Swindon Town 2 - 2 Coventry City

Sky Blues throw away two-goal lead



Reice Charles-Cook broke Steve Ogrizovic’s post-War Coventry City record of 572 minutes without conceding a goal – but he couldn’t claim a fifth consecutive clean sheet as the Sky Blues tossed away two points

City seemed to have victory in the bag when Romain Vincelot and Marcus Tudgay .gave them a 2-0 lead with six minutes to play, but Ben Gladwin pegged one back for the relegation-zone Robins and Nicky Ajose's injury-time penalty condemned them to a third consecutive League One draw.

Fleck, suspended for the midweek trip to Rochdale, was restored to his midfield spot while Mowbray made one change up front, swapping Kent’s speed for Fortune’s power.

Charles-Cook, needing to preserve a clean sheet for 78 minutes to overhaul Steve Ogrizovic’s post-War record, spent much of the first 15 minutes exchanging passes with his back four as the Sky Blues made a cautious start on a saturated County Ground pitch.

They produced a couple of early threats – Armstrong wide from 20 yards before Cole was closed down by a combination of Turnbull and Rodgers as he moved on to Fleck’s canny through-ball.

Charles-Cook had to be mindful as Turnbull fired in a skidding shot but City continued to look the likelier side going forward, O’Brien clearing the bar when he tried his luck from 20 yards.

Gladwin’s attempt from similar range was straight at Charles-Cook but the keeper needed two attempts to grab the ball when the same player thumped in a 35-yard free-kick.

Charles-Cook fielded another Gladwin shot but it was the Sky Blues who almost broke through as the half ticked into overtime.

Kent produced a typical high-speed dash down the right and cut back a low cross which fell to Cole ten yards out. The former England man tried to pass the ball into the net but Barry slid across to intercept on the line.

That proved Cole’s last involvement as he was replaced by Lameiras for the second half.

But it was Swindon who were quickest out of the traps, Ojamaa cutting in for a fierce left-shot shot blocked by Ricketts before setting up Ajose for a back-flick that kept the keeper on his toes.

Kent squandered a three-on-two break from Lameiras’s fine pass when he ran into trouble and was replaced by Murphy soon afterwards.

And the Sky Blues made the breakthrough in the 66th minute as Stokes showed admirable determination to reach O’Brien’s through ball and pump over a first-time cross that just cleared the full-stretch Vigouroux and dropped nicely for Vincelot to turn home from five yards.

Murphy’s shot was saved at the near post with Lameiras perfectly positioned for a pass – but the Norwich teenager made amends in the 79th minute when he teased El-Abd into a foul in the box.

Tudgay, who had replaced Armstrong a couple of minutes before, took the responsibility and although Vigouroux spread himself well to block with his legs, he was powerless as Tudgay turned in the loose ball.

Coventry should have been cruising at that stage but Swindon grabbed a lifeline five minutes from time as Gladwin collected Obika’s pass and rammed a ferocious shot into the roof of the net.

And the Robins snatched an equaliser in the second of four overtime minutes as Martin sent Ajose tumbling in the box and the striker – a City target in the summer – sent Charles-Cook the wrong way from the spot.