Sky Blues give themselves big survival boost
GOALS from Leo Ostigard, Matty Godden and Viktor Gyokeres gave Coventry City a huge Championship survival boost at St Andrew’s.
The Sky Blues took the early lead against Bristol City from the boot of centre-back Ostigard and doubled their lead from the penalty spot just after the hour when Godden hit a clinical finish to give the home side a two goal cushion.
A late mistake by Kyle Mcfadzean saw Nahki Wells pull one back to make for a nerve-racking last ten minutes but City grabbed a third from Gyokeres three minutes from time to secure a huge full three points.
And it was a good day for Mark Robins’s men with their chief relegation rivals Rotherham going down 3-0 at home to Wycombe Wanderers.
Coventry started with plenty of urgency in a surprise line-up that saw six changes but the manager stick to three at the back with wing-backs, the surprises being holding midfielder Josh Eccles being deployed at right wing-back and the normally right sided Josh Pask deployed at left centre-back of the rear three on a day when Dom Hyam was missing, presumed injured.
And the Sky Blues got their reward for their early endeavour when the ball fell kindly to Ostigard from a long throw into the box and the Norwegian defender hit a hard and low shot inside the keeper’s left hand post to give the home side a ninth minute lead.
City went agonisingly close to doubling the lead in the 18th minute when Ostigard headed clear a Bristol freekick into the box straight to Matty James who played the ball upfield to Callum O’hare to spark a terrific counter attack.
The lively midfielder slipped a pass to Matty Godden who turned his man and curled a low shot towards the far stick where the keeper Daniel Bentley dived to make a brilliant save and push it onto the post.
O’hare raced on to the loose ball and sent a shot across the face of goal as the home side continued to impress, the midfielder firing narrowly wide shortly after.
Wide man Antoine Semenyo was Bristol’s biggest threat down the right where he caused all manner of problems for both Josh Pask and Sam Mccallum. And the lively forward gave both the slip just after the half hour mark when he sent in a near post cross to Nahki Wells who was denied by a brave save from Marko Marosi – called upon for the first time – before Kyle Mcfadzean lunged forward to clear the loose ball.
A good move resulted in a half decent chance for Tyler Walker before the break, the striker leaning back and lifting a shot over the bar.
Coventry started the second half as they ended the first with more attacking endeavour, with good work from O’hare resulting in Eccles being played in on the right where the 20-year-old on his full Championship debut fired in a shot that was denied by a decent save from Bentley.
The Robins suffered a blow on 54 minutes when their brightest player,
Antoine Semenyo, limped off injured – one of three second half changes for the visitors.
Coventry had a let off on the hour when substitute Kasey Palmer sent in a low ball across the face of goal which somehow evaded Han-noah Massengo at the far post who was an inch away from a tap-in.
But the pendulum swung in City’s favour minutes later when Tyler Walker was clipped in the box by Tomas Kalas, leaving referee Geoff Eltringham to point straight to the spot.
Up stepped Godden who confidently beat the keeper with a shoulder high strike to the keeper’s right to give the Sky Blues a valuable two-goal cushion.
Godden went close again as City enjoyed two corners in quick succession as they dominated the game against Nigel Pearson’s men, in a clear return to form for Robins’s battlers.
However, City shot themselves in the foot with ten minutes to go when Mcfadzean played a short back pass to Marko Marosi, allowing Nahki Wells to race in and score to reduce the deficit and make for a frantic and nervous end to the game.
But Coventry broke away on the counter attack as Bristol looked for a late equaliser, with Walker racing down the right and pulling the ball inside to the excellent O’hare, who slipped it wide to substitute Gyokeres to pick his spot to wrap up the superb 3-1 victory.