Search for first point continues

Last Saturday they earned a good point in a 1-1 draw at Norwich with former Burnley loan player Dele Adebola equalising in the second half and they followed that up with another point, this time in a goalless draw at Millwall.

They ended last season in nineteenth place with just two points more than relegated Gillingham but manager Micky Adams, who arrived towards the end of January, has made a number of signings over the summer as well as persuading other players to sign new deals.

He has two players in his squad that Steve Cotterill would have liked in the Burnley squad this season in Gary McSheffrey, who elected to stay at Coventry, and James Scowcroft, who looked all set to become a Claret before Adams nipped in to sign him.

Scowcroft came in from Adams’ former club Leicester and so did defender Matt Heath whilst the third permanent signing was something of a surprise, Crewe goalkeeper Clayton Ince.

Ince hasn’t been in the side, the number one position has been taken by another player who was close to joining Burnley, West Ham keeper Stephen Bywater. It was Stan Ternent who tried to sign him two years ago before turning to Brian Jensen and Bywater, having dropped to third choice at West Ham, has signed on loan.

The other loan signing is a familiar face to Burnley fans, Richard Duffy who we had on loan early last season. Duffy ended last season at Coventry and has now returned form Portsmouth on a year long loan. Neil Wood, yet another former loan player at Turf Moor, has also been in the squad recently.

Adams is expecting a tough game, the toughest for his side yet, and said today, “I know both Ade Akinbiyi and Gifton Noel-Williams well and they will present problems and the one thing we do know about them and Steve Cotterill is that they will be organised. They will be fit and they will try and play in a set way, and we have to combat that.”

Adams has had three players on trial this week, former Brighton defender Paul Watson, Andy Impey who was released in the summer by Forest and former Derby midfielder Daryl Powell. He was looking to strengthen his squad but has been told he cannot bring any of them in because the budget will not allow for it.

Defender Richard Shaw and midfielder Claus Jorgensen were both ruled out at Millwall, although neither of them would have started, and it looks as though they will both be missing again tomorrow when they are expected to be unchanged from the side that drew at the Den.

That being the case the Coventry side will be: Stephen Bywater, Richard Duffy, Matt Heath, Robert Page, Marcus Hall, James Scowcroft, Micky Doyle, Stephen Hughes, Gary McSheffrey, Dele Adebola, Stern John. Subs: Clayton Ince, Adrian Williams, Andy Morrell, Isaac Osbourne, Neil Wood.

Click HERE to see the full Coventry Squad.

With Artim Sakiri unable to sign it will be the same Burnley squad, and again there will be players on the bench who are unable to come on. There have been suggestions tonight that Danny Karbassiyoon has broken down again in training and if that is the case he might not even be on the bench.

The goalkeeping situation is difficult to work out. Danny Coyne got the nod last week but Brian Jensen was back in goal on Tuesday. Manager Steve Cotterill is refusing to comment but surely he is not intending alternating his goalkeepers again as he did at the end of last season.

Captain Frank Sinclair is fit, the injury he sustained to his hamstring on Tuesday was thankfully just cramp and he is fully recovered.

Again I won’t even try to guess who will be in goal but otherwise we will line up: Danny Coyne or Brian Jensen, Frank Sinclair, Wayne Thomas, John McGreal, Graham Branch, Wade Elliott, Micah Hyde, James O’Connor, Garreth O’Connor, Gifton Noel-Williams, Ade Akinbiyi. Subs from: Danny Coyne or Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Danny Karbassiyoon, Chris McCann, Kyle Lafferty, Mark Yates.

Peter Reid was still in charge of Coventry when they came to the Turf last season and went away with a point in a 2-2 draw. After a tentative first hour, without a goal, the game came to life with four goals in eleven minutes with the Clarets twice having to come from behind.

Rohan Ricketts, on loan from Spurs, was the danger for the visitors and he gave Michael Duff a difficult evening. It was Ricketts who caused the problems that led to both Coventry goals scored by Eddie Johnson and Graham Barrett.

Within three minutes of both goals we were level. Robbie Blake grabbed the first from the penalty spot after he himself had been brought down and Graham Branch, who was man of the match, got the second.

The teams were,

Burnley: Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Jean-Louis Valois (Lee Roche 81), Richard Chaplow (Tony Grant 90), Micah Hyde, Graham Branch, Ian Moore, Robbie Blake. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Richard Duffy, Amadou Sanokho.

Coventry: Luke Steele, Andrew Whing, Richard Shaw, Dean Leacock, Steve Staunton, Andy Morrell (Graham Barrett 61), Micky Doyle, Stephen Hughes, Rohan Ricketts, Eddie Johnson, Stern John (Patrick Suffo 78). Subs: Scott Shearer, Tim Sherwood, Stuart Giddings.