Match Reports

Newly promoted Doncaster did what almost all sides that work their way up from the lower leagues do, and helped themselves to a win over an unlucky Coventry side, as we battled hard but slumped to defeat for the third time in a week, and remain without a win at Donny. Ever.

It was a flattering result for a side that didn't win a single corner in the entire match, and while they won it with an unstoppable wonderstrike, we can feel aggrieved having created more chances, had a goal disallowed, and a good penalty appeal turned down.

We were encouraged by the return to fitness of first-choice players, including Keiren Westwood in goal, though we still have a problem at right-back, with Marcus Hall having to fill in.

Richie Wellens had an early shot for Doncaster, while Lewis Guy's effort was blocked by Marcus Hall, but we generally looked solid at the back.

Every time we pushed forward we looked dangerous, with early shots from Clinton Morrison and the returning Freddy Eastwood keeping Neil Sullivan busy, as we forced a series of corners.

Mid-way through the half, we looked to have scored, though the linesman's flag denied Michael Mifsud his first goal of the season. A couple of minutes later, and Eastwood found himself unmarked in space and unlike Mifsud was on side, but could only curl a shot into the side netting, letting the home side off the hook,

Shortly afterwards, we were 1-0 down, with a goal out of absolutely nothing, as Richie Wellens fired in a strike from 30 yards that gave Westwood (or indeed anybody else) no chance whatsoever.

It was a quality goal, and not in keeping with the game. There were more corners for us at the other end, Mifsud blazed over after beating the offside trap, and a late Danny Fox corner found the head of Scott Dann only for the ball to be cleared off the line.

At half-time we were a goal down, but always looked like we might get back into it.

The second half saw City attacking the goal behind which the expectant Sky Blues fans were waiting for an equaliser, but Neil Sullivan made a couple of crucial saves early in the half to keep his team ahead, denying Jay Tabb, then collecting a speculative long-range shot from Guillame Beuzlin after the home defence gave away possession.

Mifsud then had another shot saved, but Doncaster almost scored on the counter-attack, as we riskily pushed a lot of players forward, with Dann playing like another striker at times.

Chris Coleman had seen enough, and tried to change things around, bringing on Leon Best for his first appearance of the season on his return from injury.

And Best had a header saved seconds after coming on, before seemingly being brought down in the area after some nifty trickery, though a good penalty appeal was waved away.

Later in the game we had a chance to use out not-so-secret weapon, the Aron Gunnarsson long throw-in, and sub Leon McKenzie tested Sullivan with a header, but the ball just wouldn't go in for us.

We deserved an equaliser, and while Doncaster were able to have a couple of cracks on goal at the other end because of our over-commitment upfront, Westwood wasn't really tested.

There was to be no late goal, and our good start to the season has now become a stuttering one, as this will be seen as points dropped, even with all our strikers available. It's a situation we've been in many times before, and nobody has found an answer yet. Difficult times.

Ultimately it was to be predictable Carling Cup disappointment and no giant-killing, but a battling Sky Blues side, decimated by injuries in key areas, pushed Newcastle all the way for 120 minutes, never gave up the fight, and have much to be proud of after this determined showing.

We got off to a slow start, somewhat overwhelmed by the pace and ability of our Premiership opponents. With last season's hero of this competition Michael Mifsud, and Leon McKenzie both inlcuded, but playing in wide positions, Clinton Morrison looked isolated on his own upfront.

Bizarrely, Newcastle did just the opposite tonight - playing no recognised strikers, and having midfielders up in advanced positions.

Marcus Hall made his first start of the campaign after a pre-season injury, filling in as an emergency right-back, but he was given short shrift by Newcastle winger James Milner who ran him ragged down the flank.

The visitors enjoyed lots of possession, kept us on the back foot, and forced several early corners, though Scott Dann and Elliott Ward were reliable, if unpretty, in central defence. In a rare moment of respite, Jay Tabb seemed to be brought down on the edge of the area, but we weren't given the free-kick, let alone a penalty.

Mid-way through the half, the visitors took the lead through a soft goal. Milner had found space down the left, and sent in a low cross that spun off Scott Dann, then rolled past Andy Marshall, wrong-footing the veteran keeper.

Having conceded we continued to struggle manfully, but Newcastle had more class, and our most effective weapon seemed to be route-one punts downfield and the long throw-ins of Aron Gunnarsson.

A second goal from the visitors seemed to kill us off, and again it was Milner down the left giving Marcus a headache and whipping a cross into the danger area - this time it wasn't even an own goal, as nobody seemed to get much of a touch, but the ball ended up in the back of the net again in what was almost a carbon copy of the first goal.

