The notes by Graham Taylor in the programme perfectly prefaced the action that was to come on the pitch. He talked about making Malky aware of the financial concerns of the club when he took over whilst also saying that he hoped we supporters appreciated that we were not in a position to just “go out and buy people”
When the team line up was announced both were brought sharply into focus. Long gone are the days of having a ready made reserve team waiting to step up in the case of eye infections and sickness bugs. Therefore Dale Bennett got a third start, Eddie Oshodi was on the bench, Will Hoskins partnered Graham up front and Liam Henderson made a re-appearance that seemed most unlikely the last time we were all here when both H and Duke were on the bench. However, one does wonder what Matt Sadler has to do to even get a glimpse of being in the 18.
The game was extremely open and both sides looked vulnerable when under attack and so the number of goals in the game was not a surprise. On another day (like that glorious one 7 years ago where we beat them 5-2) we would’ve scored several more times. Hoskins blazed over in the first minute, we went close again in the second minute and Graham could’ve scored just after half time. How the ball didn’t go in the net during added on time was unfathomable from the Rookery end of the Rous Stand but it wasn’t through want of trying.
However Coventry also had numerous chances and Loach needed to make some great saves to keep them at bay.
Even so, we lost. Even worse, some people seemed to think we played badly. Some didn’t bother to stay and applaud the team off. I heard more than one person say we were terrible on the way back to the car. All of these reactions are completely missing the point of what GT was saying about our football club in 2009.
Because this was a fantastic effort from several different points of view. In no-ones imagination could this ever be anything like our best XI yet we had a bloody good go at beating a strong Coventry team that included Jack Cork.
Cowie and Lansbury were playing with the sick bug that kept Cathcart and Jenkins out. I find this incredible. Cowie tore around the pitch, particularly in the first half. Can you imagine playing football when your body is telling you it wants to be sick?
Our defence is tiny but still contains far more bite than that which plagued our back four this time last year. Lee Hodson has come from nowhere to be very comfortable at right back. Bennett looks more worthy than Cathcart of his place in the middle, Doyley is the bleed yellow, red and black player he always was and Mariappa grows into the captains role with each game. It was so unfortunate Hodson had to go off injured because the confusion for the third goal seemed to come from the re-organisation needed when centre-back Oshodi came on.
Looking at the 14 who played it must have been one of our least experienced groups of players ever to line up for a first team league game, but they never gave up the chase. From the first second they attacked, rallied from the blow of going a goal down, and nearly did the impossible at the end.
We should be very very proud of each and every one of them. We can’t expect fairytales this season, those days have gone for the moment. But what all football fans hope for is that their team gives 100% effort in every match. And we got that and more from this unlikely bunch of youngsters, oldies, sickees and loanees tonight.
