Jordan Willis stars as Sky Blues make it back-to-back wins in League 1
Coventry City claimed their second Ricoh Arena win in the space of five days with a battling performance against a Rochdale side who started the day in fifth position.
Daniel Agyei gave the Sky Blues the interval edge and they soaked up some heavy pressure in the second half to wrap it up with a goal from his like-for-like replacement Andre Wright. Rochdale, whose midweek defeat against Swindon ended a run of six league victories, opened with the pressing dial ramped up to 11 as they hustled and harried at both ends of the pitch to ensure that City had no thinking time on the ball.
Sky Blues skipper Willis did well to shut out Henderson when the striker chased a long ball and twisted his way into the area and Burge had to fist away Camps’s 30-yard free-kick as the home side struggled to retain any possession. But although City were forced to regroup when Chris McCann limped off with a hamstring problem they gradually got their passing game together and summoned up a high-quality move running on to a perfectly-timed Lameiras pass only to smack his shot against the right-hand post with goalkeeper Lillis stranded.
Nine minutes later, however, the pair combined again to give City the breakthrough. Lameiras seemed to have missed his chance when a long ball from Willis dropped kindly but he threaded a low pass through two defenders to tee up Agyei for a sliding finish. A corner in front of the knot of Dale supporters produced some high drama on the half-hour as Burge made a flying save from Canavan’s header and Sterry dragged the ball back from the line but with the visitors claiming it had crossed the linesman ruled that the original delivery had curled out of play.
Burge fielded another long-range free-kick from Camps after the referee had booked Turnbull for an off-the-ball trip on Lund but City ended the half on a high with two flashes of individual brilliance. Agyei muscled his way through a gaggle of five Dale defenders but curled his shot just wide of the far post while Reid was unable to get a clean connection after a magnificent run from deep in his own half and an exchange of passes with Bigirimana.
Dale were quick out of the traps in the second half, Camps forcing a low save from Burge before firing another shot across the face of goal. Lund then saw his header cleared off the line by Bigirimana as a corner caused City problem before the home side belatedly made some forward progress and shots by Stevenson and Lameiras were charged down in rapid succession.
Lund, already booked, was given the benefit of the doubt when he fouled Reid 25 yards out and that decision almost came back to haunt referee Clark as Bigirimana’s free-kick was blocked by wall and Rochdale broke for but Lund to shoot over. Six minutes from time, however, City doubled their lead with a classic counter-attack, Lameiras sprinting down the inside-left channel and feeding the overlapping Page whose low cross was steered into the corner by Wright.
Jodi Jones almost added a third in overtime as he sprinted on to a superb Bigirimana pass. And although Dale will undoubtedly travel home feeling hard-done-by this was a bonus City deserve after the number of times they have finished empty-handed after dominant displays this season.
Attendance: 8,133* (355 away)
*Part of that attendance figure may have been season ticket holders were not actually present inside the stadium.
