Town's reserves were comfortably beaten 3-1 by the Coventry second string at the Playford Road Training Centre this afternoon. The Sky Blues went three goals up before Academy striker Sam Morrow netted a consolation.

Dutch midfielder Martijn Reuser was playing the third game of his return after a knee injury and, as against Spurs last week, started in the Town attack. He came close to a goal in the 10th minute when his curling freekick came back off the post.

Northern Irish striker Sam Morrow was not far from putting Town one-up in the 20th minute, his attempt to stab goalward cleared off the line by a Coventry defender.

The visitors went ahead on 22 after a poor Pullen clearance gave Coventry possession. Jay Bothroyd played in Andrew Whing on the right of the box and he beat Pullen comfortably.

Coventry were running the show in midfield and it was hardly a surprise when they scored a second five minutes before the break. Man-mountain striker Rory May played the ball to Whing on the right and he passed low to the unmarked Gavin Strachan inside the box and the former manager's son tapped past Pullen.

It was more of the same after the break and in the 50th minute May rose to head a corner past Pullen to make it 3-0.

Town were having few opportunities and Coventry's second half sub keeper Ben Williams had little to do other than watch a Morrow shot fly over his bar.

With 20 minutes left Coventry had the chance to go four goals clear when Lee Beevers felled Gary McSheffrey in the area. The fouled player took the kick himself but his weak kick was easily saved by Pullen who had an otherwise poor game, fumbling the ball badly on a number of occasions.

Town's only goal of the match came on 79 as the Blues enjoyed their strongest spell of the afternoon. Right-back Erkan Okay's deep cross headed home by Morrow.

With three minutes left on the clock Town might have had a second goal, Morrow appearing to be bundled over as he attempted to stroke Matt Bloomfield's low cross into the net. Card-happy referee Mr Graham failed to see an infringement and waved play on.

A poor overall performance from Town and a quieter display from Reuser who only really got into the game in the latter stages when he moved into the midfield.

The Dutchman picked up a yellow card for kicking the ball away, although that was not unusual in a game where several players received cautions for similar petty offences.

Town: Pullen, Okay, Richards, Beevers, Brown, Chaffey (Dickinson 68), Bloomfield, Abidallah (Bowditch 61), Morrow, Reuser, Westlake.

Photo: Action Images

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