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Coventry Preview

By: Richard Hubbert
Date: 12/09/2002

TOWN travel to Coventry with few expecting the Mariners to come back anything but empty handed from Highfield Road. Adding to their goals scored tally, which currently stands at a woeful one from seven games, would alone be an achievement!

Home > 2002-2003 Season > Previews > Coventry (a)


The Bottom Line

It’s quite simple. One goal in eleven hours of football. A goal would be nice!

Recent Form

 

TownCoventry
LChesterfield(h)0-1 (AET)
LMillwall(a)0-2
LPortsmouth(h)0-1
DBradford(a)0-0
LDerby(h)1-2
WColchester(h)3-0
LForest(h)0-1
LWatford(a)2-5
WPalace(h)1-0
WReading(a)2-1

Players To Watch

 

TownCoventry

John McDermott

Gary McSheffrey

He’s been Town’s best player by far this season. He is our great captain. Sadly though, he is not "inspirational" because people simply don’t take after him - if they did we wouldn’t be in this mess! Macca though, is the club’s record appearance holder and has been with Town for 16 years and is showing no signs of ageing. Long may it continue.

Is the youngest player ever to appear in the Premier league, making his debut at just 16. Since then, he has had problems with various injuries, but a return to the Coventry side at the end of last season brought him back on track. Now, at the age of 20 is looking to make an impact in division one, and has done so far, currently the club’s top scorer with 3 goals.

Top Scorers

 

TownCoventry

Barnard 1
Everyone else 0

McSheffrey 3
Bothroyd 2
Hughes 1
Davenport 1
Eustace 1

Team News

 

TownCoventry

  • There are severe doubts over the fitness of Tony Gallimore who picked up an Achilles injury during Town’s loss at home to Chesterfield on Tuesday night.

  • This could mean that Darren Barnard starts at left back, after recovering from the flu’, and Stuart Campbell resumes on the left wing.

  • Terry Cooke needed stitches in his eye and could miss out. This would mean either Colidicott, Pouton Or Bolder Would have to play on the wing! Otherwise, a switch to 3-5-2 is likely.

  • Another alternative is Iain Ward who came on and did well against Chesterfield.

  • Striker Robert Taylor could return after his calf injury he sustained against Bradford. He is unlikely to be thrown in at the deep end, preliminarily because of his fitness, but also because of the promising Robinson-Kabba partnership up front.

  • Simon Ford could return at centre back, (hopefully!) in place of Steve Chettle. Elsewhere, one of Jamie Pollock or Chris Bolder could make the bench.
  • Gary McCallister has virtually a full squad to choose from since Mo Konjic's return to the side on Wednesday night in the Worthington Cup.

  • Only a long term injuries to Julian Joachim and Keith O’Neill affects what would be the former Scotland midfielder’s first choice side.

  • Morten Hyldgaard is expected though, to return to the side after being rested for his side’s Worthington Cup clash with Colchester. He will replace Febien Debec between the posts.

  • Probable Starting XI's

     

    TownCoventry
    Danny Coyne
    John McDermott (c)
    Darren Barnard
    Simon Ford
    Paul Groves
    Terry Cooke
    Alan Pouton
    Stuart Campbell
    Stacy Coldicott
    Paul Robinson
    Steve Kabba
    Morten Hyldgaard
    Richard Shaw
    Gary Caldwell
    Mo Konjic
    Dean Gordon
    Laurent Delorge
    John Eustace
    Gary McCallister
    Youssef Chippo
    Lee Mills
    Gary McSheffrey

    Subs

     

    TownCoventry
    Robert Taylor
    Iain Ward
    Steve Chettle
    Chris Bolder
    Shaun Allaway (GK)
    Febien Debec (GK
    Jay Bothroy
    Robert Bett
    Lee Fowle
    Barry Quinn

    Last Time Out

    The last time the two sides met, turned out to be Lennie Lawrence’s last game as Town manager, back on Boxing Day last year. 7,568 people turned up, expecting a Christmas Cracker. They certainly didn’t get one! It was a lacklustre display from the Mariners who looked very different from the side that beat the Sky Blues at Highfield Road back in September. Lee Hughes scored the vital goal for the Midlands team, lobbing Danny Coyne. However, Hughes, now back at West Brom, then missed a penalty, sending his kick high into the Pontoon, and then got sent off for lashing out at Alan Neilson. Town, meanwhile, ended up with 4 strikers on the field and still failed to find the net.

    Town Team: Coyne, Neilson, Gallimore, Groves, Ford, Chapman, Willems, Burnett, Butterfield, Jevons, Boulding.
    Subs: Thompson, Coldicott, Jeffrey, Smith, Croudson.
    Attendance: 4,940   Report

    Coventry Head-to-Head (70th on The Opposition Ladder).

    Prediction

    Fishy prediction: 0-0. What else can it be without sounding unrealistic or just plain negative?. Reader's POMs

    Directions

    Click on the link for directions to Highfield Road (left).

    Click on the link for the pub guide around Highfield Road.



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