Scunthorpe United 1 - 0 Coventry City

[dutchman]

[dutchman]

Glanford Park was not a happy hunting ground for City as they fell to defeat via Paddy Madden's 79th minute finish



Paddy Madden’s second-half strike gave Scunthorpe United the points they deserved against a Coventry City side who struggled to find any sign of their impressive early-season form and were distinctly flattered by the slender scoreline.

The home side took control in the opening minutes and gave the Sky Blues no opportunity to get their passing game in gear.

Gary McSheffrey, who scored a in last season’s 1-1 draw at the Ricoh, took centre stage against his home-town club.

A fierce curling free-kick from the edge of the area forced an excellent save from Burge and his quick short-corner gave Van Veen the space for a shot that skidded just past the near post.

McSheffrey twice tried his luck from 20 yards – the first attempt well wide, the second straight at the keeper – before firing in a cross-cum-shot from the left that forced the back-pedalling Burge to flick the ball over the bar.

It took the Sky Blues 35 minutes to have a sniff of the home area, Murphy’s driven cross blocked for their first corner.

But the Iron quickly regained control and almost grabbed the lead five minutes before the interval, Lameiras heading off the line as Madden climbed to another McSheffrey corner.

A minute later the Portuguese midfielder conjured up City’s first goal attempt, wriggling into the box but seeing his shot charged down. But Scunthorpe finished the half on the front foot, Burge getting down smartly to field Hopper’s glancing header from Madden’s cross.

City were kicking towards their own fans – just short of 1,000 crammed into the AMS Stand – for the second half but Scunthorpe started where they left off, Hopper’s header fractionally off target after a clever deadball routine involving Van Veen and McSheffrey.

Clarke took one for the team when his centre-circle foul on Armstrong halted City’s counter-attack from a home corner but the Cov Kid defender then popped up on the right wing to collect Van Veen’s pass and smack a cross-cum shot just past the far post.

City boss Tony Mowbray promptly unleashed Kent for his debut, two days after arriving on loan from Liverpool, and the teenager woke up the City supporters with a couple of darting runs, a twisting dribble into the box and a shot, way off target, from fellow substitute Fortune’s clever back-flick.

But the goal that Scunthorpe had been threatening all game arrived in the 78th minute as Clarke’s right-wing cross skidded through to Madden 12 yards out and he smashed a fierce shot into the bottom corner.

City belatedly found some attacking urgency at that stage, Kent scuffing a free-kick wide before Vincelot got in a decent header after Kent had teed up the overlapping Ricketts for a dangerous cross.

But although referee Haines somehow totted up seven minutes of overtime and City used the opportunity to pitch Johnson up front, showed good management to secure their three points.