only 16 experienced players he had available, Stuart Fleetwood travelled as 17th man with rookie third keeper, Arran Lee-Barrett, at home as the only other player City had who could possibly have been involved.
Lennie Lawrence had to perform surgery in defence, midfield and up front. The defence was the most stable with Alexander behind the back four who finished off the excellent 0-0 draw at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light with Gary Croft starting for the first time this season alongside Vidmar, Gabbidon and Barker. Tony Vidmar was Captain for the day. It may become our back four for a while with Weston needing cartilage surgery and out for a month.
Midfield was worst hit was the central pairing of Boland and Kav suspended. Mark Bonner and Gareth Whalley (the latter returning after 7 weeks injured) too the hours with Richard Langley and John Robinson either side (and Robbo just back in midweek and one month injury). In attack, Robert Earnshaw had to combine with his 4th strike partner of the season. With Lee and Thorne injured, plus Campbell suspended, it was time for Gavin Gordon to have a rare chance. Despite nearly 3 years at City, this was only Gordon’s 20th league start, some fans even speculated beforehand that it was possibly his last chance to prove himself to the Ninian faithful.
Coventry had problems too but they are easier to deal with when their squad has 10 more players than Cardiff’s. Player-manager Gary McAllister was absent due to personal family reasons leaving Eric Black, Julian Joachim was injured, ex-City goalkeeping legend Gavin Ward is 3rd choice, Barry boy Lee Fowler who was with City at the end of last season is loaned to Huddersfield and according to one Coventry insider, Keith O’Neill – one time brilliant midfielder – is nothing more than an expensive liability these days. They still fielded a decent footballing side.
Scottish keeper Shearer kept goal for them and produced an unbelievably inept display, Neil Alexander won’t ever feel threatened by him for a Scottish place. The back four were youth player Whing, centre-halves with the combined age of 69 in the curly haired Richard Shaw and Steve Staunton (who must both be that much closer to a retirement home after Eranie tore both apart) plus Steven Warnock on a season’s loan from Liverpool.
It was an international midfield and strike force with Claus Jorgensen (Denmark), Patrick Suffo (Cameroon), Youssef Safri (Morrocco) and Michael Doyle (Eire) supporting Dele Adebole (Nigeria) and Andy Morrell (England but better known to us for his goals taking Wrexham to promotion last season).
The day was bright, the conditions were chilly and the City fans stood and sang – well I did in The Lansdowne anyway and from the noise at the ground, those there did the same but the cameras must have been above our boys as they were hardly shown on camera.
City started poorly and slowly with ominous signs as Coventry applied early pressure and got on top. Cardiff’s problems were probably due to getting to know each other but self-inflicted as they fell deep and in numbers but, crucially, were very slack at marking at allowed home players space and room to run at them. It was to cost them. Coventry fired an early warning as Alexander saved low from Whing (Sky tv showed the shot was going several feet wide anyway) and the defence were cut open two or three times were only luck and desperate defending stopping Cov. The subsequent near post corner saw City defenders motionless as Staunton was allowed to control, turn and fire over the ball from a close range angle. Then Gabbidon and Vidmar stood off allowing the ball to run to Suffo, Gabbidon recovered to block.
On 11 minutes, the home side took a deserved early lead which highlighted how poor our defending was at the time. It wasn’t just that, we were non-existing as a force, I’m not even sure that we had got into Coventry’s half.
Gary Croft was comprehensively beaten on the right, the ball fired across goal someone evading six City defenders and Coventry forwards to run across goal where Barker was guilty of ball watching as Safri turned in the area sending the ball back over, Adebola was blocked there were now 7 City players back around the six yard box and none around the area so when the ball ran loose to MICHAEL DOYLE, he was totally unmarked but still hit an outstanding 20 yard dipping volley giving Alexander no chance.
How many goals have we seen City concede in Division One already where players were allowed unchallenged pot shots? We could get away with it in lower football but have to start learning to close the ball down more effectively anywhere near goal. It was enough to send any City fan to drink, at least that was my excuse for heading back to the bar.
