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Coventry City boosted their survival hopes with a vital 3-1 victory over Bristol City on Easter Monday.
Norwegian defender Leo Ostigard opened the scoring for the Sky Blues with a cultured finish after nine minutes before Matty Godden’s penalty doubled the scoring in the second-half. Nakhi Wells shook the hosts by bagging a consolation goal, but substitute Viktor Gyokeres wrapped up the encounter with a composed finish in the 87th minute.
Prior to kick-off, the Sky Blues were nosediving deeper into the drop having won just two of their last 13 league matches. The importance of the game could not be understated with relegation rivals Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday and Wycombe Wanderers all picking up points in the division.
Mark Robins made six changes to the side that faced QPR on Good Friday despite opting for a similar formation. Against Queens Park Rangers, the Sky Blues set up in a 3-4-2-1 with wing-backs Julien Dacosta and Sam McCallum pushing on to support lone striker Matty Godden.
The team maintained a similar defensive shape on Monday afternoon, but manager Robins rejigged the back-line, reintroducing central defenders Kyle McFadzean and Josh Pask as well as Josh Eccles at right-wing back.
Offensively, the Coventry manager opted for two number nines in Tyler Walker and Matty Godden with Callum O’Hare playing off the pair as a conventional number 10. It was a genius move from Robins, as the trio linked up continuously over the course of the 90 minutes, tormenting Bristol City centre-back pairing in Adrian Mariappa and Tomas Kalas.
The Sky Blues started the half well and after three minutes they went agonisingly close to an early opener. Matty James caused mayhem by delivering a free-kick from the left-hand side towards a crowded six-yard box.
Bristol City goalkeeper Daniel Bentley uncharacteristically flapped at the delivery and McFadzean reacted the quickest. The defender put his acrobatics to the test with a first-time bicycle kick, but his effort flew well wide. It was a premature scare for the visitors which foreshadowed things to come.
After posing threat from wide areas from the off, Coventry made the all-important breakthrough after nine minutes. McCallum flung the ball into the box which caused mayhem in Bentley’s area. Bristol City failed to clear their lines after Walker’s blocked shot and the ball ricocheted kindly to Ostigard to side foot the ball past a flat-footed Bentley.
Ten minutes later, Mark Robins’ men were inches away from doubling their lead. O’Hare slipped in Godden on the left-hand side. The striker wriggled his way into a shooting position where he curled an effort towards goal. The Robins’ goalkeeper reacted remarkably to deny Godden, diverting the ball onto the woodwork with a fingertip.
Creator O’Hare played a pivotal part in the action moments later. McCallum’s threat from throw-ins was utilised once more as the wing-back’s ball picked out O’Hare just outside the area. The former Aston Villa midfielder set himself up for a first-time strike, firing a half-volley towards goal. His effort left Bentley at full stretch but his effort went narrowly wide of the post.
The hosts dominated the midfield battles and as a result, continued to create chances up until the interval. In the 43rd minute, Robins’ centre-half Mariappa was dispossessed and Coventry’s turnover was sharp. Intricate interplay between Godden and Walker created an opening for a strike but Walker’s effort sailed wide.
The home side were about to rue their missed opportunities moments before the break. Winger Antoine Semenyo skipped past McCallum before slamming the ball across the six-yard box. Wells met the cross at the back-post, poked the ball goal bound and thought he’d equalised for the visitors. However, Marko Marosi dug the ball off the line to keep his side in front.
The Sky Blues started the second-half miraculously with O’Hare pulling the strings in the final third again. He received the ball on the half turn, opened up his body and wrapped a pass out wide to Eccles. The defender whipped a delicious out-swinger, but Bentley was called into action to parry the ball clear.
Bristol City created a half-chance via substitute Kasey Palmer but minutes later the hosts doubled their afternoon’s tally. Captain Kalas clipped Walker in the area leaving Godden with the responsibility to convert from the spot. The striker made no mistake, smashing the ball past Bentley.
After smashing home from 12 yards, Godden was hungry for a brace, and wasn’t far away from doing so. The Robins’ calamitous defending was the master of their downfall as they gave Godden another golden chance, but the forward’s effort was put over the bar.
Despite being the more threatening side in the opening hour, Coventry gifted their opponents an opening. McFadzean didn’t scan his shoulders before playing the ball back to Marosi. The pass was far too casual and weak, giving Wells the time to pounce and fire the ball beneath the Coventry goalkeeper.
The hosts were resilient in their press and were rewarded with a third goal. Walker capitalised on a Tommy Rowe pass by driving towards goal and laying the ball off to O’Hare. Coventry’s number 11 squared the ball to Gyokeres and the striker made no mistake, slotting the ball into the bottom right corner to restore the two-goal cushion in the process.
Reminiscing on the 90 minutes, manager Mark Robins compared Friday and Monday’s performances as ”chalk and cheese”:
“The reaction is all credit to the players who got themselves together.
“They have had a conversation among themselves because they knew that Friday was nowhere near the standards we have set over the last four years.
“They got themselves together, they had a chat among themselves and it’s not just talk because talk is cheap. They’ve come in today, worked their socks, fought for each other.
“From Friday to today, it’s chalk and cheese – we didn’t lay a glove on anybody on Friday and we have to be better than that. The players, in all fairness, have responded.
“The senior players have got together, it was an unacceptable performance on Friday, and they’ve just had their say. For me that’s growing up and standing up and being counted.
“The character was there and, for me today, that was what it was all about – they’ve shown that they want to stay in the division and, more than that, that they want to do it in a good way.
“I’m happy with everybody. Matty Godden hit the post in the first half and we got a goal from Leo who has been waiting to get a goal from a set play, and it wasn’t the usual way, but he ended up getting a volley from the throw-in.
“The two strikers getting on the end of things and it’s through the work-rate of all of them, but Tyler Walker in particular who put in a really good shift today.
“Matty’s movement was good and he linked the play with the others and Callum was his usual busy self who created the third one and been involved heavily in anything we did.”
The final score was completely justified by Coventry’s cameo. After a dismal defeat on Good Friday against QPR, it was an ideal response from Mark Robins’ side who played their game plan to perfection. It’s a result which takes the club seven points clear of the relegation zone and builds momentum for the seven ‘cup finals’ they have left of the 2020/21 Championship season.
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