Coventry City 2 - 2 Rochdale

[dutchman]

[dutchman]

New boys shine as City held to draw at the Ricoh



Coventry City FC are still seeking their first home victory since October 25 after twice taking the lead in a cracking game.

New loan recruits Dominic Samuel and Sanmi Odelusi gave the Sky Blues a 2-1 interval lead but that winless stretched to six games as Callum Camps and substitute Calvin Andrew hit back for Dale.

With Gary Madine back at Sheffield Wednesday, Simeon Jackson was the other forward to make way for the new arrivals – and Odelusi made an instant impact with a second-minute pot from 25 yards that was fielded by Lillis.

Nouble, who seemed to be relishing the chance to play in the middle, glanced a header just wide after excellent work down the right flank by O’Brien and Willis.

And it was Nouble who sparked the 23rd-minute breakthrough as he robbed Bennett inside the Rochdale half and threaded a ball through to O’Brien in the inside-left channel.

Lillis dashed off his line to make an excellent one-on-one save at the keeper’s feet but the ball broke kindly for Samuel who smacked it first time into the top corner.

The Sky Blues seemed well in control at that stage but Rochdale were back on terms ten minutes later with another fine strike.

Camps was given far too much space in midfield and he pushed the ball wide to Rafferty and met the return with a first-time side-foot shot from the edge of the box.

The home side momentarily looked down but regained the lead five minutes later as Nouble pounces on another mistake and, although he was pushed wide, he laid off to Odelusi who picked his way past two defenders and stroked a precise low shot into the far corner.

Camps threatened again when he chipped just over the bar from 25 yards but as the half ticked into overtime, Nouble was fractionally short of getting a far-post toe to Samuel’s cross-cum shot.

Rochdale opened the second half with their best spell of the match, keeping possession well and testing City down the flanks.

City briefly found some attacking momentum, Nouble forcing Lillis to a scrambling save when he again won the ball, but Jones had to tip Dawson’s shot over the bar and the reprieve proved all temporary as Eastham headed Bennett corner back across goal and Andrew nodded home from close range.

Andrew was wide with a diving header from another set-piece before Nouble gave Odelusi an opening – his shot blocked and Samuel putting the rebound over the bar from a tight angle.

And as both defences started to look stretched, Samuel volley was deflected wide before Jones saved well from Vincenti.