U23s’ coach delighted by Devon debut
COVENTRY City U23s coach Nicky Eaden says he is delighted with Devon KellyEvans’s progression to the Sky Blues first team and hopes to see more development players make the step-up.
Kelly-Evans made his full senior debut against Exeter City on Saturday and capped off an impressive performance with a late goal to hand Mark Robins’s men three points.
Speaking after the Sky Blues’ U23s win over Ipswich Town on Monday afternoon, Eaden said: “It was great. I felt when he went wide he had more of an impact on the game, and then topped it off with a goal, so I’m very pleased for Devon.”
“It’s my job to get players through to the first team so it was pleasing for me. Sometimes you might think that kids aren’t good enough, but when you throw them in they show they can cope.”
Robins signed 12 new players over the summer, but Eaden insists he will do his best to promote the youngsters at the club, despite the fresh faces.
“If a manager signs a new player they tend to pick them over the kids, but I’ve battled for a few of them to get a chance and that’s why it was so pleasing to see Devon’s contribution,” he said.
“I’ve said similar things about a few of them to the manager and it’s great that he has shown a bit of faith and been repaid.”
Eaden clearly has high hopes for many of the U23s and striker Jordan Ponticelli has recently signed a new four-year deal with the club he supported since he was a boy.
The 19-year-old bagged another goal for the U23s against Ipswich on Monday afternoon and has been included in the senior squad in recent weeks.
He added: “JP (Ponticelli) has not been at the club for that long but he has created plenty of interest in himself with his goals.” FORMER Coventry City player Jack Lovering passed away last Thursday.
Jack, who at 94 was the second oldest former City player, played six games at centre-half between 1946-48.
He later played for Nuneaton Borough, Bedworth and Atherstone. Sky Blues Reporter COVENTRY City recorded their second win on the road to inflict more home misery on promotion rivals Swindon Town in an entertaining game in Wiltshire.
The Sky Blues chalked up another hugely encouraging three points to keep them in the thick of things at the top end of League Two, seeing off the Robins who have only won one game at the County Ground so far this season.
Despite flying out of the blocks in the opening 15 minutes, City fell behind against the run of play when Luke Norris found the top corner before Michael Doyle got the visitors back on level terms just after the half hour.
The game was wide open and just as Town were beginning to gain a bit of momentum midway through the second half they were reduced to ten men when James Dunne was sent off for an off the ball incident with Doyle.
And with 14 minutes to go, Duckens Nazon popped up with a superb match winner to see the Sky Blues up to fourth in the table and send the incredibly vocal Sky Blue Army home happy.
Robins made just one change to his starting line-up, with Max Biamou replacing the injured Peter Vincenti on a night when Stuart Beavon was ruled out for a second game with a back problem.
That enabled Devon Kelly-Evans to retain his place in the side after his impressive full league debut and goal against Exeter at the weekend, while his twin Dion made a long-awaited return to the bench after recovering from injury.
Devon was deployed wide in the forward three with Nazon in the No.10 position behind Biamou who led the line with a great show of strength, while Jodi Jones started on the right and showed full-back Matt Taylor a clean pair of heels in the first 30 seconds before being taken out by Paul Mullin.
Biamou then had two chances in quick succession, first racing on to a terrific Michael Doyle ball to hit a low shot that Lawrence Vigouroux saved well at his near post before bursting clear a second time, only to be manhandled to the deck just outside the box in a clear foul that should have resulted in a red card for the offending centre-half Chris Robertson.
However, referee Charles Breakspear inexplicably waved play on, much to the amazement of the City bench and the travelling support.
Biamou got another shot off in the eighth minute in one of the best openings to a game from the Sky Blues, arguably all season, as they enjoyed three early corners and took the sting out of Town’s quick-start policy that they usually employ at home.
However, City’s excellent early work was undone in the 20th minute when striker Norris was given too much time in the box to hook home a Kellan Gordon centre, firing into the top corner.
Keshi Anderson went close to doubling the lead minutes later when he hit a first-time shot inches wide as the game was in danger of taking a dramatic turn in Town’s favour.
But City stayed strong, kept pushing forward and got back on level terms just after the half-hour mark courtesy of a bit of overdue luck when Jones hit a low cross that took a wicked deflection off a defender and fell kindly into the path of Doyle on the edge of the six-yard box with just the keeper to beat.
And the skipper made no mistake as he slotted coolly past Vigouroux to get his side back in the game.
The game was wide open to the break with Jones taking a brilliant first touch to get past his marker and into the box before being spun to the ground and seeing yet another appeal for a foul being ignored by the match official, while Paul Mullin was allowed