City reserves beat Americans
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A goal from Chris Birchall proved enough for City Reserves to beat a visiting Major League Soccer Representative side.
For this game of three 30-minute periods against a side of Americans under the age of 24, Alan Cork included two trialists - keeper Ashley Morris and midfielder Billy Alvill - alongside the likes of Marcus Hall, Stephen Hughes, Chris Birchall, Adam Virgo and Kevin Kyle.
In blustery conditions at Ryton, the MLS side forced three early corners but fell behind in the 15th minute.
Kevin Kyle advanced towards the goal before being brought down some twenty yards out. Chris Birchall took the resulting free kick and thumped a shot which struck a defender in the wall and looped over the keeper high into the net.
Apart from a 33rd minute shot across the face of goal, the visitors rarely threatened and when they did, Mikkel Bischoff and Marcus Hall were in commanding form.
In the 45th minute, Chris Birchall showed an amazing bit of speed to burst down the right and fire a shot which was pushed onto the bar and over for a corner.
Into the third period and Cork sent on Ange Lourougnon for Marcus Hall.
The two trialists in the City side both looked promising with Ashley Morris,who has progressed through the ranks at Merthyr Tydfil, making an outstanding 68th minute stop when he dived to his right to catch a ten yarder and then got down to his left to make another catch two minutes later.
The tricky conditions did nothing for the standard of football but this match offered several players on the verge of the first team a useful workout.
Coventry: Morris, Jones, Hall (Lourougnon 61), Bischoff, Lynch, Hughes, Birchall, Alvilll (Hildreth 82), Gooding, Virgo, Kyle. Subs (not used): Belford, Burtoft