Late Shrews goal tames City
Posted on: Thu 19 Jul 2007
Jay Tabb and Stuart Giddings were on target as City kicked-off their pre-season campaign with an entertaining 2-2 draw at Shrewsbury Town.
Iain Dowie's men came from behind after a slow start and had looked set to claim a victory, but a fortunate equaliser from Kelvin Langmead earned the battling Shrews a share of the spoils.
The League Two outfit started the game brighter of the two sides, with striker Dave Hibbert's header wide at the back-post from a deep Ben Herd cross an early warning sign after just 37 seconds.
And they made their pressure count in fifth minute as defender Darren Kempson drilled the ball into the top corner of the net from 12-yards after the Sky Blues failed to clear a corner from the right.
But City responded in the 23rd minute when Tabb grabbed an equaliser. The midfielder confidently slid the ball beyond 'keeper Glynn Garner from close-range after being played in behind the Shrewsbury defence by a superb through-pass from skipper for the night Michael Doyle.
Isaac Osbourne and Dele Adebola then saw shots blocked before Dele Adebola failed to connect with an attempted over-head kick.
The home side were then awarded a penalty when Colin Hawkins brought down Hibbert in the area, but City 'keeper Marshall gave boss Dowie something to think about as he bids to retain the number one jersey by diving low to his left to push Hibbert's spot-kick around the post.
On the stroke of half-time, a surging run from Sky Blues' right-back David McNamee almost ended with a goal, but the Scotsman's powerful low shot deflected narrowly wide of target.
But City began the second period as Shrewsbury had started the first - with a goal.
A mazy run and cross from Ellery Cairo wasn't cleared by the Shrews defence and Giddings was on hand at the back post to volley home from close-range.
Dowie made several substitutions on the hour, including a debut for new defender Gary Borrowdale, but Shrewsbury almost grabbed an equaliser when a swift counter attack ended with Marshall turning away a fierce low drive from winger Marc Pugh.
Michael Mifsud, a half-time replacement for Adebola, then forced Garner to parry the ball over the crossbar with a shot on the turn from a tight-angle after another defence-splitting pass from the influential Doyle.
But Pugh missed a golden chance to level matters in the 85th minute when he sliced wildly over the crossbar with the goal gaping after giving his marker the slip at the back-post.
Another substitute, striker Leon Best then stung Garner's fingertips with a ferocious drive from 25-yards which the 'keeper did well to punch over the bar, while Donovan Simmonds saw a glancing header from the resulting corner cleared off the line.
That had looked to be the final act of the match, but with just 30 seconds of normal time remaining, Langmead's deflected shot looped over a stranded Marshall and into the net via the post despite a desperate effort from Robert Page to clear the ball away.
Stats
Shrewsbury Town 2 Darren Kempson (5), Kelvin Langmead (89)
Coventry City 2 Jay Tabb (23), Stuart Giddings (46)
Shrewsbury: Garner, Herd, Kempson, Langmead, Ashton, Drummond (Leslie, 67), Pugh, Hall, Humphrey (T Moss, 88), Cooke (Murdock, 61), Hibbert.
Subs (Not Used): Donnelly, Mackenzie, Flynn.
Coventry: Marshall, McNamee (Birchall, 56), Hawkins (Ward, 67), Hall (Page, 76), Giddings (Borrowdale, 64), Cairo (Simmonds, 78), Doyle (Thornton, 76), Osbourne (S Hughes, 76), Tabb (Davis, 64), McKenzie (Best, 70), Adebola (Mifsud, 46).
Subs (Not Used): Konstantopoulos, Gooding.
Iain Dowie's men came from behind after a slow start and had looked set to claim a victory, but a fortunate equaliser from Kelvin Langmead earned the battling Shrews a share of the spoils.
The League Two outfit started the game brighter of the two sides, with striker Dave Hibbert's header wide at the back-post from a deep Ben Herd cross an early warning sign after just 37 seconds.
And they made their pressure count in fifth minute as defender Darren Kempson drilled the ball into the top corner of the net from 12-yards after the Sky Blues failed to clear a corner from the right.
But City responded in the 23rd minute when Tabb grabbed an equaliser. The midfielder confidently slid the ball beyond 'keeper Glynn Garner from close-range after being played in behind the Shrewsbury defence by a superb through-pass from skipper for the night Michael Doyle.
Isaac Osbourne and Dele Adebola then saw shots blocked before Dele Adebola failed to connect with an attempted over-head kick.
The home side were then awarded a penalty when Colin Hawkins brought down Hibbert in the area, but City 'keeper Marshall gave boss Dowie something to think about as he bids to retain the number one jersey by diving low to his left to push Hibbert's spot-kick around the post.
On the stroke of half-time, a surging run from Sky Blues' right-back David McNamee almost ended with a goal, but the Scotsman's powerful low shot deflected narrowly wide of target.
But City began the second period as Shrewsbury had started the first - with a goal.
A mazy run and cross from Ellery Cairo wasn't cleared by the Shrews defence and Giddings was on hand at the back post to volley home from close-range.
Dowie made several substitutions on the hour, including a debut for new defender Gary Borrowdale, but Shrewsbury almost grabbed an equaliser when a swift counter attack ended with Marshall turning away a fierce low drive from winger Marc Pugh.
Michael Mifsud, a half-time replacement for Adebola, then forced Garner to parry the ball over the crossbar with a shot on the turn from a tight-angle after another defence-splitting pass from the influential Doyle.
But Pugh missed a golden chance to level matters in the 85th minute when he sliced wildly over the crossbar with the goal gaping after giving his marker the slip at the back-post.
Another substitute, striker Leon Best then stung Garner's fingertips with a ferocious drive from 25-yards which the 'keeper did well to punch over the bar, while Donovan Simmonds saw a glancing header from the resulting corner cleared off the line.
That had looked to be the final act of the match, but with just 30 seconds of normal time remaining, Langmead's deflected shot looped over a stranded Marshall and into the net via the post despite a desperate effort from Robert Page to clear the ball away.
Stats
Shrewsbury Town 2 Darren Kempson (5), Kelvin Langmead (89)
Coventry City 2 Jay Tabb (23), Stuart Giddings (46)
Shrewsbury: Garner, Herd, Kempson, Langmead, Ashton, Drummond (Leslie, 67), Pugh, Hall, Humphrey (T Moss, 88), Cooke (Murdock, 61), Hibbert.
Subs (Not Used): Donnelly, Mackenzie, Flynn.
Coventry: Marshall, McNamee (Birchall, 56), Hawkins (Ward, 67), Hall (Page, 76), Giddings (Borrowdale, 64), Cairo (Simmonds, 78), Doyle (Thornton, 76), Osbourne (S Hughes, 76), Tabb (Davis, 64), McKenzie (Best, 70), Adebola (Mifsud, 46).
Subs (Not Used): Konstantopoulos, Gooding.
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