Coventry V Col U – Report

When Do We Need To Panic? The answer is: Now!

Coventry City (0) 1 Colchester U (0) 0

Saturday 27th October 2007

The Rioch Arena

Attendance: 23, 431

Goal: Mifsud, 81

Sheringham s/o, 90

Colchester United trudged home from Coventry yesterday amid all manner of discontent after a narrow loss during a dismal away defeat at the Rioch Area.

City`s top scorer Michael Mifsud put the game out of its misery with just nine minutes to go to give the administration-threatened Sky Blues` a first win in four outings against a ten-man U`s team.

Colchester, “worth a point” according boss to Geraint Williams, lost Teddy Sheringham to a red card in stoppage time when his required creativity was vented as violent frustration for directing an elbow at Coventry Capitan, Michael Doyle.

For the U`s, whose trip home was in the knowledge that they allowed Coventry their first goal for 349 minutes, Sheringham`s sending-off was the lowest point of the match. It was a symbol that even the most ardent pro is not infallible to the vice of rage, when circumstance suite.

That aside, with Colchester are now a lowly 16th in the Championship, and with just one away win all season, the statistics do not lie. A shameless inconsistency from this side, conjoined with a sloppy and out-of-tune backline, has caused the current predicament; the goal difference, as an amalgamation of the U`s prolific scoring and bad defending, now reads a neutral zero.

To say that the U`s lacked invention in the wake of their confidence-bursting defeat to rivals Ipswich on Tuesday would be putting it mildly.

A lack of freshness was inexcusable also, according to some fans, who believed that Williams` sizable squad warranted more than just the two changes from the midweek side.

Karl Duguid`s much-hyped return was in fact inconsequential after he returned to skipper the side for the first time in two matches. Following one passage of threatening play early on, where U`s top scorer Mark Yeates could have added to his impressive tally for the season, Colchester dampened considerably.

Yeates headed a cross narrowly from Danny Granville`s penetrating cross.

Before that, midfielder Kem Izzet also fired wide when the match was still in its infancy. Granville can expect to keep his place on the wing as he also delivered a decent cross from which Clive Platt force Coventry`s Andy Marshall in to a save.

The 32-year-old also floated another telling ball over the goalie, but also over the goal.

Coventry`s best chances were also few and far between. Mifsud`s deflected goal saw the deadlock broken, but United keeper Aden Davison, who was slightly capable nearly let the game slip when he dithered over a Doyle free-kick that was eventually dealt with by the U`s.

The U`s second season in the Championship is proving everything the faithful supposed the first was meant to be – it is full of inconstancy, partially at home, because the run of form after thirteen games is almost relegation-worthy.

After a week of typical highs and lows within the sport for the U`s – as well as some worrying comments from manager Williams about the rawness of his back-line – the action from here is simple. Panic now, before it is too late, and hopefuly the points will take care of themselves.