Coventry City 2 - 0 Wigan Athletic

Match report and key analysis as Sky Blues win on opening day



A debut double by on-loan teenager Adam Armstrong gave the Sky Blues their first-day triumph against title favourites Wigan Athletic.

The Newcastle youngster struck in each half to crown a hugely-encouraging display by Tony Mowbray’s Sky Blues who controlled the game and were denied a more emphatic scoreline as Armstrong and James Maddison both hit the post.

City broke the deadlock in the 15th minute courtesy of splendid work by Jim O’Brien who won the ball on half-way and slid a perfect ball through the middle for Armstrong to sprint clear and slot past the exposed O’Donnell.

Burge denied Wigan an instant equaliser, blocking well with his legs when Grigg shot from the corner of the six-yard box, and the Sky Blues threatened again when Maddison’s free-kick picked out Johnson for a header over the bar.

Excellent work by Maddison then gave Armstrong two more opportunities to demonstrate his pace, the first halted by a marginal offside decision and the second producing a left-foot shot from the edge of the box that O’Donnell saved with some difficulty.

The City fans were loving Armstrong’s whole-hearted running which almost snatched a goal out of nothing when he pounced on a throw-in that sold O’Donnell short.

And City doubled their lead in the 61st minute with another brilliantly opportunist goal.

O’Brien again laid the groundwork, snapping up a loose kick from O’Donnell and freeing Fleck rolled cross that Armstrong, timing his run perfectly, deftly steered into the far corner.

The England youth star was denied a hat-trick by a matter of centimetres in the 69th minute, smacking a 25-yarder against the foot of the post with O’Donnell helpless.