Rochdale 1 - 0 Coventry City

[dutchman]

[dutchman]

Penalty sinks Sky Blues



A first-half penalty condemned the Sky Blues to their second away defeat in four days as they produced nearly all of the football but couldn't find a cutting edge.

City quickly clicked into their high-press, quick-passing stride while Rochdale relied on a more route-one approach but the game was 18 minutes old before either side conjured up a clear opening, Logan saving comfortably when Andy Webster got in a glancing header from Jim O’Brien’s free-kick.

Simeon Jackson fired a foot over the bar when he collected Jordan Clarke’s knock-down and twisted to create some space for a shot and after Dale’s first sniff at goal – Dawson heading well wide from Done’s cross – Frank Nouble ’s dangerous low cross was scrambled clear after a neat combination with O’Brien.

Nouble then spun cleverly to shoot narrowly over, but Rochdale broke through in the 28th minute with a goal out of the blue.

A kindly bounce left Hery free ten yards out but as he tried to dribble round Ryan Allsop the keeper stuck out a foot and tripped him. The home fans screamed for a red card but referee Phil Gibbs settled for a yellow before skipper Henderson drilled in a low penalty.

City had one decent chance before the interval, Jackson sliding his shot wide of the far post after Connor Thomas had won possession well, but they were plenty to do in the second half.

Pressley freshened up his midfield by sending on Finch and Swanson for Thomas and John Fleck, but it was O’Brien who almost produced an instant equaliser, his 25-yard swerver dipping just over the bar.

Nouble then had the ball in the net from O’Brien’s corner but the referee had already signalled for a foul.

Rochdale almost doubled their lead when Jack O’Connell volleyed just wide from a corner and Willis had to shepherd the ball away from the line as Henderson got his boot to a near-post cross.

Seb Hines threatened from an O’Brien free34-kick but couldn’t get any real power behind his header.

Pressley went for broke by sending on striker Marcus Tudgay for centre-back Webster and the substitute nearly made the desired impact as he moved in on Danny Pugh’s left-wing cross only for Logan to bravely smother at his feet.

Rochdale were hanging on grimly by this stage, Nouble’s cross just evading Finch before Logan went full-length to parry Swanson’s 20-yarder, the rebound just evading Nouble.

Rochdale (4-4-2): Conrad Logan; Joe Rafferty (76 mins, Rhys Bennett), Ashley Eastham, Jack O’Connell, Scott Tanser; Bastien Hery (58 mins, , Joe Bunney), Jamie Allen, Stephen Dawson, Peter Vincenti; Ian Henderson, Matt Done (90 mins, Nyal Bell).

Substitutes not used: Jonathan Musangu (goalkeeper), Olly Lancashire, Michael Rose, Tom Kennedy.

Coventry City (3-5-2): Ryan Allsop; Jordan Willis, Andy Webster (75 mins, Marcus Tudgay), Seb Hines; Jordan Clarke, Conor Thomas (H/T Danny Swanson), John Fleck (H/T Jack Finch), Jim O’Brien, Danny Pugh; Simeon Jackson, Frank Nouble.

Substitutes not used: Lee Burge (goalkeeper), Aaron Phillips, Ryan Haynes, Shaun Miller.