Live Commentary

Sky Blues ease to three points Coventry inflicted further home misery on Scunthorpe with a 2-0 win in front of the npower Championship`s lowest crowd of the season at Glanford Park. Just 4,397 were in attendance on a bitterly cold afternoon to see Gary McSheffrey`s first-half finish and Joe Murphy`s 73rd-minute own goal extend the Iron`s winless run on home soil to eight league games, stretching back to late August. The Sky Blues were good value for their half-time lead courtesy of McSheffrey`s fifth goal of the season, although the hosts did improve after the break but they are now out of the bottom three on goal difference alone. While the misery continues for United with what was a fourth successive defeat, Coventry are flying high in fifth and continuing to make impressive progress under manager Aidy Boothroyd. Yet the lively Marlon King`s wait for his first goal since making his return to professional football goes on after seeing his effort credited to Murphy, with his shot hitting a post and then the United keeper`s back before trickling over the line. The encounter passed a 10am pitch inspection following the snow flurries that have hit the north east of England. And it was Sky Blues keeper Keiren Westwood who was first to have his gloves warmed with a great reflex save to keep out Michael O`Connor`s drilled effort after just three minutes. It was an open start to proceedings, with King and McSheffrey quickly denied at the other end before the latter fired over the crossbar with his second early opening. Endeavour was aplenty as the first half wore on but clear-cut openings were increasingly hard to come by, with a lack of cutting edge in either final third. But all that changed in the 31st minute as McSheffrey broke the deadlock for the visitors, rounding off a swift move with a straightforward finish after King`s initial effort had been blocked. The writing was on the wall for Scunthorpe having lost all nine previous league games in which they had conceded first, and Clive Platt almost made it two within minutes but he saw his header tipped over the bar by Murphy. The game was certainly there for Coventry`s taking before the break and King came within inches of breaking his City duck when he capitalised on a defensive mix-up to head goalwards past Murphy, only to see Rob Jones hook clear off the line. Ian Baraclough`s side failed to provide the increase in tempo expected immediately after the restart, with the Sky Blues finding it far too easy. But the Iron finally got the bit between their teeth just before the hour mark, forcing four corners in the space of two minutes while City midfielder Aron Gunnarsson deflected Dany N'Guessan`s shot off the line. Scunthorpe continued to apply the pressure, Lee Carsley clearing over the bar before Kevin McDonald drilled just wide. Yet it was game over in the 73rd minute when King saw his shot from 18 yards hit a post and find the net via United keeper Murphy, with the striker doing his best to claim the goal, but his wait goes on.