Coventry City 2 - 1 MK Dons

[dutchman]

[dutchman]

City claim first home league win since October



Coventry City clawed their way out of the relegation zone as Neil McFarlane steered them to victory against second-placed MK Dons.

It is likely to be his only game in charge with the Sky Blues hopeful of announcing Steven Pressley’s replacement ahead of the trip to Barnsley on Tuesday.

But he has the satisfaction of claiming the first win at the Ricoh Arena since October as City withstood almost constant second-half pressure to secure the three points.

McFarlane pointedly retained the outfield ten that surrendered a 2-0 lead at Bramall Lane last week, his only change recalling Lee Burge in goal following the end of Jamie Jones’s loan spell.

And Burge had to make a crucial intervention six minutes into the game, pulling off a sharp reflex save to divert a near-post drive from former Sky Blues skipper Carl Baker.

Ian McLoughlin in turn had to dash out of his goal as Samuel ran on to Tudgay’s superb through-ball. But the visitors’ reprieve was temporary as Williams curled the corner to the far post and Chris Sykes, making his home debut, rammed in a powerful header.

Two minutes later City had a two-goal cushion; Fleck brilliantly intercepted in the centre-circle and cut through the heart of the Dons defence before sliding a perfectly-weighted pass to Samuel who calmly beat McLoughlin to make it four in four starts.

The visitors were stung into retaliation, Barton pulling off a last-ditch tackle to deny Cole before the striker was inches short of connecting with a low cross that flashed across the face of the City goal.

And that set the pattern for the rest of the half with City having to defend some dangerous balls into the box – sometimes at full stretch – while they looked to hit on the counter.

Kicking towards their block of supporters in the second half, Dons opened with a surge that produced a frantic scramble in the box, Burge pulling off sharp saves from Cole and Potter each side of a desperate Pennington block.

And the pressure told in the 55th minute as Baker dribbled his way down the left and cut the ball back for Powell to prod into the bottom corner.

He almost levelled three minutes later, Burge going full length to divert his meaty shot and for a while it was one-way traffic as the Dons poured forward and City struggled to get hold of the ball.

But although Williams curled one shot just wide and Baker put another one narrowly over, the Sky Blues clung on through four minutes of injury time.