SKY BLUES STAND-INS HAILED BY LAMPARD

LATIBEAUDIERE, WOOLFENDEN, BRAU AND BIDWELL ALL STEPPED UP TO PLATE, SAYS CITY GAFFER

- By ANDY TURNER Sky Blues Reporter

THERE were several individual success stories on the pitch at St Mary's where Frank Lampard drew upon his wider Coventry City squad to get something from the game.

It was a tough enough prospect in itself travelling to take on a recovering parachute Southampton side who'd won six of their previous eight under new boss Tonda Eckert without having to go into the game minus three of the Sky Blues regular starters.

The biggest concern was losing central defensive pairing Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching to the illness that appears to be ripping its way through the camp, having also claimed winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto as one of its victims ahead of the south coast clash.

The pre-match vibe was one of concern as Lampard was forced to pitch in Joel Latibeaudiere for his first senior game of the season alongside Luke Woolfenden who'd only started three times for City himself since joining in the summer - such has been the impressive and consistent form of Thomas and Kitching.