Match Reports

A late goal condemned City to a fourth straight defeat and deepened our relegation worries, despite a very strong debut from new signing Dan Fox.

It was a turgid game of few highlights, and could easily have been our first goalless draw of the season, which would, perhaps have been a fairer reflection of the game.

Michael Mifsud had an early chance saved, and Bryan Hughes forced Dimi Konstantopoulos into action at the other end, but thereafter there was little for either side to cheer.

Another little flurry of activity before half time could have seen Mifsud scoring after Jay Tabb headed down, and veteran Dean Windass squandered a chance for the hosts, but 0-0 was a very fair reflection of a poot game at the interval.

Defences had been on top, and young left-back Fox is very much a star in the making. His tackles were precise, and his forward runs and crossing equally encouraging.

And it was Fox who came very close to breaking the deadlock in the second half, with an effort from 35 yards out that was tipped over the bar. Liam Davis then showed why he's in the team at the moment, cutting in from the left to create a chance, but ultimately shooting straight at Myhill.

Hull weren't offering much until the final 20 minutes, when on-loan Man Utd striker Fraser Campell had a goal disallowed for offside, and Fox was then on hand to make a last-ditch challenge to deny Garcia.

But Fox had picked up a knock and had to cut short his impressive debut, and perhaps the writing was on the wall for the clean sheet from then on.

Micky Doyle had a fierce shot saved with a few minutes to go, but neither side really deserved to win, and Mifus was having a quiet game, as was Dele Adebola.

Unfortunately we were made to pay for not scoring, as a long ball over the top caught out Elliott Ward and allowed sub Caleb Folan to chip the oncoming Dimi Konstantopoulous and score an agonising goal in the final minute of normal time.

And with little time left for an equaliser, our 100% record at the KC Stadium came to a disappointing end.

With the transfer window about to close, and freefalling seemingly unstoppable at the moment, these are worrying times.

It wasn't pretty, but the Sky Blues did just enough to overcome a resiliant Millwall side and avoid giant-killing victimhood in the fourth round. The performance was far from convincing, and we regularly play better than this and lose, but getting through to the next round is what matters.

The game was played under heightened security conditions, after some visiting 'fans' caused trouble in Coventry city centfe in the hours before the game.

On the pitch, Millwall went very close early on, with a goalmouth scramble that saw Liam Davis and Jay Tabb having to head off the line in quick succession following a corner.

And they were made to pay, after a soft refereeing decision saw a free-kick award just outside the area, from which Micky Doyle laid the ball off to Stephen Hughes who hit the ball low and hard under the wall to score his second goal of the season - his previous strike also a free-kick.

We struggled to impose ourselves on the game, and didn't look like grabing a second. Millwall worked hard, and were rewarded before half time with an equaliser.

As usual, our defence looked suspect, and Dimi Konstantopoulos had needed to make a couple of decent saves, before on-loan Arsenal winger Jay Simpson was given too much space and finished from close-range, after a mistake from Liam Davis, playing at left-back again this week.

The visitors were entitled to be holding us at half-time, and will have fancied their chances of extending their involvement in the competition.

With so many players out injured, it was always going to be a struggle, but we found a way to restore the lead with a scrappy second half strike. Dele Adebola hit the post, and Mifsud was on hand to smash in the unmissable rebound, but we barely deserved it.

The Lions continued to fashion out a couple of chances, but ran out of ideas in the final stages as we finished the game strongly.

Jay Tabb had a shot well saved, and Julian Gray volleyed wide, but a larger scoreline would have flattered us.

Towards the end, wantaway sub Leon Best recieved a frosty reception from the supporters, and this might well turn out to be his final appearance in Sky Blue colours.

With the final whistle, our place in the final 16 of the greatest cup competition in the world was confirmed - but this was quite different from the victory over Blackburn and far better is required in the next round.

A good performance from the Sky Blues was marred by Kevin Kyle's second sending-off in a month, as away day specialists Burnley staged a smash'n'grab raid at the Ricoh.

Last week's disappointing defeat meant that Iain Dowie made a number of changes, and playing Liam Davis at left-back raised eyebrows, even given our defensive injury crisis.

Early on, Davis played through Michael Mifsud who really should have opened the scoring, but his tame effort was saved. And we were made to pay as the visitors snatched an early lead.

With their first attack of the game, Wade Elliott crossed and journeyman striker Ade Akinbiyi netted from close range, against the run of play.