But our heads didn't drop and shortly before half-time we got ourselves back into the game, just when it looked like we might be on the wrong end of a hiding.

Newcastle's goals had been scrappy, and made Andy Marshall look poor, but Clinton Morrison's stoppage-time strike from the edge of the area was a peach of a curler that gave Shay Given no chance, after Tabb's initial shot was blocked.

At half-time we went in at just 2-1 down, and there was life in the game yet.

After the break we played some more confident football, and now that we had to score, weren't quite so defensive. The quiet Guillame Beuzelin made way for Micky Doyle, and Doyler got stuck in straight away with some hard tackles and didn't waste time in mouthing off to any opposition players within earshot.

Newcastle brought on their trump card, Michael Owen, because despite forcing several corners once more, they weren't able to add to their lead, and we always had a chance to nick an equaliser.

Morrison went close with a header, and sub Julian Gray had a long-range shot go over, but as the clocked ticked into two minutes of stoppage time, it looked like we had lost.

But an injury in stoppage time meant another minute was added on, and we happened to win a throw-in on the right with just seconds remaining.

Everybody pushed up for the set-piece, and Gunnarsson's Exocet Missile found the head of captain Scott Dann, who made no mistake with his Houchen-esque bullet header, sending the home fans into rapture. With the last touch of the game it was 2-2 - Dann's first goal for the club coming at a vitally important time.

This, of course, meant an extra 30 minutes of play, and by now the crowd were really up for it. Our comeback had made this a classic cup-tie, and we were more than matching the visitors now.

With Robbie Simpson having come on late in regulation time, we had no substitutions remaining when Gunnarsson pulled up with cramp and had to go off the field for treatment.

It was while we were down to ten men that Mifsud seemed to be brought down mid-way inside the Newcastle half, but no free-kick was awarded, and the visitors played a long ball over the top to Owen who was one-on-one with Marshall.

Although the keeper got a touch, he couldn't keep the ball from crossing the line, and the Toon had regained the lead - but the whistle really should have gone for the foul immediately before.

Yet again, we had chances to equalise, with Simpson stinging Given's fingertips from 20 yards, and then in first-half stoppage time, Elliott Ward crashed a header against the woodwork from Dan Fox's corner - we were so close to netting a third stoppage time goal of the game.

But it was still 3-2 going into the final 15 minute spell, and this time Newcastle were more focussed on timewasting. We had a free-kick, which Fox left for Simpson, and he was close but not close enough.

This time as the clock ticked down there was to be no dramatic equaliser, as the visitors held on and kept the ball in safe areas as much as possible.

But it was a tremendous effort against a higher-ranked side, especially given the players who were missing, and a good response to Saturday's defeat to Bristol City. We won't be going far in the League Cup this year, but we've done ourselves proud.

History repeated itself against cheating Bristol City, as the Sky Blues dominated a controversial game for long periods, but suffered their first defeat of the season - a defeat by a ridiculous scoreline indeed - thanks to poor sportsmanship and terrible refereeing.

If we had ridden our luck in our first few games of the season, we were on the wrong end of absolutely everything today, including former player Dele Adebola coming back to not only haunt us, but taunt us too.

Before kick-off, Adebola was actually greeted with a good reception (which he won't be getting in the future), while Michael Mifsud who almost joined our opponents recently was greeted with boos from the visiting fans.

Robins keeper Adriano Basso was busy early on, with Mifsud forcing an early save, and then Freddy Eastwood hitting a fierce effort that was pushed behind for a corner.

It was completely against the run of play that the visitors took the lead, and indeed against the spirit of the game. Kieren Westwood came to collect a cross, and the hefty Adebola crashed into him, crashing heads and knocking the keeper out cold.

While we waited for a free-kick to be award as Westwood lay concussed on the floor, Adebola poked the ball into the empty net, then ran off to celebrate, before they even started treating Westwood for his injury.

It was a sickening display of selfishness and lack of sportsmanship, while referee Phil Dowd was somewhat cunty in not blowing up as soon as Westwood was KO'd. Amazingly, the goal stood, and we were 1-0 down and had to take off our first choice keeper.

So after a lengthy delay, play resumed with Andy Marshall on for his first appearance of the season, and the incident had clearly knocked the stuffing out of us.

The first half got worse. as we had a stonewall penalty claim turned down by a referee not even prepared to make recompense for his earlier mistake when Eastwood set up Clinton Morrison who seemed to be clearly held back.

Chris Coleman protested, and was sent to the stands by a referee who was becoming unpopular with every passing decision and who seemed utterly determined that we would lose heavily at all costs.

