Match Reports

In the sort of situation where we've come a cropper so many times before, Cov's splendid away form continued unabashed with the relatively easy dismissal from the Carling Cup of Carlisle United. No Cup upsets tonight.

Iain Dowie made some changes to the current first choice 'league' side, albeit fewer than in the last round, and it was fans favourite striker Michael Mifsud who stepped up to deliver the goods.

A pre-match shower gave the pitch a slippery gloss, and as we have not played at Brunton Park since the 1970s (and most of our players will never have played there either) it was an unfamiliar surrounding and we struggled to find our feet.

Some hapless early defending gave Carlisle striker Danny Graham a one-on-one opportunity against Andy Marshall in the second minute, but his shot went wide of the post and let us off the hook.

Perhaps this early warning shot did us some good, and the defence got their act together thereafter, playing an effective offside trap throughout the game, although the early stages were marked by players sliding around on the turf.

Ellery Cairo had an early shot go over the bar, and Mifsud then saw an effort deflect wide for a corner, as we began to establish a rhythm, although the early loss of Robert Page to injury limited Dowie's attacking options for later substitutions, should the game have gone to extra time.

We looked like a goal was on the way and it duly arrived when Dele Adebola played in strike partner Mifsud, and the diminuitive Malteser smashed a low angled shot in off the post.

We had a couple of further opportunities before the break, while the home side could only offer some speculative long-range efforts that were somewhat off-target. A one goal lead was the very least we deserved at half-time.

The second half was pretty much more of the same, although some pernickity officiating and lots of offsides prevented things from flowing.

Cairo was having a very good game down the right, and a couple of crosses had already caused Carlisle problems, before the decisive moment when little tiny Mifsud scored with a scrappy header(!) from close-range, as the much larger Adebola played the distract-the-defenders role to perfection.

Strangely, Mifsud elected not to run over to the Sky Blues fans to celebrate either goal, which seemed strange, and might possibly signal a departure from the club before the transfer window closes, although on tonights form, letting him go would be abject madness.

Now 2-0 down, the hosts became desperate and were shooting from pretty much anywhere, but rarely troubling Marshall, while we had the luxury of slowing the pace down, although the crowd were eager for a Mifsud hat-trick.

He had his chances, but was caught offside a couple of times after breaking free, while Adebola missed a good chance to make it 3-0, blasting over the bar.

Ben Turner came on for his first appearance of the season and sensationally managed to avoid picking up any cards, while United actually had a good chance towards the end following a corner, but Marshall saved well from Gall.

There was no late drama, and we held on professionally enough to record a relatively straightforward victory and advance to the third round.

...it's just not like Coventry City any more, is it?!?

The Sky Blues went top of the fledgling table, after a battling win at an under-strength Cardiff City, thanks to the defensive stability of Dimi Konstantopoulos for most of the 90 minutes and the woodwork in stoppage time.

In front of a crowd that was missing several Cov supporters due to horrendous traffic problems en route, the players put on another solid performance and won it through Jay Tabb's first goal of the season but the most dramatic moment was Darren Purse's late, late penalty miss after the debutant referee looked to have let the home side off the hook.

To our relief, Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were both still short of fitness and ommitted from the Cardif squad, and Iain Dowie was forced into some changes himself because of injuries to forwards, with Dele Adebola coming into the team, alongside Leon McKenzie upfront.

Despite not facing the Premiership strikeforce we feared, Cardiff attacked a lot during the first half, and a Gary Borrowdale mistake let in Steven McLean, but the forward blazed over the bar, before Big Dimi saved a header from Paul Parry. Cardiff were getting a lot of crosses in, but the Greek keeper was doing well, coming off his line to catch where necessary every time.

Having soaked up some pressure for the first 25 minutes or so, we began to assert ourselves, and Micky Doyle had a long shot deflect wide for a corner, and then hit the wall with a free-kick.

Cardiff then forced Dimi into another save, shortly before we took the lead, slightly against the run of play, as Leon McKenzie advanced into the area and, with Adebola acting as a decoy, played a low cross to the unmarked Tabb who had cut in from the right-wing to tap in an easy goal from close range.

The 'Tooting Terrier' has been playing well this season, even on the wrong side of midfield, and his goal was a suitable reward and a reminder of why Dowie just can't drop him on present form.

Shortly afterwards, Adebola dragged a shot wide from Julian Gray's cross, and then Cardiff began to lay siege to our goal.

Konstantopoulos saved well from veteran winger Trevor Sinclair's shot, which was then cleared by Marcus Hall, and the keeper then pulled off an acrobatic double save to deny Joe Ledley twice before the interval.

