By CovSid67
August 31 2005

Apologies for the delay in getting this report to you! Excuses include being glued to the end of the cricket (Come on England!), and long, knackering shifts at work. I'm sure you'll find it worth the wait... Defeat isn't so difficult to take when it's deserved, but to be beaten thanks to an Oscar winning display by somebody that wasn't even originally in the starting line-up, and once again through questionable refereeing decisions, really does annoy....

And while some might say "you're only complaining about the match officials because you lost", I would say read the last two match reports! And to those that say poor decisions even themselves over a season, I would say "b*ll*cks!" - you count them, it won't happen.

It's for that reason that the match details for this game are brief - if you want to know what happened, just read my last few Coventry v Sheffield United/Sheffield United v Coventry (Only some of the names are different - the pattern is the same). As Bruce Hornsby once sang: " That's just the way it is, some things will never change.....".

The first half was played at a fairly manic pace, with both sides creating chances, and Adebola and Scowcroft gave the Sheffield United central defenders plenty to do in the first half (To quote commentary: "a torrid time"), though once again Adebola seemed to tire in the second half.

Scowcroft scored his first goal in Coventry's colours on 24 minutes, and a minute or two, later, Adebola almost made it 2-0 .... but he didn't - and seconds later it was 1-1. And so it remained 'til half-time....

Neil Warnock was spotted chatting/mouthing off at the referee as the two teams took to the pitch for the second 45 minutes of fun, and Coventry City barely got a decision go their way after that. Not alleging anything, just merely stating a fact. Nothing more than coincidence, I'm sure....

Doyle missed a great chance to open his account for the season on 62 minutes, shooting wide with Kenny stranded.

McSheffrey was denied what looked a decent shout for a penalty, and seconds later Matt Heath was sent off for his second border-line yellow card. The majority opinion seemed to be that a decent match official would have let him off with a final warning. Sadly, the words "decent" and "match official" rarely go together these days....

Whing then replaced McSheffrey, and Morrell replaced Flood.

As if having to put up with a loud-mouth manager, and a team that doesn't quite play the game in the spirit with which it should be, even the home sides ball-boys seem to be in on the non-sportsmanship, while Kenny was once again guilty of gesturing to the Coventry fans - something our stewards should perhaps look out for when the Blades come to the Arena (Nick him CK!)....

With less than a minute left, a foul on Morrell was ignored by the referee, with Sheffield United gaining any advantage that was to be had. From the resulting run up the pitch, Duffy gave away a penalty. Nobody doubted the decision to award the penalty (Though Kabba's dive, not for the first time in the afternoon, was described as a "touch theatrical"), but had the correct decision been given seconds earlier, Coventry would have left Brammall Lane with a well deserved, hard earned point....

Hen-pecked David Unsworth - he of the once embarrassing sort of transfer to Aston Villa - stepped up to "steal" the points for the home side.

With rumours that Stern John is off to Sheffield United surfacing again, any agreement not to play him for 90 minutes was just about adhered to, as Adams brought him on with only the five minutes of injury time remaining.

Micky Adams blamed indiscipline for the defeat, which is possibly true, though Colin Webster would seem partly to blame too....

Reading coments on some of the Coventry City Message Boards, somebody came up with a great comment: Why hasn't Neil Warnock got the footballing equivalent of an ASBO? If he was your neighbour, you would report him to the authorities - and rightly so!

[Southampton report to follow on Friday, then normal service resumed]