TOP DOGS LEFT RED-FACED ON DAY OF SHOCKS
Loan star Matty takes a leading role as Sky Blues hail Foxes star
MATTY JAMES has been hailed as Coventry’s captain fantastic – despite not even being a permanent Sky Blue.
The on-loan Leicester midfielder, 29, has only been with his new side for six games after arriving last month.
But in the continued absence of injured Liam Kelly, he surprisingly took the armband for the first time in this spirited goalless draw with high-flying Watford.
James’ experience was obvious against a Hornets midfield that included Nathaniel Chalobah and exManchester United star Tom Cleverley.
Coventry defender Michael Rose said: “He has been a great influence. He’s a great player and I don’t think I’ve seen him have a bad game yet.
“He brings that calmness and composure in the middle. It suits us as well because we are quite a young team, so to bring in that wise head is perfect.
“It feels like he has been here a long time. He has fitted in straight away, but that is credit to us as well.
“We are that sort of group and will welcome everyone in, but he’s been different class so far.” Despite an encouraging display, where they had the majority of the chances, Coventry are now just three points above the bottom three.
But Rose (below) added: “We are looking at teams above us. We are not looking at the bottom at all because you can then start having a negative mindset.”
This completed a poor week for Watford, who followed up a shock home defeat to QPR with another below-par display. Skipper Troy Deeney, who headed against the bar late on, was upset with the state of the St Andrew’s pitch.
He said: “The pitch was awful and these not-upto-standard pitches will catch people out. But sometimes you need to do the ugly stuff.
“We played naive football in the first half and needed to realise there is no shame in going long. We’re still in with a shout of the top two, but we can’t keep letting opportunities slip like this.”
COVENTRY:
WATFORD:
MOTM
MATTY JAMES (COVENTRY)
Referee: Graham Scott
READING and Brighton pulled off shock wins to leave WSL title rivals Manchester United and Chelsea reeling.
A remarkable day of action began with Reading winning 2-0 at secondplace United.
The Royals had managed just one league victory beforehand but sunk Casey Stoney’s side with two goals in two second-half minutes.
Natasha Harding headed home the first as United failed to deal with a corner.
Then Danielle Carter (celebrating, below) was unmarked as she headed Emma Mitchell’s free-kick past Mary Earps to condemn United to a first home league defeat since January 2020.
Stoney said: “I’m bitterly disappointed.
“We defended two set-pieces really poorly and it cost us. If you want to go for titles you have got to be better in both boxes.”
Incredibly, leaders CHELSEA failed to take advantage as BRIGHTON trumped them 2-1 at Kingsmeadow.
Goals from Aileen Whelan and Megan Connolly ended the champions’ amazing 33-game unbeaten run.
Chelsea, who started with strikers Pernille Harder and Fran Kirby on the bench, led through Sam Kerr’s early header but were sunk when Connolly’s corner went straight in.
MANCHESTER CITY were the big beneficiaries by winning 2-1 at ARSENAL to move within two points of the summit.
Chloe Kelly created both goals, with ex-Gunner Ellen White opening the scoring with a cracker off the crossbar.
Kelly then found Lauren Hemp at the back post for a bullet header after Jill Roord had set up Caitlin Foord for an equaliser.