We responded quite well. Mifsud had a header go close, before Julian Gray's free-kick was agonisingly headed over by Elliott Ward. But we simply weren't hitting the target.

On 26 minutes we deservedly drew level. Micky Doyle's initial shot was saved by Jensen. Michael Hughes had a crack at it and was blocked, Kyle then saw his follow-up effort saved, before Doyle finally completed what he started, booting high into the net at the fourth time of asking.

Doyle went close again from distance, and Mifsud continually threatened, but his shots were always too soft or too wide. Burnley played almost entirely on the counter-attack, and Akinbiyi almost netted an undeserved second shortly before the interval.

After the break, the frustating afternoon continued, with Mifsud still wasteful in front of goal, before we were reducted to ten men, thanks to Kyle's second yellow after a foul on Graham Alexander.

Suddenly a game that we looked like pushing on to win was turned into one in which we were holding on.

But we were still the more attacking side, as Hughes and Davis peppered the goal with long range shots, and Mifsud had a strong penalty claim turned down after a tackle from David Unsworth.

The winner came right after the penalty claim, with Doyle slipping to allow the dangerous Akinbiyi through on goal, and he squared for strike partner Robbie Blake to finish easily past Dimi Konstantopoulos.

Even with ten men, we had chances to equalise - the very least we deserved - in the closing stages, but Misfud was having a frustrating afternoon and sub Dele Adebola couldn't find the target with a header.

Burnley have done well on the road this season, but were very fortunate today. For us this was a very worrying defeat that leaves Iain Dowie's position looking shaky.

The Sky Blues 100% record (of defeats) at the Walkers Stadium continued, with a poor performance from a side decimated by injuries.

It was a world apart from last weeks win at Blackburn, and highlighted just how inconsistent we are this season - and inconsistent despite having a settled squad of players, whereas Leicester have radically changed their lineup with a host of new signings.

And it didn't take their new-look side to make an impact. Zsolt Laczko squandered a couple of chances, before former Derby forward Steve Howard opened his Leicester account, scoring through Dimi Konstantopoulos' legs after beating the offside trap.

Dimi then made a save from Bori, and Elliott Ward had to block a shot from Howard, before our first real chance of the game.

Leicester made a mistake at the back, and Leon Best crept in to set up in-form Dele Adebola, unmarked with the goal at his mercy, but agonisingly, Dele's shot hit the post and went out.

And we weren't going to get a better chance than that as Ian Holloway's side continued to dominate the first half.

Injuries had meant a first appearance of the season for Chris Birchall on the right of midfield, but he himself went off injured before the half was through, after an ineffective performance.

At half-time things were not good, and we were already beginning to run out of ideas.

There was little to cheer in the second half too, with Howard and Clement both going close for the home side, before a moment of respite when Michael Mifsud - mostly marked out of the game - made a run down the right wing and was brought down.

Kevin Thornton took the free-kick, Robbie Simpson headed over, and that was another rare opportunity squandered.

Our Best hope of scoring seemed to be Leon, and a couple of times he was able to hold up a long ball forward, but could not inaugrate a meaningful attack. At the other end, Leicester force the save of the game from Dimi with a Matt Oakley volley, and looked like they could add to their lead at any time, such is the fragility of our defence.

And they duly wrapped up the game late on, as Ben Turner made a glaring error and took his eye off the ball, allowing sub Barry Hayles to saunter through and beat the keeper easily from the one-on-one.

This was our cue to leave the ill-fortuned Walkers Stadium as swiftly as possible, and Howard almost added a third for Leicester with a header shortly after Hayles goal.

In all, this was a poor performance, and despite having a whole team's worth of players missing through injury, is not going to improve Dowie's stock with the new owners who have invested money and are hungry for success.

The Sky Blues pulled off one of the greatest FA Cup victories in our history with an emphatic win at Ewood Park against Premiership Blackburn, ensuring a memorable day in Lancashire and advancement to the fourth round against all odds.

Blackburn put us under a lot of pressure, as a Premiership side should, but a fantastic team performance defensively, and a superb display of counter-attacking meant that the final scoreline was beyond all expectations.

For much of the game it was a nervous, backs-to-the-wall performance, and Blackburn had an early chance with am excellent free-kick just outside the area from David Bentley.