We peppered their goal, with Eastwood - now struggling himself with a groin strain - and Morrison both having shots saved by Basso, and a goalmouth scramble just before the interval saw us conspiratorially fail to equalise, when by this stage we should rightly have been a couple of goals ahead.

There were boos at half-time, mostly aimed at Adebola and the referee, but this was not to get any better.

Early in the second half, a soft shot from McIndoe from just inside the area trickled past Andy Marshall to make it 2-0, and it was clear there would be no way back from there.

We continued to battle, sub Leon McKenzie had a couple of half-chances, and Morrison hit a post with a late header, but there was to be an undeserved third courtesy of sub Steve Brooker - by which time many Sky Blues fans had long since departed.

The result is a disgrace and the game turned on a controversial incident that should have seen a simple free-kick given to us - the loss of our first choice keeper is unlucky enough in itself, without having to concede an unsporting goal to Adebola.

And Phil Dowd is, officially, a cunt.

In-form City made it three wins from their opening three games of the season, as the somewhat maligned Julian Gray scored the winner at Oakwell, and Freddie Eastwood opened his account for the club.

It was an evenly-matched game, in contrast to the occasions when we've stuck four past Barnsley, but our excellent record against the Tykes continued, despite fielding a patched-up side, with Aron Gunnarsson at right-back after Stephen Wright failed a fitness test - the trend of playing a defensive midfielder at right-back continuing from last season.

Barnsley made the better start, with Canadian International Iain Hume's cross testing Keiren Westwood early on, before saving a header from defender Darren Moore.

Westwood then had to save a free-kick, as the hosts put us under early pressure, but in the 11th minute we scored against the run of play: Michael Mifsud, on his first league appearance of the season, made a run down the right, and played the ball to Eastwood who delivered an in-swinging cross.

It looked like the ball was turned in by Clinton Morrison at the far post, but on closer inspection, nobody had got a second touch, and Eastwood had scored a fluke goal - his first for the Sky Blues.

We didn't really deserve to be in front, and the nature of the goal stunned Barnsley into silence. We should have made it 2-0 when Elliott Ward headed a Danny Fox free-kick against the post, so in a sense the hosts were let off after the earlier goal.

Late in the half they equalised, and it was a simple goal, with Brian Howard smashing in a cross from the right, giving Westwood little chance, and so we went in level at the break, having conceded in the league for the first time this season.

After the interval, Barnsley enjoyed some possession, without particularly threatening our goal, but former Sky Blues loanee Luke Steele was kept busy at the other end, with Eastwood, Mifsud and Morrison all testing him.

The home side tried to assert themselves on the game, but Hume was wasteful in front of goal, and they were made to pay mid-way through the half when we regained the lead.

Eastwood was the provider this time, setting up Julian Gray who curled in a shot from the left corner of the penalty area, similiar to his pre-season strike against Kilmarnock.

It was 2-1, and the winner was Gray all over - he can frustrate the fans by doing little for most of the game, but the winger has enough quality about him to change a game in an instant, and he'd done just that today.

Barnsley brought on alternate strikers, and tried to push for an equaliser, but their task got harder when ex-Leicester man Hume picked up a second yellow for a tackle on Mifsud, reducing them to ten men.

Right at the death, they had a chance to snatch a leveller, but Westwood was equal to Diego Leon's shot, and we ran out winners, rather fortuitously in truth.

It's a cliché that one hears all the time: Good teams can win without playing well.

We've now won our first three games of the season without really moving out of a low gear, and that could be an excellent omen. Just think what we'll be like when we start really playing!?!

A quick-fire double from Robbie Simpson early in the second half fired us through to the second round, but there was strong defensive resistance from an Aldershot side not used to losing.

For the first time ever, we were allowed to name seven substitutes in a competitive game, and Chris Coleman made changes from Saturday, some enforced, some optional. Danny Ireland made his senior debut in goal, midfielder Adam Walker had a place on the bench for the first time, and most significantly, Michael Mifsud made his first appearance since his Summer transfer to Bristol City fell through, playing on the left side of midfield.

The visitors had an early chance when our defence was caught napping, and striker John Grant attempted to chip Ireland, but he cleared the bar, and the scare was over.

Thereafter we peppered the Shots goal, with Simpson going close from a Freddy Eastwood cross, and Eastwood himself having a couple of shots well saved by the busy Aldershot keeper.

Mifsud was given a reasonable reception, and had an OK game down the flank, though most of the action was on the opposite side of the field. Guillame Beuzelin was pulling the strings in midfield, and seems to be the cool passing midfield maestro we've lacked in recent seasons.

We broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, as Eastwood set up strike partner Morrison for an easy finish, and this should have been the signal to go on and win comfortably.

