COVENTRY City got their pre-season preparations off to a winning start in Obertraun today after goals from David Bell and Richard Wood handed them a 2-0 win over local side SV Gaflenz.

The Sky Blues were rarely troubled through the mid-morning tie but did not let their workrate drop as they spent the majority of the game camped out in their opponents' half.

Carl Baker was the first to open up the Gaflenz defence after just four minutes, twisting and turning his way to the byline before floating in a cross for trialist Orlando Smeekes whose header was pushed away by the home 'keeper.

Good interplay between Baker and Aron Gunnarsson three minutes later allowed the Liverpudlian to find himself in a similar position, his low cut back this time batted away.

David Bell was next in line to deliver his first of a series of good deliveries, this one for Shaun Jeffers who headed back across the goalmouth but just wide of the far post with nine minutes gone.

Baker was brought off with quarter of an hour gone with a cut head following a clash with the Gaflenz 'keeper who was also brought off with a bloody mouth, making way for Gary McSheffrey.

Sammy Clingan got in on the action with 22 minutes gone when his cross found the glancing head of Richard Keogh, the ball falling for Wood whose ambitious overhead kick went wide.

McSheffrey also whipped in a dangerious ball four minutes later from a free kick, Jermaine Grandison getting up but only able to direct his header just wide of the far post.

City made the pressure tell on 28 minutes though when Bell showed his ability to take on players, skipping past the Gaflenz right back and firing through the 'keeper's legs from a tight angle to open the scoring.

Gaflenz's Stutz Mootiu responded for the hosts a minute later when he cut inside on the right and fired a low shot at the inside of the near post only to find City 'keeper Keiren Westwood equal to it.

Gunnarsson then typified the fire the Sky Blues had started off with three minutes after the half hour when he chased down a ball almost the length of the pitch only to bring down his target and end up in the referee's book.

Smeekes turned the table for the Sky Blues though when he recieved a ball from Michael McIndoe 25 yards out and held it before turning a shooting just over the bar.

City did not have to wait long for their second though when Clingan delivered the exact free-kick delivery manager Aidy Booythroyd had requested, a quick in-swinger which found Wood to nod into the inside of the far post.

Mootiu went inches from getting one back for the hosts a minute before the break but his long range effort, after collected a clearance from a corner, flew just over Westwood's bar.

In a bid to make sure everyone had a run out in the 35-degree heat, Boothroyd made six changes at half time, bringing on trialist 'keeper Lawrence Thomas, Ben Turner, Michael Doyle, Freddy Eastwood, Roy O'Donovan, Stephen O'Halloran and Martin Cranie on for Westwood, Wood, Gunnarsson, Clingan, Bell, McIndoe and Smeekes.

City started brightly again, McSheffrey drilling a free kick on the edge of the area just wide of the post.

Roy O'Donovan was then on hand to provide a quick through pass for Eastwood who dragged his shot just wide of the far post.

Thomas was called upon two minutes before the hour when None Hefan flicked on a header to strike partner Schon Mathieus who forced a solid stop out of the City 'keeper.

Glafenz tried their luck from range three minutes later when a free kick just inside their own half was blasted towards goal, hitting the crossbar and requiring Thomas to pick up the loose ball.

Jeffers, Clingan and Bell were then reintroduced in place of Keogh, Grandison and McSheffrey.

O'Donovan linked up with Eastwood again with 15 minutes to go, Eastwood getting to the byline and cutting back only for his shot to be saved by the legs of the goalkeeper.

Jeffers then crafted what was to be the Sky Blues last real surge at goal, producing a brilliant piece of attacking play with nine minutes to go, skipping three tackles before whipping in a cross at the byline which was inches away from the heads of both O'Donovan and Bell.

Team

Coventry City: Westwood (Thomas 45), Grandison (Clingan 66), McIndoe (O'Halloran 45), Wood (Turner 45), Keogh (Jeffers 64), Gunnarsson (Doyle 45), Clingan (O'Donovan 45), Bell (Cranie 45), Baker (McSheffrey 45, Bell 68), Jeffers (Eastwood 45), Smeekes