It was the first goal Coventry had conceded at their new home and more significantly the
Posted in General on 07. Sep, 2010
It was the first goal Coventry had conceded at their new home, and, more significantly, the Jamaican’s first for Southampton. With six minutes played, Coventry fans were probably thinking back to their only other game at the Ricoh Arena – a 3-0 win over QPR – and dreaming of a victory of similar simplicity.With the height of Scowcroft and Adebola, at least until he departed injured after 37 minutes, causing Southampton problems, that could easily have been the outcome, but defensive inadequacies soon punctured any sense of well-being.A Robert Page backpass let in Ricardo Fuller to equalise after 12 minutes. Not for the first time in his career, Dele Adebola stumbled over a simple ball, but on this occasion it squirted kindly for Marcus Hall, who crossed low to the near post for James Scowcroft to whip in his second of the season. It still does not feel entirely finished – at least one member of staff has been working in a public library to guarantee internet access – and for all the gimmicks that were laid on before kick-off the pervading feeling was of barely contained chaos.The dancing girls and somersaulting blue fluffy elephant had scarcely cleared the pitch when Coventry took the lead. For 23 years Sky Blues v Saints was a top-flight fixture, but on last night’s evidence it will be a long time before it is again.
Southampton will be the happier with a point that keeps them within four points of Sheffield United at the top of the table, while for Coventry the only consolation is that they have home games in hand, thanks to the delay in completing the Ricoh Arena.
They remain unbeaten in their out-of-town development, but last night’s draw was a tough, ugly affair, that, for all the grandeur of the setting, never let either side forget that they are no longer anywhere near the pinnacle of English football. Substitutes not used: Chamberlain (gk), Demerit, MariappaReferee: C Penton (Sussex).. It did not take long for the magic of Coventry’s new stadium to wear off. Substitutes not used: Grant (gk), MillsWatford (4-5-1): Foster; Doyley, Carlisle, Mackay, Chambers (Bouazza, 65); Young, Bangura, Spring, Blizzard (Stewart, 82), McNamee; King.
“He has had a couple of years in the wilderness but is a menace with his tricks and movement.”Brown said; “The officials got the major decisions wrong. I hope the referee will go home and look at the video.”Derby County (4-5-1) Camp; Kenna, Davies, Michael Johnson, Jackson; Bisgaard, Bolder (Peschisolido, 90), Idiakez, Thirlwell, Smith (Seth Johnson, 59); Rasiak (Tudgay, 76). Even after Adam Bolder’s fourth minute goal, the midfielder driving home after Rasiak’s cross had been helped back by Jeff Kenna, they were second best.Watford took a long while to graft any threat onto promising approach work but McNamee’s angled shot was blocked on the line by Andrew Davies just before half-time and Michael Johnson did likewise from Ashley Young’s lob just after.Then Richard Jackson caught the clean-through James Chambers from behind 12 yards out in the 57th minute.Although the left-back’s sending-off on his 100th Derby appearance was followed by a scuffed Marlon King penalty against the post, the escape was short-lived as Matthew Spring shot high and wide of Lee Camp for the equaliser.”When I came here, I thought Anthony was in the under-12s,” said Watford manager Adrian Boothroyd. Just look at the macho poses of players and management in the programme.Brown admits the posturing is aimed at making match-days more gladiatorial. Alas, with Grzegorz Rasiak isolated in attack, Derby only had one blade between them.