NO MANAGER? NO PROBLEM
WITHOUT either a manager or a win this season, the last thing Coventry needed was a trip to Vale Park where Port Vale’s midweek win over Millwall ensured the Valiants remained the only side in League One with a 100 per cent home record.
But with caretaker boss Mark Venus urging his players to produce a performance for the recently departed Tony Mowbray, Coventry responded in style.
The Sky Blues bagged a victory that was as easy as it was unexpected as a goal in each half from Marvin Sordell and Chris McCann sealed the win.
Venus said: “We showed a lot of energy and I enjoyed it. They gave everything and I’m just grateful they got what they deserved against a decent team.
“There are lots of things we can do better but this is a start and it’s a win and the boys showed that they were right behind what we are doing.
“Everyone was disappointed by what happened with Tony and professional people have to have a response and they did that.
“They’ve worked hard for a win all season so you can imagine how they feel and they should enjoy it.”
The game came alive in the 19th minute when Alex Jones went close with a lobbed effort for Vale, only for City to come closest to opening the scoring when Jordan Turnball glanced a header over from Gael Bigirimana’s excellently delivered free-kick.
A minute later came the half ’s most controversial moment as Dan Agyei tumbled his way through a number of heavy challenges on the edge of the area before finishing past Jak Alnwick. But referee John Busby pulled the play back and awarded a free-kick.
City were incensed but their attacking endeavour only increased and they were rewarded on 36 minutes when veteran Michael Brown gave the ball away before a flowing move found Bigirimana, who cleverly wrong-footed two defenders before laying the ball off to Sordell who smashed it home.
The mistakes continued in the second half and another defensive lapse saw the ball given away to Agyei, whose attempt to curl it round the keeper was matched by an excellent save from Alnwick on 67 minutes.
But McCann settled the game five minutes later following yet another misplaced pass.
Vale manager Bruno Ribrero said: “This was very bad and I’m sorry for all our supporters.
“Staying in the top six is important but if we had won we would have gone top three and we will speak with the players who I know are very tired.
“We will change some players for the next game because this was very bad and we were too slow. Maybe we thought because Coventry were bottom of the league it would be easy but I watched them play and they play very good football and the position they are in the league is not right.”