Coventry City 2-1 Scunthorpe United
Report from the Ricoh Arena

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Scunthorpe were beaten 2-1 by Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday afternoon.

After a first half in which the hosts were on top, they went ahead early in the second period through Jon Stead.

Leon Barnett brought down Gary Hooper in the penalty area soon after, with the defender sent off. However, the Iron marksman's spot-kick was saved.

Sammy Clingan scored a superb free-kick midway through the half, which would ultimately prove the match-winner.

Substitute Grant McCann pulled a late goal back for United but it wasn't to be - with the North Lincolnshire side not in action again for a fortnight now.

The Iron entered the match making one change from the side which drew 1-1 with Ipswich Town at Glanford Park in midweek.

Josh Wright replaced Garry Thompson in the starting eleven as Matt Sparrow switched to the right side of midfield.

Beginning the game in goal was Joe Murphy, with captain Cliff Byrne, Michael Raynes, David Mirfin and Marcus Williams forming the defence.

The midfield consisted of Sparrow, Wright, Sam Togwell and Martyn Woolford. The strikers were Paul Hayes and Gary Hooper.

On the substitutes' bench for United was Josh Lillis, Kenny Milne, Grant McCann, Garry Thompson, Jonathan Forte, Donal McDermott and Niall Canavan.

There was a light breeze as Scunthorpe, wearing their claret and blue home strip, kicked off, bidding to record a favourable away result for the first time since the victory at Queens Park Rangers last month.

Playing in front of what appeared to be a half-empty Ricoh Arena the game got off to a quiet start as both sides tried to get into it.

The first Iron attacking action came on eight minutes as Togwell launched a long throw into the area but Hayes was penalised for pushing.

Soon after, Togwell played Hayes through but his low drive was easily stopped by Keiren Westwood.

On 15 minutes, Hayes flicked the ball, which had been struck forward from a goal kick by Murphy, on for Hooper, who raced through but saw Westwood beat him to the ball.

Murphy was called into action two minutes later, saving a point-blank effort from Stead who was adjudged to be offside.

Soon after, as the hosts continued to press, Clinton Morrison cleared the crossbar with a volley.

On 22 minutes, Clingan was presented with the opportunity to notch from a free-kick but struck his shot from 25 yards straight at Murphy.

Then, at the other end, Woolford flicked wide a header from just inside the area after Hayes' left-wing cross.

The hosts were getting closer and closer to a goal, and Clingan rifled a strike just wide soon after, following Carl Baker's tee-up for him.

Although it wasn't the most illuminating of games, played it in a quiet stadium, play was still flowing from end to end, and Raynes just failed to get a touch to Wright's deeply-taken free-kick in the 26th minute.

McIndoe and Morrison linked up soon after, with the later almost setting up the former ten yards from goal, but Murphy quickly swept up the loose ball.

A neat move involving Hooper, Hayes and Woolford on the edge of the box almost brought a goal for the first of those half an hour in but Barnett blocked his shot.

Aron Gunnarsson's rasping right-foot drive went just over the crossbar soon after, with Murphy getting a touch.

Morrison, always a big threat in the final third, played in Gunnarsson, who found space in the Iron back four and raced through but he dragged his effort wide of goal when it might have been easier to at least get it on target.

In the 33rd minute, McIndoe curled a shot wide of the post after good play by Morrison again.

Togwell had perhaps the away side's best chance of the half so far three minutes later as he stretched to poke a low shot just wide after being played in by Hooper.

City very nearly scored in the 38th minute when Murphy was caught off guard and Carl Baker's shot took a deflection off a City player to almost beat the Irishman at his bottom left post but narrowly pass it.

Shortly after, he came close again, weaving his way through the middle before striking narrowly wide from the edge of the area.

The hosts kept attacking and right-back Stephen Wright forced his way forward soon after, with his low cross being gratefully received by Murphy after Stead tried to get a touch on it.

The final chance of the opening half came Scunthorpe's way in the 45th minute as Woolford's cheeky back-header from Wright's free-kick from deep forced Westwood to pedal back and save.

The Iron started the second half well and had a penalty shout denied when Hooper latched on to Hayes' volleyed throughball. The forward tumbled under pressure from McPake and Stephen Wright but referee Paul Taylor was having none of it.

The Sky Blues were always an attacking threat in this game though, and Morrrison's header after Gunnarsson's long throw into the box drew a stop from Murphy.

Five minutes into the second half, Wright had a go at goal from a free-kick 25 yards out but his effort went well over the bar.

Coventry threatened again two minutes later, as McIndoe's cross from the left was only headed out as far as Baker, whose volley went wide of Murphy's bottom right-hand post.

City went ahead in the 55th minute as Stead fired a low effort into Murphy's bottom right-hand corner from just inside the area, with the shotstopper well beaten. It was a great way for the striker to cap his home debut.

They received a blow just four minutes later though as Barnett brought down Hooper in the area and was subsequently dismissed after the referee discussed it with his assistants.

United's top goalscorer Hooper stepped up and took the spot-kick but Westwood superbly dived down to his right to keep it out, to mass jubilation from the home support.

Despite Scunthorpe's numerical advantage, City were still a huge danger going forward and McIndoe's wayward cross could perhaps have been delivered better.

There was a double Iron substitution soon after as Thompson came on for Woolford and McDermott replaced Togwell.

Coventry made it two shortly after though, in the 68th minute to be precise, as Clingan curled a sublime free-kick beyond Murphy from 25 yards.

McCann replaced Sparrow and with his first touch took a free-kick, but it couldn't beat the Coventry wall.

Next, Murphy had to show quick reactions to keep out Clingan's stinging drive soon after.

The Iron were still seeking a way back into the fixture, and McCann's corner was headed over the bar by Mirfin in the 74th minute.

The lively Baker could have made it three in the closing stages when he tricked his way into the area before curling wide a right-footed flick at goal.

And United pulled a late goal back in the 83rd minute as McCann struck home first time from just inside the area after Thompson's low cross from the left. It was his seventh goal of the season.

Soon after, McDermott curled a shot wide as United tried for an equaliser. Then, Thompson's thunderous strike took a deflection off Hayes and went into the back of the net but was ruled out for offside.

Five minutes of stoppage time were indicated, and manager Nigel Adkins, with his assistant Andy Crosby, was urging the players to push forward. They couldn't find the equaliser, however, as Coventry held on for all three points.

The Iron are next in action in two weeks' time (Saturday, March 13) when they visit Ipswich Town.

Attendance: 16,197 (495 away).