MC NULTY’S SPOT-ON TO RESCUE COV
MARC McNulty threw Coventry a Wembley lifeline as a pulsating League Two play-off semi-final ended in controversy at the Ricoh Arena.
Kevin Nolan’s men were holding onto a 49th-minute lead through Jonathan Forte’s instinctive finish when Gavin Ward surprisingly ruled Matt Tootle tripped Tom Bayliss tight on the by-line
McNulty’s emphatically-taken 87th-minute penalty was the least Coventry deserved on the night although Notts will bitterly dispute the fashion in which they achieved it.
“You could say we had a bit of luck,” admitted McNulty. “You sometimes see those penalties given and sometimes not – it’s one of those. It was great to get the penalty and stick it away.”
The equaliser leaves the tie on a knife-edge going into Friday’s second leg at Meadow Lane.
Leaden rather than Sky Blue skies greeted Coventry’s firstever play-off tie and luck also deserted them in the first half as McNulty hit a post and saw Adam Collin just save another effort on his line before Bayliss dragged a shot wide from a fine position.
The balance of the tie turned when Forte capped a hectic opening to the second period with a superb flick at the near post to send a Dan Jones cross beyond Lee Burge in the 49th minute.
Coventry struggled for much of the second period to get back into their earlier stride yet could have nicked it at the death as substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris sent two close-range efforts just wide.
Surface water on the pitch from the kick-off did little to help either team. Yet the Sky Blues fashioned sufficient openings to have been ahead by half-time.
A neat exchange with Liam Kelly allowed full-back Jack Grimmer space inside the box in the fifth minute only for his shot to be deflected to safety.
Notts’ next escape four minutes later was much more fortunate. McNulty seized on Jordan Shipley’s fine ball before squeezing an angled shot pastCollin but onto a post. Defender Shaun Brisley got in the way of Max Biamou’s attempt to net the rebound.
Notts looked for the pace of much-travelled Forte on the break and he sent a header over the top from Jorge Grant’s corner before full-back Jones sent a shot fizzing a yard wide after a concerted spell of pressure.
Forte could not quite divert an effort on target from close range as Coventry struggled to clear another set-piece before the home side almost broke through in the 37th minute. McNulty’s cross was diverted perilously close to the Notts line but Collin smothered the danger.
Stead sent a shot skidding into the side netting after a move involving the influential Liam Noble and Grant but Coventry had a much clearer sight of goal in the 42nd minute.
Bayliss may have been caught in two minds as he seized on Kelly’s slide-rule pass and dragged the ball across goal from a fine position.
Both sides had chances within two minutes of the restart. Elliot Hewitt’s header looped over Lee Burge only for Chris Stokes to head off the line before Grimmer nodded Kelly’s corner over.
County’s breakthrough goal visibly knocked Coventry out of their stride as Forte and Grant had efforts on target in the aftermath before the late drama.