But the visitors won a free-kick just outside the area, and Donnelly's free-kick took a wicked deflection off teammate Marvin Morgan, and gave Ireland no chance - it was a lucky goal, but gave Aldershot hope.

And both sides tried to get in ahead at half-time, with Danny Fox having a shot from long-range, and Aldershot forcing Ireland into a save from a corner. But it was to be 1-1 at the break.

As happened against Norwich on Saturday and in some of our pre-season games, we improved after the interval, and we forced a succession of corners, while strikes from Eastwood and Mifsud kept the Shots keeper busy.

And it was Robbie Simpson who scored only his third goal for us to restore our lead, finishing from a tight angle in a goalmouth scramble after a Fox corner.

Minutes later he effectively sealed the game, with a neat finish from the edge of the area after good work from Eastwood. Now on a hat-trick, it was harsh that Simpson was taken off, but subbed he was, and Saturday's scorer Leon McKenzie came on, playing on the left, with Mifsud replacing Simpson on the right flank - the recent tactic of using forwards as wingers appears to be even more prevalent this season than it was last time!

Eastwood came agonisingly close to extending our lead, and Mifsud finished the game strongly, with a couple of shots on target and some nice runs.

At the end, Micky Doyle was brought on for a minute or two's exercise, having missed all the pre-season following a Summer operation.

In all it was a professional nights work, and there was to be no banana skin on the clubs 125th anniversary as we advance comfortably to the second round.

The Sky Blues maintained both their good record on the opening day of the season and solid home record against Norwich, with a somewhat undeserved victory to kick off the new season.

Chris Coleman fielded all six of his Summer signings in the starting eleven, and the debutants took a while to gel as the visitors dominated the opening half.

Kieren Westwood had to make a save from the tricky Arturo Lupoli, and the new keeper looked very solid in goal, as did his back four in front of him. Ironically if there was a weak link at the back it was newly-named captain Scott Dann who made a couple of mistakes, while Elliott Ward looked rock-like and new signing Stephen Wright comfortable and assured in the right-back slot.

We took a while to get going, with midfield duo Guillame Beuzlin and Aron Gunnarsson sometimes playing too close to each other, and there weren't many chances for the new-look strikeforce of Clinton Morrison and Freddie Eastwood.

However, we fashioned a chance against the run of play when Julian Gray chipped keeper David Marshall, and the ball almost dropped in, but in fact went just over the bar.

Norwich continued to put our defence under pressure, though they came up against a brick wall at times, as an overhead kick from John Kennedy was weak and easily cleared, and both Cureton and Croft failed to put away chances, with Ward making crucial blocks.

Just before half time, Jay Tabb was hacked down by veteran defender Stefanovic on the edge of the area when clear through on goal, and the former Premiership player really should have seen red on his Norwich debut. Instead the ref was lenient in booking him, and from the resultant free-kick, Fox couldn't test the keeper.

Tabb was badly hurt, and struggled on to half-time, but last season's finest player would clearly have to be replaced as we held out with the score level.

After the break it was a different story. Early on, Beuzelin made a lovely run onto a loose ball from midfield, beating two players and was eventually upended by Clingan, although there wasn't much contact.

But the penalty was given, perhaps in light of the generosity shown after the foul on Tabb in the first half, and Ward continued where he left off last season (and indeed in last week's friendly at Kilmarnock), maintaining his 100% record from the spot with a power penalty to break the deadlock.

At 1-0 the game opened up a little, and both sides created chances. Eastwood almost scored with a header after a cross from Morrison, and at the other end, Westwood saved superbly well from sub Omar Koroma.

What we lacked upfront, we made up for at the back, and there was still a fairytale story in the making, when Leon McKenzie came on against his former club.

McKenzie almost scored with his first touch, getting on the end of a long throw from Gunnarsson (which could become a trademark for the Icelandic player) and having struggled with injuries last season was still looking for his hundreth senior career goal, having scored the 99th almost a year ago.

It was another insightful move from creative midfielder Beuzelin that lead to the goal, this time he played in Clinton Morrison who looked certain to score on his debut, but his shot came back off the underside of the bar and bounced down on the line - where McKenzie was on hand to tap in his milestone goal.

There was a lot of stoppage time, and subs Robbie Simpson and Kevin Thornton both had late pops at goal in the closing stages. Norwich continued to carry a threat, but were lamenting their failure to capitalise on first-half superiority as we held on for the win.

It's always nice to get the season underway with a win, especially as we're likely to improve on this performance quite easily as players get used to working with one another, and the defence looks very strong indeed this season. Good times ahead?