However the game burst to life in incredible fashion and an unbelievable half-hour of non-stop action, excitement and entertainment. The star of it all was Earnie, a one man show who took the game almost single-handedly to the Coventry defence.
Receiving the ball on halfway, he skipped past Steve Staunton as if he didn’t exist, advanced to the area, turned and knocked up a far ball post that Gavin Gordon could have placed anywhere to score … anywhere that is except straight at the Cov keeper looking helpless in the centre of goal and that’s what he did. Gordon nearly made amends by winning a challenge and putting Earnie through but he was offside and then he was yellow carded, harshly, for a tackle.
Next it was City to be let off as Suffo again found City’s defence standing off, skipped to the left and shot right footed across Neil Alexander, his effort coming off the inside of the post running across goal but just staying out, an amazing let-off.
On 27 minutes, 1,200 City fans in Highfield Road, half the pubs in South Wales and thousands of homes went mental as Cardiff equalised with the scrappiest of scrappy goals but hey, who cares?
Gareth Whalley back in City’s half knocked the ball over Coventry’s defence, Earnie was first to react waited for the ball to come down, took it in his stride and headed to goal with Coventry’s defence napping and slow. His low shot wasn’t the best but Shearer got down but couldn’t hold it and with pinball-type ricochets, GARETH WHALLEY followed up his pass, got ahead of Staunton and scrambled a shot as he stretched fro 6 yards. His effort his Shearer but bounced back, hit him as he was falling on the chest and nestled into the bottom corner. Not quite a contender for Goal of the Month then but after failing to score in 27 previous City appearances, Whalley now had 2 in 2 as he hit the last kick equaliser in his last appearance at Walsall in August.
Having struggled to hold Coventry, within 3 minutes, there was bedlam and total transformation as City were ahead with a classic headed goal. Earnie won a free-kick 40 yards out, Gary Croft hit a swinging ball into the centre of the penalty area where GAVIN GORDON rose magnificently above Shaw and powered home a towering, brilliant header past Shearer and off the underside of the bar.
It was an unbelievable transformation but there were more amazing twists as Coventry were denied what tv showed was a clear cut penalty. Doyle tried to force his way between Croft and Langley, Langley clearly brought him down but second year referee Eddie Ilderton missed it despite being a few yards away.
The ref became even more of a Bluebird hero as Coventry’s defence opened up like Jordan’s you-know-what as Eranie chased another through ball, Shearer charged out and caught him, the loose ball saw Langley fall too. The referee rightly gave a penalty which EARNIE calmly tucked right in the bottom right corner just evading Shearer’s fingertips.
Three City goals in 12 minutes and the drama didn’t stop as Staunton and John Robinson were yellow carded for dissent and Doyle became the first player to actually deserve his yellow card for a terrible challenge of Croft as he clearly lost his head in frustration. The referee was losing control over the game, his decision making sloppy and inconsistent but, overall, in our favour. He was fine by me then. City continued to enjoy some good luck as Jorgensen hit the bar with a header from a corner.
“Three-one to the referee” sang Coventry, “One up, then you f****d it up” taunted City and Sky were wondering just how Coventry were losing. Maybe, Sky tv, because we sorted ourselves out, looked the better side, Coventry’s defence were appalling and Earnie was a class above the rest. He was a threat every time he was near the ball, his awareness and link up play was admirable and his appetite to work an inspiration. The ref headed for the tunnel with an escort, Cov and City fans headed for the bar but I was already there – cheers!
Half-time: The Imposter CCFC 1 THE REAL CCFC 3
The second-half began in great as Ali Yassine (Ninian’s much missed tannoy announcer who also does his stuff at Millennium Stadium) led the Lansdowne pub over the mic with some run out announcements and “Let’s make some noise for the boys” which got the pub up for the 2nd half.
The only worry was whether City could keep it going for 90 minutes and not collapse as had happened when well placed in other away games this season. However in a half City generally controlled well, it never looked likely. Indeed, you always felt we were more likely to get a 4th before Coventry got a 2nd.
The Sky Blues brought on Paed for Jorgensen but their fans had clearly given up as tv viewers could only hear the voices of happy singing Bluebirds and mighty fine they sounded too.
