By CovSid67
August 27 2005

The result suggests Coventry City eased through this game, though in reality it was partly down to poor finishing by the home side that they made it to the second round of the Carling Cup - with Pearson being especially guilty! Coventry's decision to change over half the side that had won on Saturday thankfully didn't backfire on them, meaning they didn't join the likes of Derby, Hull, Ipswich, Crewe, Preston, Stoke, QPR, Brighton, who were all been humbled by lower league opposition.

Bywater, Duffy, Page, Flood, Scowcroft and Adebola were left out of the starting line-up that had crushed QPR (Mainly rested), as Coventry City chalked up another 3-0 victory (Ince, Whing, Williams, Osbourne, Morrell and John replacing them).

Rushden kicked Coventry City off the park in the pre-season game between the two sides, and it appeared that their plan for this match was to provoke Michael Doyle into doing something stupid, with Savage, Hawkins, and Pearson all booked for fouls on Coventry's captain for the night (An honour he described as something that "probably meant more to me than playing for Ireland"). They failed.

McSheffrey (8 minutes), Heath (40 minutes) and Morrell (81 minutes) scored the goals that took Coventry through, with a Pearson effort for R&D ruled out just over five minutes into the second half.

More goals could have been scored, with Coventry denied a penalty after a foul on John, and Pearson missing the simplest of chances after a push on Williams went unnoticed by the referee. Savage should also have been sent off for a challenge on Doyle, but was merely yellow carded....

Another 3-0 win, another clean sheet (Again achieved without Hughes in the side), and less players injured than the last time we played Rushden!

After Saturday's win over QPR, Ian Holloway was quoted as saying about their pre-season win against coventry: "Micky and his lads have had the last laugh because we came home with a tin-pot cup and they've got three points. I know which I'd rather have had" - a similar quote could probably be attributed to Barry Hunter! They won the pointless match between the sides, wheras we won the game that mattered....

The second round draw against Crystal Palace isn't the one we would have chosen, and I doubt they would have either, though at least they have the advantage of being at home....