Football: BERG-ERED!; Sky Blues lack the scoring touch - again COVENTRY 0 ARSENAL 1.Byline: Adam Dent COVENTRY City will again turn to the transfer market this week in a bid to buy the goals that would keep them in football's top flight for a 35th successive season. The Sky Blues failed in a bid to sign Wimbledon John Hartson John Hartson (born April 5, 1975, in Swansea, Wales) is a professional footballer,currently playing for Norwich City on loan from West Bromwich Albion. He is in the mould of a traditional centre forward and "target man". earlier this week but could now move to secure another front man before next Monday's trip to West Ham Coordinates: West Ham is a district in the London Borough of Newham, in east London, England, located 6.1 miles (9.8 km) east of Charing Cross. From 1889 to 1965 it formed part of the County Borough of West Ham. United, This was a third game in succession in which Coventry had tasted defeat by a single goal without managing a reply. Once again chances went begging and while Gordan Strachan could have no complaints at his side's effort, they failed to convert a good first-half performance into anything tangible. Tunnel The Coventry manager said: 'The last time we played at home we lost to Everton and felt like digging a tunnel to get out of the ground but today the players could meet their families and the supporters with their heads held high. We've played three games since going out of the FA Cup and no team has really bothered us even though we have lost on every occasion. This performance encapsulated our season. We had chances in the first half, worked hard and believed in what we were doing against a team of world-class players but we just can't score goals. People who are striking the ball from 20 yards out are tensing up because everyone is aware of our problems. It's not just small chances going begging and we've got to score more. 'I thought our youngsters were quite magnificent today and people have to remember that we are a very young side - we had six or seven players who were 22 years old or less. 'I've always said home-grown players would die for their club and the younger element have done very well of late, I thought in the first half we were as good as Arsenal while our back four did well. 'We knew that Arsenal would create chances because of their quality but we didn't expect to lose to a Dennis Bergkamp Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (born May 10, 1969 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch professional footballer. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, Arsenal and also represented the Netherlands at international level. header'. How Coventry would love a player of the Dutchman's quality. Strachan was able to bring in Cedric Roussell, a reported target for Wolverhampton Wanderers, after a hamstring strain and the young Belgian partnered Moustapha Hadji in attack. Coventry looked surprisingly buoyant in the first half, seemingly unfettered by their perilous position near the foot of the table. Hadji set up David Thompson There are several men named David Thompson:
Arsenal did send a couple of centres across the face of goal but it was the home side driving the game forward with Thompson making a hefty early contribution, The Liverpudlian did well to put Bellamy through inside the Arsenal box but the former Arsenal man scuffed his shot with Seaman beaten. Defender Igors Stepanovs Igors N. Stepanovs (born January 21, 1976 in Ogre) is a Latvian football defender. As of April 2007 he has played 92 international matches and scored 3 goals for the Latvia national team. He made his debut in 1995, and played at Euro 2004. was covering on the line with his attempted clearance smacked into the back of his goalkeeper and had to be hurriedly hacked away. When the visitors did manage to carve out to make or get by cutting, or as if by cutting; to cut out. - Shak. See also: Carve opportunities, they found Magnus Hedman Magnus Hedman (born March 19, 1973 in Huddinge) is a Swedish football (soccer) goalkeeper who has retired from professional football. He has played 58 matches for the Sweden national football team, and represented his country at two FIFA World Cup and two European Championship in inspired form. The towering Swede swede: see turnip. deftly kicked Robert Pires's sublime lob around his post in the 25th minute and then did the same when Bergkamp powered the half-cleared corner towards goal. Arsenal had strong claims for a penalty in the 39th minute when Thompson clearly handled a Pires header inside the area but referee Michael Dean, who booked seven players, ruled that the touch was accidental. Coventry's best opportunity came just before the interval when the hard-working John Eustace John Eustace (born November 3, 1979 in Solihull) is an English football player, currently playing for Stoke City as a central-midfielder. Club Career Coventry City & loans juggled the ball past two visiting defenders only to blast his shot over the bar. Arsenal, looking to record only their third away victory of the season, did step up the pace after the interval and, with Patrick Vieira Patrick Donalé Vieira (born June 23, 1976 in Dakar, Senegal)[1] is a French football midfielder who currently plays for Internazionale Milano. He came to prominence during his time at Arsenal between 1996 and 2005, where he won three FA Premier League titles and four FA in a outstanding form, began to wrest wrest tr.v. wrest·ed, wrest·ing, wrests 1. To obtain by or as if by pulling with violent twisting movements: wrested the book out of his hands; wrested the islands from the settlers. control of midfield. Richard Shaw Richard Shaw may refer to:
Five minutes later Coventry were down and, as it turned out, out. Conclusion Sylvain Wiltford delivered a telling cross from the left flank and Bergkamp rose superbly well to direct his header in past Magnus Hedman. Strachan threw on Arsenal old boy Jay Bothroyd Jay Bothroyd (born May 5 1982 in Islington, England) is an English football player who is currently playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers as a forward. He is of Guyanese Descent. with seven minutes to go but the youngster hardly got a kick against his ex team-mates and the game tailed off to its inevitable conclusion. Coventry may have been in worst scrapes in the past and survived but they need to bring in someone with the goal touch - before it's too late! BIG MATCH FACTS +++ TEAMS Coventry (4-4-2): Hedman; Quinn,Williams, Shaw, Hall; Thompson (Bothroyd, 83), Carsley, Hadji, Eustace; Roussell, Bellamy;. Subs: Kirkland, (gk), Chippo, Telfer, Guerrero, Boothroyd. Arsenal (4-4-1-1): Seaman; Dixon, Adams, Stepanovs, Cole; Parlour, Vieira, Pires, Lauren (Grimandi, 63); Bergkamp; Wiltford; Subs: Manniger (gk), Grimandi, Luzhny, Vivas, Kanu. Referee: M Dean (Heswell, Wirral) Attendance: 22,035 GOALS Arsenal: Bergkamp (76) BOOKINGS Coventry: Eustace, Thompson,Carsley. Arsenal: Adams, Vieira, Pires, Cole. STAR MAN Marcus Hall CAPTION(S): NO HANDS... the referee ruled that Thompson's touch was accidental. Inset More frustration for boss Gordon Strachan |
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