Coventry 3-0 Notts County

Earlier this week we played well against Oldham, winning 3-2. The optimist in me hoped this would be the turning point. The cynic in me was wary of believing this, as we've had several false dawns already this season that came to nothing. I may as well have trusted the pessimist, because the one step forward that was Tuesday evening was followed by three steps back today against Coventry City. A reckless sending off on the stroke of half time and not one, not two, but three soft goals conceded by Notts meant we left Northampton (temporary home of CCFC) pointless, our goal difference worsened, at the bottom of the table, and with suspensions for Joss Labadie and Danny Haynes.

Steve Hodge made one change from the Oldham victory as Dean Leacock, back from illness, returned to captain the team at centre-back. Young Jordan Holt remained at left-back, Alan Sheehan partnered Leacock in the centre, and Gary Liddle was today's right-back.

The first twenty minutes were pretty actionless, save for two Coventry corners and a foul on Jack Grealish. The 19th minute brought the first chance of the game, Noel Clarke following on from Coventry skipper Carl Baker's good work to fire at Bartosz Bialkowski.

On 26, Franck Moussa's right footed shot from outside the box was well blocked, and three minutes later, it was Notts' turn to threaten, Callum McGregor's cross being headed over by Grealish.

The 31st minute saw Clarke get two chances in, but Bart was on form to thwart them both.

On 32, McGregor's long range effort was blocked by the Coventry defence, before a lull which was broken on the 40th minute, with Conor Thomas' shot going well over.

Two minutes later, our young Scot, our top scorer so far this season, had a great chance to open the scoring, but his shot from the centre of the Coventry box was too high.

Then came the rush of blood and potentially the moment Notts threw the match away - a dangerous, throat-high challenge by Haynes catching Jordan Clarke. The referee had no choice but to dismiss the striker on the spot. Another dangerous challenge followed in injury time on Greg Tempest, but Baker was let off lightly with a booking.

The first half ended 0-0, but after the break, it took just two minutes for Coventry to change all that, as left-back Blair Adams provided a low cross-pass to Clarke, who smashed it in from close range into the top left corner.

The rest of the game would be all Coventry. Quite literally too, as Notts didn't muster a single chance on goal after half time.

The "home" side sliced through our buttery defence twice more, Clarke getting his second after seizing on a botched Mark Fotheringham pass and chipping over Bart, and Callum Wilson rounding the keeper and firing into the empty net after the County back four missed a routine clearance.

So there we go. A very poor performance which will have consequences beyond this game, courtesy of Labadie's yellow for his dive and Haynes' stupid red card seeing the two suspended for one and three games respectively. We're back at the bottom, with a paltry 10 points from fifteen games. Meanwhile, Bristol City, on the same points total but with a better goal difference, could well rise out of the relegation spots if they win their game in hand.

Positives? Well, if the new manager, whoever he may be, can really give the players a kick up the backside, restore confidence both at the front and at the back, stop leaking so many silly goals, and get the forwards scoring, maybe we can gain some sort of consistency with our results and we may climb out of this quagmire.

Hopefully.