We were very fortunate to go in ahead at half-time, and it's not often one can say that about a Sky Blues game.

The second half was relatively quiet, as we were able to sit back and defend our lead, while the home side - in very poor form at Ninian Park that stretches back to the middle of last season - ran out of ideas.

McKenzie missed a chance to make it 2-0, pulling a shot wide from the edge of the area, while Tabb also had a speculative effort go close, and Stephen Hughes also chanced his arm from range.

Dimi saved from Gavin Rae, but had less to do than in the first half, as Cardiff mostly missed the chances that came their way, with sub Feeny firing wide, and Darren Purse headed against the crossbar from point-blank range before Elliott Ward cleared.

We ran the clock down with a couple of substitions, including the league debut of Robbie Simpson and it looked like we were going to come away with the points after Feeney missed an absolute sitter with the goal at his mercy.

But in the third minute of stoppage time, a very dodgy-looking foul on the sub striker by Doyle saw the inexperienced Mr. Shoebridge point to the spot, continuing our recent run of conceding lots of penalties.

Defender Darren Purse stepped up and as we all expected him to level the score, hit the bar, and there were players offside at the rebound, so a free-kick was given to us.

It was a dramatic end to a game that we would have been glad to draw anyway, and the three points give us a lot of early momentum as we rose to the top of the table.

Long may this run of good fortune continue!

The Sky Blues' first home league encounter of the season finished in disappointment as Hull held on for a point with ten men and we failed to make our superiority count.

The first half in particular was very poor, and while we were the better side, the hunger for goals evident this season could only translate into a single strike from Leon McKenzie.

Iain Dowie reverted to the same side that won at Barnsley last weekend, but the opening 45 minutes really were rather forgettable.

Hull's Stuart Elliott had the first chance of the game with an off-target header, and Kevin Kyle had a penalty claim when he was brought down, but nothing was given.

The closest we came to scoring was a speculative shot from McKenzie that was easily saved, and an unlikely Jay Tabb header from a Julian Gray cross that went wide. Elliott Ward also had a header go vaguely close from a corner.

After the interval, as in our previous two games, we upped out game. Maybe it's something to do with Dowie's half-time talks, but within six minutes of the restart, we were ahead.

Kevin Kyle isn't normally associated with accurate crossing, but on this occasion he found himself in a position where he had to cross to McKenzie, and his striker partner buried a header past Duke to make it 1-0.

McKenzie then laid off a ball for Gray who shot into the side netting, and unlike our previous games this season we couldn't add a quick follow-up goal, and Hull drew level against the run of play.

It was old-timer Nick Barmby who headed past Dimi Konstantopoulos who got a touch, but could not keep the ball out, and Barmby then missed a sitter after a defensive mistake, firing straight at Dimi when clear of our back line.

Mid-way through the half, defenfer Samual Ricketts was sent off after his second bookable offence, and the visitors then pretty much put everyone behind the ball and tried to hold on to their point.

We pushed hard for a winner. McKenzie had another header go close, subs Dele Adebola and Michael Mifsud both had chances to snatch it, and Micky Doyle's long-range shot would have been an excellent Captain's goal, had it gone in.

But the visitors held on for a point they didn't really deserve, and it was a frustrating afternoon at the Ricoh for the fans at the first home game in the league this season.

A much-changed City side showed off the new-look squad's sheer strength in depth with a comfortable win over Notts County that could have been bigger, had a couple of dubious offside decisions not gone against us.

With three different forwards scoring (and three different ones to those who scored on Saturday, no less) we looked like a team full of goals and well capable of beating teams far better than our opponents today - no offence intended to County!

It was actually the visitors who made the brigher start, and almost caused an early shock, when Andy Marshall had to save well from Dudfield after the striker sprang the offside trap.

Dele Adebola then tried his arm, having a decent effort saved by Pilkington, while Leon Best - a former Notts County trainee - went very close with a low shot from the edge of the area that wrong-footed the keeper.

Julian Gray then had a shot saved from close-range after excellent work from Best, and the Summer signing then looked to have opened the scoring, after narrowly beating the offside trap, but a late flag saw the goal ruled out.

It was Best's first start for the club, and also a debut for right-winger Ellery Cairo, and the Dutchman went very close late in the half after latching onto a defensive mistake.

We finished the half strongly, with the defence having nothing to do, and Stephen Hughes and Micky Doyle very effectively pulling the strings in midfield, but frustratingly it was still goalless.