To the delight of the Sky Blues fans behind the goal, Dimi Konstantopoulos made a save, and although he spilled the shot, Elliott Ward was alert to hack the ball clear.

Michael Mifsud was looking lively upfront, and Leon Best set him up for his first chance of the game, which brought a save from Brad Friedel, and Ward then had a shot blocked, after fearlessly coming up for a free kick.

Dimi saved from a one-on-one with striker Benni McCarthy, and we were acquitting ourselves admirably, but the game really came to life when we took the lead - and the lead came out of nothing.

Mifsud hit a volley from the corner of the area, and it took a close-range deflection off a defender and looped high over the Blackburn keeper, before dropping into the back of the net to delight the visiting fans.

At that stage the result was still very much in doubt, of course, and Rovers finished the half strongly, with efforts from Benni McCarthy and youngster Kevin Treacy, but we were able to get in at the break a goal to the good, which is more than we dared hope.

After the break there was more Rovers pressure, and they forced a series of corners. Defender Samba went close on three seperate occasions, including a header against the woodwork, and was pushing upfront, but this left holes at the back that we were able to exploit on the break.

Konstantopoulos pushed a shot from Moekena onto the post, but at the other we had chances too, and Dele Adebola glanced a header just wide from a corner. Still, it felt like we were in for a very long half of football.

The second goal arrived in controversial circumstances mid-way through the half, but surprisingly it went our way.

Jay Tabb hit a long-range shot against the crossbar, and in an echo of the goal we conceded against Ipswich recently, Leon Best was set to head into an empty net, but was pushed over by defender Khizanishvilli. The ball bounced off the line, a penalty was awarded, but given the obviousness of the goalscoring opportunity, it really should have been a red card for the Blackburn player who escaped with a booking.

After Micky Doyle's miss the last time we were given a penalty, it was a surprise when Elliott Ward stepped up, but he hit the spot-kick hard, and although Friedel got a touch, it was not enough to stop us taking a 2-0 lead.

It was our first penalty away from home this season, our first goal from a defender, and we were leading Blackburn mid-way through the second half! Amazing!

We came close to grabbing a third when Best broke through into a one-on-one with the keeper, but his final effort hit the post and went out from a tight angle.

But we did get a third on the break, as Adebola sprinted through, holding off defenders in his wake and then simply slotted past the hapless Friedel to finally make our giant-killing hopes look like a certainty.

Blackburn hit back with a late consolation, as Bentley fired in a low, long-range shot that eluded everybody, and may even have given them faint hope, considering how frail our defence can be, but Bentley didn't really celebrate his goal, and half the home fans had gone by then.

Still, it made things a little nervous in the final moments - but we needn't have worried, as another classic counter-attack saw Mifsud break through and score his second and our fourth!

It was the icing on the cake, and Dowie and Flowers (a former Blackburn player) were celebrating ecstatically with the fans - this is a cup tie that few will forget in a hurry.

If only we could play this well in the league!

2008 began with a defeat, as surprise package Bristol City became the first team to do the double over us this season, but the SKy Blues could - and probably should - have snatched a point from this encounter.

Andy Marshall had already made a stop from Brian Wilson, before former Aston Villa forward Darren Byfield continued his record of scoring against us with the opening goal.

We failed to clear our lines, and Byfield fired past Marshall from the edge of the area, ensuring our year got off to the worst possible start.

There were a couple of further chances for the home side, before we finally had an attempt on target, as Micky Doyle's long-range shot was saved.

But our flair players were quiet, and Michael Mifsud couldn't really get into the game, while Bristol City had chances to extend their lead before half-time, with Marvin Elliott twice going close.

At half-time it was clear that more effort was needed, but not clear what could be changed.

We did improve after the break, although our chances were mostly speculative long-range efforts and it was far from a vintage performance.

Mid-way through the half, and slightly against the run of play, Bristol City doubled their lead with Elliott heading in a corner to make it 2-0.

But we responded well this time, and sub Jay Tabb played in Dele Adebola who kept his cool to fire home after beating the offside trap, and it was game-on.

But Leon Best spurned his chance to be a hero, with a late miss, as he hit a shot against the post with the goal at his mercy after the keeper came off his line, and there was nobody to put the rebound away as the home side survived the scare.

It was a hugely disappointing miss as coming back to level from two goals down would have been a huge confidence boost for us.

But Iain Dowie will still be looking for an answer to our inconsistent form this season.