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Clinton's killer blow floors Owls again: MATCH REPORT AND SLIDESHOW
COVENTRY CITY 2 v SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 0: CLINTON Morrison showed Wednesday the way again and left them contemplating a one-point Christmas and a shortage of goals.
The Coventry striker's stunning long-range header made the difference at Hillsborough last month after the Owls dominated but it was won 1-0 by the Sky Blues.
His far less classy but equally vital strike yesterday brought him a 10th goal of the season; it underlined the fact that Wednesday have no-one in double figures and it set up a 2-0 defeat for the Owls that contributes towards a record of only one goal scored in their last four games.
Failure to match the former Crystal Palace star's lethal finishing proved costly for a Wednesday side who had clear opportunities in an even, ordinary first half and ruled a large part of the second period but could not prevent Coventry from notching only their fourth home win of the season and first in eight Ricoh Arena games.
Wednesday were hit on the break near the end, by a Robbie Simpson effort, and a two-goal margin was flattering towards the home side, but Brian Laws had to admit that his team had hit the target only three times in 10 or 11 attempts at goal.
Laws, with few options because of the injury situation, made one change in personnel and three positional alterations to the side that started the draw against Blackpool on Boxing Day.
He pushed Bartosz Slusarski up front and moved Francis Jeffers to the bench; switched Wade Small to the Pole's previous position on left of midfield, and brought back Sean McAllister in Small's spot on the right.
Wednesday made the first chance in the 10th minute: McAllister hoisted the ball over the Sky Blues back four and Richard Wood, who had gone up for a set piece moments earlier, produced a defender's finish as he ran forward, poking a left-foot volley wide.
A minute later it was 1-0. Slusarski gave the ball away and the Owls were caught out by raking, diagonal ball from left to right by midfielder Guillaume Beuzelin which allowed Clinton Morrison to get clear on the right side of the box.
A striker in that position usually would go for the far bottom corner: Morrison's drive was more central and not particularly well struck but still somehow got through Grant.
In general play Wednedsday were not second best in these early stages and they should have at least drawn level in quick time.
Small, taking a pass by Marcus Tugday, made a 15th minute opportunity by playing a low ball to the far-post area where McAllister took a fraction too long to shoot and keeper Keiren Westwod blocked his effort.
Five minutes later Tudgay drove a left-foot shot high over the bar from 10 yards after being found by a Tommy Spurr cross.
Coventry started to look the more enterprising side but came up against some resolute defending, with a couple of interceptions by Wood hinting at why Sky blues boss Chris Coleman tried to sign him last summer.
Mostly it was bread and butter stuff in the first half from two mid-table sides.
In the last few minutes of the half the Owls put together some cohesive football - and Tudgay sent a long-range header off target from a Steve Watson corner amid pressure on the home side.
Wednesday also raised their fans' hopes by starting the second half in similarly positive fashion.
A good move ended with Slusarski heading back to Watson and the club skipper giving the keeper an easy, diving catch with a volley from the
edge of the box.
Then Small was inches away from an equaliser. Lewis Buxton, who was back on form after his Boxing Day off day, delivered a cross, Tudgay knocked the ball back and Small who drove it just wide from 20 yards.
Two minutes later Small tried a different path to goal: taking on defenders, he made a great run on the left side of the box and hammered a shot that was beaten away for a corner by Westwood.
Wednesday were now in a rampant spell and the only occasional threat came on the break. Grant had to dive full length to push away one cross by Michael Doyle.
But it was Watson's turn to try for an equaliser; it was impossible for him to get close enough to the ball as he steamed forward for a half-volley and whacked it over.
Grant had to make a save from a 22-yard shot along the ground by Michael Mifsud but it was an easy one, and two early substitutions for Coventry was perhaps a comment on the way Wednesday were enjoying the upper hand.
The Owls, however, could have been killed off in the 70th minute: they allowed Aron Gunnarsson a free header from a corner and he powered it over.
Laws sent on Jeffers and Rocky Lekaj for McAllister and Small; putting Lekaj on the left flank and Tudgay on the right, and using Jeffers up front.
Grant made another save, from sub Simpson, but it could not alter the fact that Wednesday had bossed much of this half.
So it was a sickener when the Owls were caught on the counter attack in the 82nd minute. Leon Best was the provider before Simpson drove the
ball into Grant's bottom right-hand corner.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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