Newcastle United's Adam Armstrong fires Sky Blues to victory
Adam Armstrong’s sixth goal of the season earned the Coventry City victory that moves them withinh two points of new League One leaders Burton Albion.
And the only disappointment was that they didn’t get the more emphatic tally they deserved on a day when their young forwards had Chesterfield at full stretch for most of the game.
Both sides found it difficult to find any space in a cagey opening spell but the Sky Blues produced the first serious threat in the seventh minute, Armstrong’s shot charged down after a flowing left-flank combination between Stokes, Fleck and Murphy.
Armstrong tried to repeat his long-range heroics against Millwall when he took a pot-shot from the half-way line but this time his effort was so far off target that it went for a throw-in.
Murphy and Kent were looking lively for the home side and the Norwich asset forced goalkeeper Lee to get down sharply when he drilled over a cross-cum-shot.
Armstrong produced another demonstration of his eye for goal when he cut in from the right but he slashed his left-foot shot over the bar – and O’Brien suffered a similar fate when a neat combination between Armstrong and Murphy opened the door.
Chesterfield then scrambled the ball clear when Kent dribbled through brilliantly to clip over a cross from the left. And as City’s pace began to stretch the Spirites defence Murphy curled one shot past the top angle while Kent had another blocked for a corner.
Lee then had to dive to divert Fleck’s 25-yarder from a half-cleared corner before Chesterfield produced their first real threat in the 41st minute, O’Neill firing an angled drive a shade too high.
Barely a minute later they went even closer as Burge had to back-pedal desperately to turn Herd’s precise header over the bar.
But the Sky Blues finished the half on the front foot O’Brien seeing his 20-yarder deflected wide before Vincelot met the subsequent corner with a glancing header wide.
It took City just four second-half minutes to break the deadlock, Murphy picking out Armstrong in the box after another fine run and the Newcastle teenager finding the bottom corner with a shot of no great power but admirable precision.
Chesterfield seemed rattled by the setback, skipper Morsy yellow-carded for a crude foul on Vincelot, and City were unlucky not to double their advantage as Lee dived full-length to turn Murphy’s skidding 25-yarder round the post before Kent slid his shot narrowly wide after another exhilarating run.
They had a scare on the hour as Morsy’s free-kick thudded into the wall and his follow-up shot was deflected to Ebanks-Blake but the seasoned striker was flagged offside as he turned the ball past Burge.
The goalkeeper came to his side’s rescue when he fot a fingertip to substitute Duieseruvwie’s first-time curler from the edge of the box.
The home fans were furious when Morsy escaped with a blatant midfield foul on Fleck – the referee playing advantage but declining to take retrospective action.
They were highly relieves second later when Burge pulled off a flying save as Jones’s deep free-kick seemed set to creep inside the far post.
But the Sky Blues were soon back on the attack with Lee getting down well to parry near-post efforts by Murphy and Kent.
Johnson and substitute Fortune bumped up the goal-attempts total before Kent cut through brilliantly but was unable to get any power behind his shot.
Chesterfield’s hopes of a last-gasp escape disappeared when Duieseruvwie picked up his second yellow card for trying to punch home a deep cross.
And City kept their fans excited until the end with Murphy’s shot deflected while Kent was caught fractionally wide as he turned home Murphy’s cross.
Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:48 pm