Best not enough at Sixfields
Posted on: Sat 21 Jul 2007
Leon Best opened his pre-season goal account as the Sky Blues were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Northampton at Sixfields.
The new striker put City into a deserved lead midway through the first-half but the controversial sending off of skipper Elliott Ward in the second period for handball resulted in Cobblers striker Andy Kirk equalising from the penalty spot.
Kevin Kyle hit the bar and Michael Mifsud the post as City dominated an entertaining game for large periods.
A bright start saw Chris Birchall rifle a free-kick over the crossbar before the Trinidad & Tobago winger crossed for Kyle, making his first appearance of pre-season, to send a powerful header at goal which was clawed off the line by Cobblers 'keeper Mark Bunn.
At the other end, City stopper Dimi Konstantopoulos was called into action for the first time after ten minutes when he darted from his line to block a shot from Andy Kirk.
But apart from that, it was the visitors who continued to dictate possession with the influential Kyle seeing another powerful header, this time from a Julian Gray cross, hit the top of the crossbar via a ricochet off a defender.
And their reward arrived in the 21st minute, when Best's first-time volley from a Birchall corner found the bottom corner after finding himself unmarked in the area.
Best tested Dunn again moments later with a low effort from 20-yards, which the 'keeper did well to hold, but he bettered that save soon after as he pushed away Kyle's firm header from point-blank range.
Birchall thought he'd doubled City's tally for the day five minutes into the second-half when he slid a low shot beyond Dunn and into the net, but referee Whitestone ruled the effort out for an offside flag against Best.
Mifsud replaced the impressive Kyle on the hour mark and made an instant impact. The Maltese striker set off an a mazy run at the Northampton backline before unleashing a low shot which beat Dunn, but rebounded back off the post.
But a fruitful afternoon turned sour in the 71st minute when City skipper Elliott Ward was brandished with a red card.
A misplaced pass by Konstantopoulos fell straight to the feet of Cobblers substitute Joe Howe - and with the 'keeper in no mans land - the winger sent the ball towards the net only for Ward to block the ball on the line with his hand.
The referee immediately showed the red card and awarded the home side a penalty, which Kirk sent Konstantopoulos the wrong way to score.
The incident killed the game and neither side threatened to score again.
STATS
Northampton Town 1 Andy Kirk (73)
Coventry City 1 Leon Best (21)
Northampton: Bunn, Crowe, Dolman, M Hughes, Jackman, Henderson (Aiston, 8), Burnell (Gilligan 54), Johnson, Holt, Larkin (Howe, 62), Kirk.
Subs (Not Used): Dunn, May, Quinn, Dyer.
Coventry: Konstantopoulos, McNamee (Hildreth, 46), Page (Hall, 75), Ward (sent-off 71), Borrowdale (Giddings, 62), Birchall (Cairo, 62), S Hughes (Osbourne, 68), Thornton (Doyle, 68), Gray (Davis, 46) (Simpson, 78), Best (Hawkins, 72), Kyle (Mifsud, 62).
Subs (Not Used): Marshall
The new striker put City into a deserved lead midway through the first-half but the controversial sending off of skipper Elliott Ward in the second period for handball resulted in Cobblers striker Andy Kirk equalising from the penalty spot.
Kevin Kyle hit the bar and Michael Mifsud the post as City dominated an entertaining game for large periods.
A bright start saw Chris Birchall rifle a free-kick over the crossbar before the Trinidad & Tobago winger crossed for Kyle, making his first appearance of pre-season, to send a powerful header at goal which was clawed off the line by Cobblers 'keeper Mark Bunn.
At the other end, City stopper Dimi Konstantopoulos was called into action for the first time after ten minutes when he darted from his line to block a shot from Andy Kirk.
But apart from that, it was the visitors who continued to dictate possession with the influential Kyle seeing another powerful header, this time from a Julian Gray cross, hit the top of the crossbar via a ricochet off a defender.
And their reward arrived in the 21st minute, when Best's first-time volley from a Birchall corner found the bottom corner after finding himself unmarked in the area.
Best tested Dunn again moments later with a low effort from 20-yards, which the 'keeper did well to hold, but he bettered that save soon after as he pushed away Kyle's firm header from point-blank range.
Birchall thought he'd doubled City's tally for the day five minutes into the second-half when he slid a low shot beyond Dunn and into the net, but referee Whitestone ruled the effort out for an offside flag against Best.
Mifsud replaced the impressive Kyle on the hour mark and made an instant impact. The Maltese striker set off an a mazy run at the Northampton backline before unleashing a low shot which beat Dunn, but rebounded back off the post.
But a fruitful afternoon turned sour in the 71st minute when City skipper Elliott Ward was brandished with a red card.
A misplaced pass by Konstantopoulos fell straight to the feet of Cobblers substitute Joe Howe - and with the 'keeper in no mans land - the winger sent the ball towards the net only for Ward to block the ball on the line with his hand.
The referee immediately showed the red card and awarded the home side a penalty, which Kirk sent Konstantopoulos the wrong way to score.
The incident killed the game and neither side threatened to score again.
STATS
Northampton Town 1 Andy Kirk (73)
Coventry City 1 Leon Best (21)
Northampton: Bunn, Crowe, Dolman, M Hughes, Jackman, Henderson (Aiston, 8), Burnell (Gilligan 54), Johnson, Holt, Larkin (Howe, 62), Kirk.
Subs (Not Used): Dunn, May, Quinn, Dyer.
Coventry: Konstantopoulos, McNamee (Hildreth, 46), Page (Hall, 75), Ward (sent-off 71), Borrowdale (Giddings, 62), Birchall (Cairo, 62), S Hughes (Osbourne, 68), Thornton (Doyle, 68), Gray (Davis, 46) (Simpson, 78), Best (Hawkins, 72), Kyle (Mifsud, 62).
Subs (Not Used): Marshall
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