Chances were few and far between but Whalley nearly added to City’s tally with a left foot 20 yard volley within a minute of the restart that flew straight into Shearer’s midriff. Not long after Eranie made him save too with a low effort, Adebola blasted an effort well over but more Coventry frustration showed as Earnie easily beat Shaw for pace out wide only to be hacked down for a deserved yellow.
Gabbidon and Vidmar went now in charge at the back for City and protecting Alexander with touches and blocks but it was anarchy in the Coventry defence. As Whalley knocked a hit and high ball over the top, Shearer was the dodgiest of dodgy keepers as he ran out of goal, stopped and let the ball inexplicably go behind him. Gavin Gordon was in, hit shot across goal from a tight angle was cleared near the line by Shaw.
Langley, who had become a hate figure amongst the home fans, was applauded as he was ridiculously booked by the ref as the ball hit his arm running through making him bad for both sides before Earnie latched onto a John Robinson through ball, easily got around Shearer having yet another rush of blood and charging out wide out of goal like a manic, his shot coming off the inside of the far post when he deserved another for his efforts.
Sky flashed some stats showing Coventry had 15 shots in the game compared to Cardiff’s 11. “There’s more justification why the home side shouldn’t be losing” said the commentator with no real feeling for the game and a biased view. Strangely enough, he ignored the stat that flashed up within seconds showing Cardiff actually had 2 more efforts on target – justification why they were losing!
The final 20 minutes passed smoothly. Gareth Whalley was replaced by Julian Gray in silver boots this time rather than blue and white. He showed some nice touches and blasted one over. Coventry meantime could muster nothing more than a few half-hearted 20 yarders from Suffo and Doyle but none caused problems, they were snuffed and never ever looked like fighting back.
The game wasn’t glorious, the football was crude at times but the result was magical. Lennie and his players should take a bow for a stunning effort. Our defence recovered from an awful start to fairly dominate, midfield got going too eventually with Bonner and Whalley working hard, Langley still not looking right but giving everything and Robbo being, well, Robbo. Earnie was a King and Gordon was a diamond.
Heroes one and all, I salute you boys. The fans went mad at Coventry and the Lansdowne went bonkers in celebration too with a karaoke thrown in and some renditions of song I’ll never forget but hope I never hear again either! These are great times, The Bluebird of Happiness flies high.
Report from FootyMad
Coventry City were left fuming as Cardiff took all three points in a highly entertaining encounter at Highfield Road.
The Sky Blues looked to be set for a comfortable win after taking an early lead and turning on the style but Lennie Lawrence's men came storming back with three goals in nine minutes.
Coventry, playing without Gary McAllister who was again missing due to family illness, sped into the lead thanks to a fine finish from the returning Michael Doyle.
The young Irishman showed great technique when he volleyed home from 20 yards after an Andy Morrell cross was half-cleared.
Cardiff has little answer for the home side's quick breaking style and Patrick Suffo twice went close to doubling the lead.
He surprised Neil Alexander with a snap shot on the turn in the 18th minute and then in the 23rd hit the post after an excellent move.
Youssef Safri put him through and he beat the last defender with ease only for his shot to strike the post and roll across the face of goal.
It was to prove a pivotal point.
Five minutes later Robert Earnshaw was given far too much room behind the City defence and was able to run clear on goal. The Welsh international's shot was weak but Scott Shearer in the Coventry goal failed to hold it, and Gareth Whalley followed in to score.
Crucially Cardiff went ahead just four minutes later when Gavin Gordon climbed above Steve Staunton to head home a Gary Croft free-kick.
Referee Eddie Ilderton then proved the decisive figure. He waved away claims for a Coventry penalty when Doyle was tripped - it looked fairly clear-cut - and then gave one at the other end when Shearer and Earnshaw tangled inside the area. The striker converted from the spot.
The second half never matched up to the quality or excitement of the first.
Shearer looked to have lost his nerve and was twice rounded by Cardiff strikers only to escape unpunished.
External Reports
Press Association
Western Mail
BBC
Gary Mabbutt's Knee (Coventry website)