However, about a minute after the restart, we broke the deadlock and delighted 90% of the small Ricoh crowd. A through pass from Robert Page found Adebola and he curled a lovely shot past the hitherto resiliant Pilkington from just inside the area to give us the lead.

It really should have been 2-0 when Doyle slammed in following a goalmouth scramble, but Cairo was presumably judged to have been offside when he delivered the cross that set up the goal - although there seemed little wrong with it.

Our second goal came mid-way through the half and was a deserved first goal in City colours for the impressive Leon Best. He got clear of the defence as he had in the first half, and this time there was no flag, as he lobbed the onrushing keeper, who got a hand to the ball, but couldn't prevent it dropping under the bar to make it 2-0.

By now we were cruising, and Robbie Simpson was brought on for his debut as a sub, and made an impact within five minutes, coolly slotting home after Best's lay-off.

The score could have become even more one-sided, and Simpson had asnother couple of chances to score late on - his eye for goal and finishing looks excellent at first glance.

Late on, the visitors could have claimed a consolation from a rare attack, but Jason Lee blasted over from close range, and we thoroughly deserved the comfy victory and our place in the second round.

The Sky Blues got the 2007-2008 season off to a fine start with a victory at Oakwell.

Having signed several forwards this Summer, Iain Dowie controversially named a 'Micky Adams' strikeforce, but both Leon McKenzie and Kevin Kyle scored goals to set us on our way to a comfortable victory.

As expected several players made their competitive debuts, with Dimi Konstantopoulos perhaps surprisingly starting in goal, and Gary Borrowdale, Michael Hughes and Julian Gray all given the nod and the chance to prove that our Summer captures have indeed made us a better side.

And we got off to a very strong start, passing the ball around well, and looking more comfortable than the home side - this reflected in the support as City were well-backed by the Sky Blue Army in the traditional early-season optimism.

Kyle had already gone close with a header, before we took an early lead - skipper Micky Doyle's in-swinging free-kick was nodded in by McKenzie, to put us 1-0 up.

But the lead didn't last long. Barnsley won a free-kick themselves, and Kevin Kyle was back in the wall defending, and was judged to have handled. The referee pointed to the spot and a cheeky chipped penalty from Howard saw him easily beating Konstantopoulos - yet another spot-kick conceded, following a bunch of them in pre-season.

Barnsley then lifted their game somewhat, and Konstantopoulos had to make a couple of saves, but nothing particularly strenuous, while left-back Borrowdale looked an impressive signing, and Isaac Osbourne coped admirably out of position at right-back, as did Marcus Hall playing today at centre-half as he has in the pre-season.

At the other end, Julian Gray provided a superb cross, only for Kyle to hit a header straight at the Tykes keeper, and the wide-man's wing-play was to prove a constant thorn in Barnsley's side all afternoon.

In the closing moments of the half there were some anxious moments in defence, with Borrowdale and Hall both required to pull some top-notch clearances out of the bag as we went in level at the break.

The second half was all City, as the Barnsley defence capitulated.

Five minutes in, Jay Tabb showed that he is well capable of keeping a place in the side by playing on the right (or 'wrong'!) side of midfield, and his cross was met by the head of Kyle who made up for his earlier mistake by scoring an important goal to give us the lead for the second time in the match.

Kyle had another header saved, and a weakish shot from McKenzie also found the arms of keeper Nick Colgan, who was having a busy day.

Soon it was 3-1 and Tabb was the provider once again, this time playing an excellent pass to Gray who took a couple of touches before curling an excellent shot past the keeper from six yards to all but seal the victory.

We were completely in control, with Gray and Tabb running the home side ragged down the wings, and mid-way through the half, Iain Dowie decided to freshen up the strikeforce, taking off the goalscorers and bringing on fans favourite Michael Mifsud and new signing Leon Best.

Miffy had a shot saved just seconds after coming on and looked highly lively, while Best did seem to be suffering a little from the injury that almost ruled him out of the game.

Barnsley almost pulled a goal back against the run of play, but Dimi saved well from one-time Sky Blues loanee Rohan Ricketts, and our final sub, Stephen Hughes almost made an immediate impace with a snap shot from Gray's cross.

Deep into stoppage time, a long ball forward from Hall found Mifsud, and the diminutive striker got clear of the defence and scored a trademark goal from the edge of the area.

This was a game that we dominated, particularly in the second half, and with four different players finding the scoresheet, goalscoring looked easy - for the first time in ages.

There's at least another 45 games to go this season, but maybe, just maybe, this opening-day performance is a sign of things to come.