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  • Kick-off: 20:00
  • Venue: Ricoh Arena
  • Attendance: 16178
  • Referee: Pike, M

Live Commentary

90mins

The ref has blown his whistle for full time.

89mins

Stern John is replaced by Don Hutchison.

89mins

Colin Cameron is being taken off, Chris Birchall has come on in his place.

86mins

Leon McKenzie is being taken off, Jay Tabb has come on in his place.

85mins

Goal!! Colchester have scored with Jamie Guy putting it in the back of the net.

80mins

Colchester are replacing Chris Iwelumo with Jamie Guy.

69mins

Goal!! Michael Doyle scores for Coventry.

46mins

The second half is under way with the score currently at 1 v 0.

45mins

The ref has blown his whistle for half time.

45mins

Goal!! Stern John scores for Coventry.

41mins

Colchester are replacing Richard Garcia with Kevin McLeod.

39mins

Karl Duguid is booked for unsporting behaviour.

34mins

Chris Barker goes into the referees book for unsporting behaviour.

29mins

Kevin Watson is replaced by Johnnie Jackson.

11mins

Greg Halford is booked for unsporting behaviour.

0mins

The ref has blown his whistle and the match has started.

Match Report

Stern John proved there's no place like home as he fired Coventry City to victory.

The Trinidad & Tobago international struck in first-half injury time to end a poor run for the home side, before Michael Doyle chipped in with a rare goal to make certain of victory.

Coventry City boss Micky Adams made four changes from the side which fell to defeat at neighbours Wolves.

Richard Duffy returned on his third loan spell from Portsmouth, while Clive Clarke came in for his debut after agreeing a one-month deal from Sunderland.

The two were involved more than they would have wished in the opening minutes as Colchester started very brightly.

Robert Page had to make half a dozen interventions in as many minutes, twice cutting out dangerous attacks with well-timed headers.

But after weathering that early pressure, it was Coventry who really should have taken the lead when they launched their first real attack of note.

Colin Cameron, loitering on the edge of the area, tried his luck with a left-foot volley which went skimming just wide of goal, before John managed to sky an effort over the bar following good work from Leon McKenzie.

The U's went closest through Jamie Cureton, whose long-range effort was spilled by Andy Marshall and had to be hacked to safety by Page.

Coventry were becoming increasingly frustrated but managed to finally get it right inside the first minute of injury time.

Cameron and John combined well for the striker to stroke the ball in past Aidan Davison.

The goal knocked the visitors - who were on a high after their thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday - and they could have gone further behind after the restart when McKenzie saw a header fizz just over the bar from a Cameron corner.

But while they were forcing most of the play and limited Colchester to long-range effort, they needed a second goal to be certain of victory.

And when it came in the 68th minute, it was from an unlikely source.

Combative midfielder Doyle had not found the net for 18 months, but John gave him an unmissable chance and he slid the ball home to end a fine move.

The visitors did rally and Cureton almost found the net with a fine a 25-yard shot before Wayne Brown also went close,

But then, with just six minutes left, Jamie Guy netted and Coventry were left hanging on.

Referee Mike Pike allowed four minutes of overtime and Colchester pressed for all they were worth, but it was too little too late.

Coventry City Team

Colchester United Team

Coventry City

Colchester United

Corners

55

Fouls

128

Goal attempts

1210

Shots off target

96

Offsides

23

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