Ponticelli and Andreu goals see off Villa
COVENTRY City continued their pre-season preparations with a behind-closed-doors friendly with Aston Villa.
Sky Blues boss Mark Robins sent over a mixed squad of first team and development players for the match against Villa’s Under-23s at Bodymoor Heath.
And City beat their Midland rivals 2-1 with goals from Jordan Ponticelli and Tony Andreu sealing the victory over the Championship club’s development side.
Teenage striker Ponticelli, who could stake a claim to fill Marc McNulty’s boots this summer, headed home City’s first after 15 minutes when he latched onto a Jak Hickman cross.
Villa then equalised after 25 minutes before the impressive Andreu – who has returned from a season-long injury in fine form – restored City’s lead on 35 minutes.
Winning the ball high up the field, the Frenchman then beat the keeper in a one-v-one and almost bagged a second for himself before the break.
The match comes as City’s third senior run out of the pre-season programme so far.
The Sky Blues opened their friendly schedule with a 2-0 defeat at non-league Sutton United, albeit Robins’s men had only been back a week due to their late finish to the season following the successful play-off campaign.
They then headed off to Spain where they took on Everton Under-23s last Friday, recording a 3-1 victory over the Toffees with goals from Andreu, Tom Davies and Jonson Clarke-Harris.
Next up is a trip to League Two Stevenage on Saturday.