football.co.uk web
skip to content
That's it, it's all over, the referee has blown the final whistle.
Gareth Bale is being taken off, Martin Cranie has come on in his place.
Rudi Skacel is being taken off, Andrew Surman has come on in his place.
Grzegorz Rasiak takes a penalty for Southampton and scores!.
Don Hutchison is booked for dissent.
Bradley Wright-Phillips is being taken off, Kenwyne Jones has come on in his place.
Gary McSheffrey is being taken off, Don Hutchison has come on in his place.
Chris Birchall is being taken off, Colin Cameron has come on in his place.
Dele Adebola is replaced by Adam Virgo.
Goal!! Gareth Bale scores for Southampton.
The second half is under way with the score currently at 0 v 0.
Half time whistle is blown by G Hegley
Marcus Hall is booked for unsporting behaviour.
It's 7:45pm on Wednesday, August 9th, the match has kicked off.
Gareth Bale scored his second goal of the season with another stunning long-range free-kick as Southampton swept aside Coventry's muscular challenge. Bale, Wales' youngest international at 16, scored something similar at Derby on the opening day. This time after 61 minutes, the powerfully-built full-back stepped up to bang his 30-yard free-kick beyond the dive of Andy Marshall for the opening goal. The precocious teenager almost added another 10 minutes later from the same position but this time Marshall got across to his right to make a diving save. Southampton's second with just four minutes remaining had an element of good fortune when Poland striker Grzegorz Rasiak earned a penalty after falling over the foot of Elliott Ward when there was no obvious danger. Coventry were furious with the decision of referee Grant Hegley and substitute Don Hutchison was booked for dissent. But Rasiak kept his nerve and beat Marshall with his spot-kick to earn Southampton their first win of the season. They could have even grabbed a third when substitute Kenwyne Jones struck a post in the last minute with a low shot. All this was in contrast to the first half when Coventry looked the better side but the nearest they came to scoring was on 15 minutes when Dele Adebola headed against a post from a centre by Stephen Hughes. Southampton's new keeper Kelvin Davis made two important early saves from Stern John and from Adebola, while Ward wasted a clear opening by heading against a group of players when unmarked at a corner by Gary McSheffrey. But as the first half improved so did Southampton and John Viafara went close with a 25-yard shot and then with a header from a corner. The second half belonged to George Burley's team and they should have gone ahead on 58 minutes only for Bradley Wright-Phillips to have a header cleared off the line by David McNamee. Once Saints had gone ahead Coventry fell away but they should have pulled one back in injury time when John ran clear on to a Pele back pass but Davis rushed from his goal to force the shot wide.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
advertisement
football.co.uk