Coventry City 0 - 2 Preston North End

Sky Blues failed to have a shot on target as they toiled against the Lilywhites in front of 10,006 supporters at the Ricoh Arena

Coventry City slumped to their third consecutive defeat – the first at home and the first by more than a single goal – as Preston underlined their play-off credentials with a perfect display of how to win on the road.

Steven Pressley made three changes, striker Marcus Tudgay and midfielder Danny Swanson replacing the injured Frank Nouble and Conor Thomas while teenage wing-back Ryan Haynes was recalled at the expense of former Preston player Danny Pugh.

The visitors started sharper, City fans breathing a sigh of relief when Wiseman cut through and went down under Hines’s challenge in the box but referee Robinson waving away Preston’s penalty claims.

The first attempt at goal saw Humphrey drag a long-range effort wide but centre-back Wright then demonstrated his aerial threat, heading just over from Allsop’s weak punch and then grazing the bar when he rose to Gallagher’s deep free-kick.

Haynes had to foil Humphrey with a superbly timed tackle on the edge of the area and it took the Sky Blues half an hour to make any impact, Tudgay’s header from Haynes’s cross way off target before Jackson was just unable to control the ball when O’Brien’s angled pass from well inside his own half found the striker clear inside the Preston box.

City started the second half in livelier fashion, Tudgay’s low shot blocked by Wright after he had linked with Haynes and Clarke in City’s best move to date.

But Preston regained the initiative and although Brownhill’s 25-yarder was an easy catch for Allsop, Haynes had to make a desperate last-ditch clearance as Garner’s low cross slid across the six-yard box.

The breakthrough came in the 61st minute, Humprhey winning a free-kick from Haynes and Gallagher’s knee-high delivery finding Clarke darting through to stab past Allsop from the six-yard line.

Pressley sent on McQuoid and Coulibaly in a bid for fresh attacking impact but it was Preston who promptly scored, Hines clipping Garner in the box and the Lilywhites’ top score drilling home the penalty even though Allsop went the right way.

With nothing to lose, Pressley replaced centre-half Webster with Miller and switched to 4-3-3. But although Tudgay stabbed wide when Hines headed O’Brien’s corner back across goal, Preston saw out the five minutes of overtime with no major alarms.

Coventry City (3-5-2): Ryan Allsop; Jordan Willis, Andy Webster (73mins, , Shaun Miller), Seb Hines; Jordan Clarke, Danny Swanson (64mins, Mohamed Coulibaly), John Fleck, Jim O’Brien, Ryan Haynes; Simeon Jackson (63mins, Josh McQuoid), Marcus Tudgay.

Substitutes not used: Lee Burge (goalkeeper), Aaron Phillips, Danny Pugh, Jack Finch.

Preston (4-3-3):Jamie Jones; Scott Wiseman (85mins, Calum Woods), Tom Clarke, Bailey Wright, David Buchanan; Alan Browne, Josh Brownhill, Neil Kilkenny; Chris Humphrey (71mins, Kyel Reid), Joe Garner, Paul Gallagher (75mins, Callum Robinson).

Substitutes not used: Thorsten Stuckmann (goalkeeper), Scott Laird, Jack King, Will Hayhurst.

10,000?

They'd get many more if SISU would sell up and b*gger off

10,000?

The ticket price was doubled to £20 compared to when they got 27,000 for the first Ricoh game at £10 each.

Joe Garner unmoved by Steven Pressley comments



Preston striker Joe Garner says he was unmoved by comments made by Coventry manager Steven Pressley.

Speaking before Saturday's game between the two sides, Pressley said that Garner likes to "throw himself on the ground" and he goes down "very easily".

Garner scored a penalty as North End won 2-0 at the Sky Blues.

"Our gaffer after the game had a little laugh, and I didn't really know what he (Pressley) was on about so I can't really say much about it," Garner said.

"I don't mind it. It's their manager, whatever he wants to do.