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« on: April 04, 2005, 11:54:45 PM »
Dem foreign coach doh mek joke. Yuh eh performin....dey gi yuh a intimate relationship wit some pine.
Source: Trinidad Express
Coventry up, Stern down
Lasana Liburd
Monday, April 4th 2005
Coventry City took a step towards retaining their League Championship status on Saturday afternoon as they edged Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 in a competitive affair at Highfield Road.
However, Stern John, who was left out to recover from international duty with Trinidad and Tobago, might have fidgeted in his seat as City's other four strikers gave gutsy displays in the crucial fixture.
Manager Mickey Adams started veteran Bermudan striker Shaun Goater up front alongside Gary McSheffrey, the club's leading scorer, but opted for Dele Adebola and Trevor Benjamin on the bench ahead of John.
They were not token gestures either as Adebola and Benjamin were both introduced as Coventry chased a late winner that came, six minutes from time, from ageing Irish defender Steve Staunton.
At the final whistle, Highfield Road sounded as noisy as an airstrip. Coventry, they believe, are taking off. The win took the "Sky Blues" from 22nd to 19th place. though just a point away from the relegation zone-the 22nd, 23rd and 24th-placed teams will be relegated to League One.
It was a creditable performance too as Adams' boys compensated for their mediocrity with a solid work ethic and selflessness. They are qualities that Coventry fans perceive to be lacking in John's play.
For the past four months, the ex-Premiership striker failed to cover his flaws with the usual flurry of goals-at club and international level.
On Wednesday against Costa Rica, John went goalless for an unprecedented fifth consecutive World Cup match and there have been signs that Adams is short of faith in the attacker inherited from his predecessor, Peter Reid.
His omission from Saturday's team list may not reflect Adams' valuation but the remaining Coventry attackers did their best to keep him out.
The lively McSheffrey was Coventry's best outlet as usual and almost opened the scoring in the 32nd minute as he cleverly clipped over onrushing Brighton goalie Alan Blayney only for his effort to clear the bar.
Brighton had an Adam Virgo strike ruled out for an obscure infringement late in the first half and felt even more hard done when referee Mark Cowburn pointed to the penalty spot, one minute into the second half.
Again, Cowburn might be the only person at Highfield to have spotted the visitors' misdemeanour although there was no doubt about McSheffrey's emphatic penalty kick.
Midway through the second half, Brighton avenged themselves with a fine goal from Virgo.
Staunton's drive, with little back lift, from the edge of the Brighton penalty area might be his last match winner as his career draws to a close and Cowburn turned a blind eye as he left the field to celebrate with supporters.
There were hugs and backslaps all around from Coventry players and fans at the final whistle. John will be anxious to be a part of it on Wednesday evening when the Sky Blues host his old club, Nottingham Forest.
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